Why is creating chicken fingers so hard
Posted by altrongtm@reddit | shittyfoodporn | View on Reddit | 252 comments
First 2 pictures is the first batch, 2nd picture i threw the 2nd batch onto the same plate
ryskwicpicmdfkapic@reddit
Since when do chickens have fingers?
pryshl@reddit
Did you spray oil on them?
vertigo1083@reddit
Desperately needs avocado oil.
Chilis1@reddit
Or normal people oil will work too.
Rich-Pomegranate1679@reddit
Human oil is my favorite
bunglebee7@reddit
What’s your recipe for human oil? Just curious 😂
UntestedMethod@reddit
Harvest directly from a human who has extraordinary acne
The-Final-Reason@reddit
Felt that….
Azaraphale@reddit
I squeeze all the oil out of my hair and into the food. Any excess gets put into a tub for later use.
Friggin_Bobandy@reddit
That's where I know you from!
EVLNACHOZ@reddit
This is how I remember reddit back in the days.
Noy_The_Devil@reddit
I think you were on 4chan my guy.
vegathelich@reddit
Nah it used to be like that
ZombieJoker@reddit
The best kind of human oil is the freshly milked kind so you give your food that zesty crispiness we all desire.
ninjabunnyfootfool@reddit
Baby oil
Emotional-Truck-2310@reddit
I like baby oil
FGFlips@reddit
midgetcastle@reddit
It varies from person to person
CrazyBosanchero@reddit
Animal fat gang
mtrueman@reddit
Baby oil for the win.
ArtbyTeigan@reddit
This made me laugh and gag
Apart-Awareness3588@reddit
What’s normal oil?
Same-Radio-8502@reddit
I usually dab tjem across my hair or forehead- makes good tendies and keeps me clean all in one
vertigo1083@reddit
If you think using avocado oil is to be fancy or say "I use avocado oil", you would be incorrect. It's about the flashpoint of the oil. They all have different temperature uses.
For instance, using vegetable oil on a high temp quick fry will have your chicken fingers somewhat soggy, because the oil takes longer to fry at temp, and they didn't cook long enough, keeping the breading saturated instead of crisp. Vegetable oil is more suited for a longer cook at medium-high, and great for frozen air fried food.
Avocado oil has a lower flashpoint, which would be a better use case for high temp/quick fry, like homemade chicken fingers.
PawnWithoutPurpose@reddit
Alright, chill bro. Your cooking oil isn’t going to explode
wompod@reddit
if you use the wrong oil at high enough heat it will burst into flame. In other words it might explode if u have the attitude you do. And you probably don't want burnt oil on your food.
PawnWithoutPurpose@reddit
There are very few oils which are use at their flash points for cooking methods
inherendo@reddit
Can you elaborate? I have no idea what this means. Are you saying it has better properties for frying than other oils given the same temp?
wompod@reddit
At high heat it doesn't burn or discolor or smoke the same way many other oils do. And it's got a much higher flashpoint than olive and a bit higher than canola too. So for really high heat cooking it's actually super useful. Great for searing.
inherendo@reddit
Aside from a little smoke in the air fryer, there's not much benefit then is what you're saying.
You keep saying flash point but no one is accidentally setting their oil on fire very often. That's gonna be someone that has their burner on high and leaves if for long period of time while their food smokes and burns first.
DrMonkeyLove@reddit
It's fancy because it's fucking expensive.
LePontif11@reddit
1) The picture looks like an air fryer 2) Many oils fry fooda without issue so using avocado is definitely being fancy. Nothing wromg with that but you can definitely fry with many different oils other than avocado
True_Bumblebee_50@reddit
Lmao 🤣
weinerbarf69@reddit
Probably, but air fryers can get hot enough to make canola/vegetable oil smoke, avocado oil can withstand ~500 fahrenheit
xXAssmaster420Xx@reddit
or just normal oil
blargennn@reddit
Sure, if you don't care about your health
ViciousPuddin@reddit
The people down voting you are dumbasses
Heavy-Studio2401@reddit
I think it needs saffron oil from the seeds harvested around lake Minnetonka
Ilikethemfatandugly@reddit
I like to cool myself in the waters there
wompod@reddit
Flashpoint of saffron oil is 200 f 💀 it is not good for cooking.
