Doritos-Crusted Chicken Sliders

Photo: Nathan Davison

Anybody can do fried chicken sliders, but you? You’re taking it to the next level. These chicken tenders are breaded in Cool Ranch Doritos and baked, so they have all the zesty kick without the grease. For spicier chicken, marinate the tenderloins in Buffalo sauce instead of salad dressing. This recipe was originally featured in our cookbook, Collegiate Cook’s USF Gameday Recipes, and in honor of the book’s two-year anniversary, we wanted to share it with you.

Photo: Nathan Davison
Photo: Nathan Davison

Doritos-Crusted Chicken Sliders Recipe

INGREDIENTS: 

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins
  • 1 bottle salad dressing (to marinate; Italian, Chipotle Ranch or plain old Ranch are great)
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 bag flavored tortilla chips (we like Doritos)
  • 1 package slider buns 1 head Bibb lettuce
  • 1 bottle Ranch dressing

STEPS:

  1. Halve the chicken tenderloins and place them in a gallon-sized resealable bag and coat with salad dressing. Let it marinate for 30 minutes or longer.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350° F. As the oven heats, set up three bowls for breading the chicken. Fill the first bowl with a mixture of flour, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Crack eggs into the second bowl and whisk them together to create an egg wash. Smash Doritos and place them in the third bowl.
  3. Dip each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, then the egg wash, then the crumbled Doritos. (You may need to sprinkle more chips on top to thoroughly coat each piece.) Place each breaded piece of chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  4. Bake chicken in the oven for 27-30 minutes, or until fully cooked. (There should be no pink showing when you cut ‘em in half.)
  5. Assemble the sliders: Cut each bun in half. Place a piece of lettuce on the bottom bun, then the chicken, then drizzle with ranch and top with the other half of the bun.

 

For even more great tailgate and party recipes, check out our USF Gameday Cookbook (25 percent of the proceeds go toward student scholarships at the University of South Florida!).