Cypherzero212@reddit
On the 4th full moon of the 7th month by virgins.
chud_rs@reddit
OP nowhere to be seen
SkynetLurking@reddit
Just because it’s an air “fryer” doesn’t mean it’s actually good at frying. I’ve found spraying things with some oil goes a long way to getting it crispy, but if it’s breaded it will never come out remotely similar to deep frying
creatyvechaos@reddit
I think both you and OP have a strange misconception of why an air fryer is named that way. Idk, maybe it's just the way I'm reading your words, but to me it sounds like saying "this oil fryer isn't frying my food without oil!" Frying as a gimmick requires — requires — oil or fat of some variety. With an air fryer, that simply means a heavy (heavy) reduction of oil. You aren't frying food in oil like you would an oil fryer, you're frying food covered in oil with hot air. It should be stated somewhere in the instruction manual that that's the case.
D31taF0rc3@reddit
Its just fancy baking. Its a toaster oven with a fan built in repackaged as "healthy fried food".
dingdong6699@reddit
Yo what is this hate on air fryer? Most used appliance in my house of 4 with 2 young kids for years. It’s easy, fast, and yes pretty healthy comparing alternatives. It does everything beautifully if you know what you’re doing.
TheCheeser9@reddit
The hate for air fryers comes from the dishonest marketing. It's a convection oven, not a fryer. While technically heathier than frying things, it's a dishonest comparison. Compared to an oven, it's not healthier.
camdalfthegreat@reddit
It's not healthier but it's much faster due to its small size and high heat output. Air friers are marketed as a health product?
Air fryers are the king of reheating previously deep fried foods. The things you're cooking just need a fat content somewhere.
wompod@reddit
they are amazing for frozen junk food yeah
D31taF0rc3@reddit
It also comes from the first adopters of the appliance being wealthy health freaks who were psychos about the thing as well as it being a status symbol for a while since they were so expensive. "Clearly you don't own an air fryer" didn't come out of nowhere.
I think its a perfectly fine piece of tech and much like a toaster oven its particularly good for children and singles or couples, but its not a necessary appliance and a regular oven gets you simillar results.
FriendlyDrummers@reddit
I love an air fryer and I'm glad it's called that. Who normally would buy a mini convection oven, even if that's literally what it is
dingdong6699@reddit
I agree with this fully. I don’t know what “convection” is and I don’t need another “oven” style appliance, and I can 100% guarantee you I would have never taken the time to learn about it and would have passed it up. Which would be a tragedy because it’s easily my most used appliance. It’s much easier to understand you don’t actually “fry” anything in the air fryer, than to take the time to know what convection oven is. It’s just a very hot compact space with a high speed fan. It cooks things super fast.
I do think original marketing was like “batter this stuff just like you would a fryer and it comes out crispy like you actually fried it” which yeah is deceptive and false, but who cares, the thing is awesome for what it does and I haven’t seen marketing like that in many years. I have the multi shelf unit which imo is far superior to the single bowl ones. Entire family dinner in 10 minutes with no mess. It is superior to the oven in speed by a multiple of like 3 and superior by way of no big dishes to clean!!
D31taF0rc3@reddit
Wasn't hating on it, just calling it what it is.
chipthamac@reddit
A mini convection oven!
permadrunkspelunk@reddit
Air fryers are named that because it sounds cool and caught a new marketing gimmick. They are just a new sixr of toaster oven.
MoobooMagoo@reddit
I don't know what you're going on about but air fryers are just convection ovens but named something else for marketing purposes.
creatyvechaos@reddit
The ability to read would help you greatly, in this instance
MoobooMagoo@reddit
And the ability to write would help you greatly. Or you can just be a giant taint your whole life, which I guess is easier.
You're right that frying requires fat, but I don't know what you're trying to say with the rest of your comment, unless you fundamentally don't understand how an air fryer works.
creatyvechaos@reddit
Or you don't understand sarcasm over text. It's okay, we've all been there ♡
Hmm hmm, maybe ask an actual question, hmm?
MoobooMagoo@reddit
14 popsicle sticks in a tomato and you've got yourself a wild night.
Imwhatswrongwithyou@reddit
MoobooMagoo@reddit
See this guy gets it
creatyvechaos@reddit
Mmm, no, I prefer my joints and edibles, thanks ♡
crumpledfilth@reddit
frying requires a liquid substrate to act as a thermal conductor between the hot surface and the food, instead of air which insulates. That liquid substrate should ideally stay liquid at high temperatures, we use oil because it can do this at standard atmospheric pressure. But if you were to increase the pressure of the system, you could in theory get a good fry using water. Though who knows how the ambient pressure will interact with the water in the food. Perhaps a liquid which is liquid at higher temps than the liquid naturally in the food is required to fry, regardless of system pressure
Julian_Sark@reddit
I feel inspired. Gonna try brake cleaner.
creatyvechaos@reddit
True, and an interesting thought experiment. Food science is hella cool tbh, when you actually stop to think about it. One of my favorite subjects
Fitzy564@reddit
Need to get the good kind 8 bucks!
RecordEnvironmental4@reddit
You need to use some sort of oil spray
Rndysasqatch@reddit
Avocado oil would have helped a lot here
midwest_elder@reddit
3 big things right:
1) you need a cooking oil mister i like to use peanut oil and sparingly.
2) prep man! those are all different sizes they will have different cook times. cut everything down to the lowest common size, and possibly hammer them flatter
3) breading, this pic loos like it might be heavy on the potato or corn starch. watch some binging with babish, Ethan Chlebowski , or mythical kitchen on youtube, all do complex breakdowns of fried chicken with every oil/breading combo and critiques. you dont need to pick their favs, you can see their results and take away what you like.
4) methamphetamine, an extreme chemical addiction can help draw your focus away from minor food factors like taste, texture, and daily caloric minimums for survival.
izyshoroo@reddit
You cant just airfry flour and expect it to fry, it just dries it out. It needs oil
Commie_Scum69@reddit
air fryer doesnt actually fry anything. It's just an oven with extra steps.
Wrestler7777777@reddit
Yeah, I love my air fryer but it's such a stupid name. Totally not a fryer.
Doggystyle_Rainbow@reddit
Portable connection oven
FriendlyDrummers@reddit
It's a rebrand but honestly I love it. I wouldn't have bought "a convection oven" because it sounds intimidating. I love air frying now
Sierra-117-@reddit
Yeah it’s a good rebrand. It crisps stuff up, and does so extremely fast with zero warm up. So it “feels” like a fryer if that makes any sense
Princess_Slagathor@reddit
For years I had no idea why anyone cared about air fryers. I've only used one before, it required a preheat, only shaved a minute or two off the cook time, was loud, made the room hot, and took up a HUGE amount of counter space, while only being able to fit maybe two medium chicken breasts at a time.
Only recently learning that most of them are what you describe.
pasaroanth@reddit
That’s only partially true. Mine can preheat to 350 in about 2 minutes compared to maybe 5-7 for my oven. If it’s 400 then the gap is even wider.
As far as cooking it generally shaves 20-30% off for me. Specifically, there are frozen Tyson “rotisserie” chicken tenders (basically seasoned grilled chicken tenders) at Costco that between the time I hit the button to preheat and when I have finished hot food is about 9 minutes. Preheats in 2 and cooks in 6-7.
There’s no way I could accomplish that with my conventional oven. Granted it may still only be a 10-15 minute difference, it’s still a meaningful difference.
FriendlyDrummers@reddit
Yeah that may have been an older one. Most nowadays are the same size as a toaster oven. Mine is still a bit loud, but it's not an issue.
Wrestler7777777@reddit
Yes, but it also leads to people comparing air fryers to regular fryers. And then those people are upset that it doesn't fry like a regular fryer does. Yeah well YEAH. Because it just isn't a fryer!
It is its own device. It's a small convection oven. There's no oil if you don't put any in. Yes, it will dry your food if you don't use oil. Fries from an air fryer DO taste differently! It's just not a fryer, despite its name! It does not make sense to compare the food from an air fryer to "truly" deep fried food.
dildo_gaggins_@reddit
So what you're saying is I can fill up my air fryer with oil and deep air fry. Hold my beer.
Mouthshitter@reddit
Fast air oven
Emm_withoutha_L-88@reddit
You guys are why they name the kill puppies and shoot the poor legislative bills the "Save America Act"
Alert-Potato@reddit
I am in a committed long term relationship with my air fryer. But I'm also not stupid. (not always anyway) It doesn't fry things.
I've had people tell me with their whole chest that I don't need to continue to own a deep fryer since I have an air fryer. That I can make battered fish for fish and chips, and tempura, and donuts, all in the air fryer and they'll be just like if I made them in the deep fryer but healthier. Bitch please. Again, not stupid. I don't think those are health foods, and I'm not trying to make them into health foods. Some things need to be deep fried to come out right.
Commie_Scum69@reddit
Ur not stupid <3 haha and having both is actualy very intelligent thing to do
Alert-Potato@reddit
Oh, I have my moments. We all do. But thankfully I'm willing to admit it (usually) and laugh. Hell, I have an inch long scab on the back of one of my fingers from putting it against the edge of a cast iron pan, and it really was a moment of true stupidity when I did it. I have way too many kitchen appliances if you ask some people. But I like to have what I need and not have to improvise.
Myrtylle@reddit
Alert potato! Cast iron is hot! Haha love ur user name
Commie_Scum69@reddit
When I was a teenager I decided to put hot glue on my finger because I thought it wouldnt hurt 😅
Looptydude@reddit
People assume it can "fry" because it's killer at making chicken wings, but the reason it works so well is because it's literally chicken covered in fat.
Kgby13@reddit
So it’s an air dryer?
neuroso@reddit
But cooks faster than over
broccoli_02@reddit
More like less steps
ThirdBorracho@reddit
I mean, surely with less steps?
Commie_Scum69@reddit
No it's just warm air. Something most mini oven can do nowadays. The extra step is it cost way more and has less space for the food due to it coffee maker shape. It's mostly marketing.
ThirdBorracho@reddit
Thats not a step - for me the oven takes ages to preheat, and it doesnt hold heat as well - so if i'm doing chicken wings or something, the air fryer (stupid name inclusive) is much quicker and the results are better
Commie_Scum69@reddit
Yes its advantageous on time. Tho I have a mini oven that does the same thing. But I also can cook other things in it.
Aggleclack@reddit
Are you talking about a toaster oven? A toaster oven isnt a toaster oven. Unless it has a convection setting, then it’s the exact same as my toaster over airfryer combo I bought for $50 at Walmart.
Commie_Scum69@reddit
it has a convection feature. And it's just quicker/easier since I live alone. I have a big oven but it's brand new, unnused and I dont like cleaning lol. Same as an air fryer I can make mozzarela stick or chicken fingers in 15 min
Aggleclack@reddit
OK, so you’re arguing against air fryers, but you realize you do literally own an air fryer lol
Commie_Scum69@reddit
I own a small toaster oven that has the option for convection.
userrnam@reddit
I thought the same until actually getting one... The whole point is that it's smaller and therefore more effecient at heating up smaller meals. Don't need to heat an entire oven to only feed 1-3 people. Also, they're stupidly cheap at this point?
Commie_Scum69@reddit
I have a mini oven.
Aggleclack@reddit
Jesus we know
Commie_Scum69@reddit
Diacetyl_Puppy@reddit
It's a mini convection oven with more fans that heat up a smaller space. It moves super heated air all over the food, quickly, hence the name.
Still stupid name and a lot of marketing. Though I believe lots of industrial kitchens use them nowadays, much larger ones, so they have their use cases and I could see them being handy in the kitchen but you got to be able to get similar results with a decent countertop convection oven.
Commie_Scum69@reddit
10 years in kitchens here. We use convection ovens nobody call them big air fryers. But yeah it's basically the same but cooks quicker
FriendlyDrummers@reddit
I don't mind a toaster oven but they often take more time to heat up, and they don't recreate the crispy surfaces of fried leftovers
ThePsychoKnot@reddit
I don't think you understand what steps are
Frydendahl@reddit
Fewer*
ThirdBorracho@reddit
fixed :D
Aggleclack@reddit
An air fryer IS NOT an oven. An air fryer IS a convection oven.
Commie_Scum69@reddit
Jesus we know
Aggleclack@reddit
lol that was actually funny
Interhorse_@reddit
Isn’t it less steps? I use my air fryer when my oven seems like too much work. It doesn’t need to be preheated.
SignificantExit3123@reddit
Can’t you just spray some Pam on each side?
NewspaperHelpful6500@reddit
This is probably the funniest thing I've seen all day
Mr_Herbaceous@reddit
If you’re using breadcrumbs fry them in a little oil or toast them in the oven before breading
MintyKitten96@reddit
Try a wetter or panko breading. I make some all the time because it cuts out the extra oil.
BadPunCentral@reddit
Because chickens don’t have fingers?!
eupatorusG@reddit
They can also Air Boil eggs. It’s an air boiler.
whitecastlebites@reddit
Use bread crumbs instead of flour for baked chicken fingers
TheChocolateMiIk@reddit
First off, If you want authentic chicken fingers then you have to deep fry em
kr4t0s007@reddit
I can make good air fried chicken, but yeah it does need oil. I use sunflower oil.
TheSunflowerSeeds@reddit
The sunflower head is actually an inflorescence made of hundreds or thousands of tiny flowers called florets. The central florets look like the centre of a normal flower, apseudanthium. The benefit to the plant is that it is very easily seen by the insects and birds which pollinate it, and it produces thousands of seeds.
PlumpyCat@reddit
Thanks, TheSunflowerSeeds! I can always rely on you for my sunflower facts.
wompod@reddit
That's awesome. Like broccoli?
wompod@reddit
Sunflower oil is another great searing oil. Love me some high heat.
kr4t0s007@reddit
And cheap €1,50 for 1L bottle.
DenseAstronomer3631@reddit
I dont think there is any type of oil you can get that cheap in the US 😭
wompod@reddit
Damn it's way more expensive in the U.S. wherever you live must produce a surplus.
cornonthekopp@reddit
And this is why I just eat out if I want fried chicken haha. Deep frying at home is such a pain in the ass
DarkflowNZ@reddit
And the chicken needs to be a pink slime emulsion extrusion
wompod@reddit
That's nuggets. Chicken strips/fingers need to be cuts of white meat.
DarkflowNZ@reddit
I had to google this to confirm. Personally I was picturing fish fingers but chicken. Apparently what chicken fingers actually are is a chicken tender that's often made with a cut of meat from underneath the breast, or the breast itself
wompod@reddit
A tender is supposed to be whole meat too. if its not its a nugget or like, a fry or something. or a patty. Source: I love chicken strips but not chicken nuggets.
DarkflowNZ@reddit
I think chicken fries are closest to what I was thinking of. But like thicker
LOTRfreak101@reddit
Yeah, chicken tenders are pretty easy to make from actually meat instead of Emulsified Meat Product^tm.
TrainingFilm4296@reddit
To be even more pedantic, chicken "fingers" are specifically just the small "tenderloin" of the chicken breast.
No-Internal7978@reddit
Wrong
FriendlyDrummers@reddit
Sad but true
Cynykl@reddit
If you are attentive you can shallow fry and get good results.
GreyGanado@reddit
Just coating the whole breading in oil before air frying would also work. Not as much as actually frying but still a million times better than what OP has done.
Any-Cow5680@reddit
Came here to say this. Sucks if OP's trying to make it less oily, but you're just not gonna get the same from air-frying as from deep frying
scfw0x0f@reddit
Pan fry, but yes, needs far deeper oil.
FlawedHero@reddit
Deep frying and pan frying are both acceptable techniques. Air frying, however, is the worst of the three options.
scfw0x0f@reddit
Air frying is not a technique. Might as well give it to Chef Mike.
killtostayalive@reddit
Normal frying pan with an inch worth of any oil. Medium heat.
Mix: mug of flour an egg A can of lager/beer Mix it until it ends up with a consistency of melted ice cream
Dip and fry. Easiest thing in the world.
VeterinarianTrick406@reddit
You need fat in your binder no matter how much you try and shave off calories by air frying it. The ones you buy pre frozen have added fats in the breading.
Sumoki_Kuma@reddit
Do you possibly know how they add those fats to the breading? Would it be hard to recreate in a normal kitchen?
GiganticEgg@reddit
Ive seen a recipe online that pretoasted the breadcrumbs with some oil before they did the flour egg breadcrumb steps. Haven't tried it myself but the end result looked quite good, just need to make sure your flour layer is quite thin
VeterinarianTrick406@reddit
Tasterspoon has a great recommendation on using your favorite off the shelf dressing because it’s consistent, easy and lasts for a long time. You can dredge your chicken right before breading. My mom makes it with beaten egg mix with an extra yolk and mustard and bread crumbs.
SirPsychoSexy22@reddit
Pretty sure they're pre-fried
idiotista@reddit
They are pre-fried.
Tasterspoon@reddit
I marinate my chicken strips in salad dressing, such as Italian. Then I toss them in seasoned bread crumbs or seasoned cornbread mix. Then I bake in a convection oven.
The oil in the salad dressing seems to be enough for them to get adequately brown and crunchy. They are still better if I generously oil the baking sheet and roll the strips around a bit in it before baking.
mayoronczka@reddit
I did similar mistake recently but in an oven. The meat was cooked allright but breading was dry as pope's heels. I fixed it by preparing a kinda Korean BBQ style sauce (maple syrup, sweet chili sauce and some herbs), throwing chicken onto pan with it and coating thoroughly. Breading absorbed the thick sauce and it was MUCH better.
admiralackbar134@reddit
Dog. An air fryer is not an actual fryer
desu38@reddit
protip: "air fryer" is a misnomer, as it doesn't actually fry. it's a certain style of convection oven
cattoo_tattoo@reddit
I just successfully made chicken tenders in the air fryer yesterday. It looks like you didn’t put any oil on them after you did your breading
cattoo_tattoo@reddit
Also I put mine in the fridge for about 45 mins after breading them but before putting on the oil so that the breading had time to bond with the egg mixture
Hurricana26@reddit
Cornflakes instead of flour if they go in the airfryer
Neat_Olive_3679@reddit
I used to bake chicken fingers in the oven and they worked fine (not as good as fried ones though). You need three steps. Flour them first (add salt & pepper to the flit) , then egg wash (add milk to the egg) , then bread crumbs last. You can add parmesan cheese and oregano to the crumbs if you want them to be more tasty after baking then bake them on a bread rack on top of a baking sheet. Air fryer could accomplish the same but will dry them out & more due to the circulating air. Otherwise you can just fry them in oil! Even a frying pan with oil in the bottom can work if you don’t want to all out deep fry them but deep fry is the most delicious:)
liberalhellhole@reddit
Chickens dont have fingers. Maybe that's why
enchiladasundae@reddit
I’d have to look at your recipe but air frying is definitely not the way to go. Honestly a regular oven would be better. Only proper way to fry, as much as I personally hate it, is with oil. Feels so wasteful but it works for a reason
huey2k2@reddit
An air fryer isn't a fryer, it's a small convection oven. The way you are trying to make them will not work in an air fryer.
griffincook14@reddit
Air fryers kinda feel like a final nail in the coffin of future Americans knowing how to actually cook
T0lias@reddit
Hear me now. Salt (and pepper if you're fancy) your chicken pieces, then leave them in the fridge uncovered for some time (up to a few hours, even 15 minutes will do some work). Then dust them with cornstarch or potato starch (NOT flour, flour sucks) put them in the fryer and spray them with oil (I do extra virgin olive you do w/e you want). If you don't have a sprayer, take a couple tablespoons of oil (depends on quantity 1 tbsp per 250 grams or so) and slowly drizzle over the pieces. Air fry at 200C (400 in freedom units) for 20 to 25 minutes, depending on piece size. Turn them over in half time.
This beats any fried chicken recipe for me personally.
Top_Statement_7373@reddit
Crack some eggs in a bowl and mix em up, pour some panko bread crumbs in a separate bowl, cut chicken breast into tendy pieces and dip in the egg then drop in the panko bowl, cover it w some panko and punch it a bunch then flip it over make sure it's covered in panko and punch it again. Take it out and set it aside. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
Set up your pan over low to medium heat and pour in some olive oil to cover the bottom of it, maybe 1-2mm deep. Toss in the chicken and dial up the heat so things just start to fry up. Wait til their golden brown on the edges, flip and fry the other side. Let sit on a rack to cool off, then enjoy
OffBeatBerry_707@reddit
*Even if you don’t deep fry them atleast spray the chicken with oil
marsitro@reddit
I recently found a great trick for baked breaded goods: toast the breadcrumbs in a pan before breading until desired colour with like a tablespoon of oil. Also, yours seem to have too much flour-make sure to shake off the excess before dipping into the egg.
marsitro@reddit
Btw, I made baked chicken katsu last week using this trick and it turned out great, so it will work for chicken fingers:-)
September_Royalty@reddit
Not enough oil and just a bit too much flour, I suppose.
GarbageManKnows69@reddit
Chickens don't have fingers
spitslaps@reddit
DriedMangoSex@reddit
Air frying is healthier simply because less oil is needed / the food cooks in its own oils. That’s the thing though.. you definitely need at least some oil or butter to start with or else the starches wont bind to anything. Get some oil/butter spray, maybe even reapply half way through cooking if it looks a little dry and you should be good!
Beneficial-Staff9714@reddit
It isn't.
wateryonions@reddit
Learn to cook and stop sticking everything in the air fryer.
I swear they are the new microwave. “Save a few minutes and your food comes out worse!”
Their only use in my house is to reheat something I want to end up crispy.
Quick_Philosophy1426@reddit
i cannot believe that there are actually people out there that think their air fryer does the same thing as a deep fryer
Weasel_Vomit@reddit
They look freezer burnt.
NoEggsOrBeansPlz@reddit
because chickens don’t have fingers
longDreadsNmore@reddit
Pre heat air fryer and spray with cookin spray food and fryer turn halfway thru
LegDayLass@reddit
Your real question should be “why is it so hard to fry things without frying them” and the answer is common sense.
Anxious_Emphasis5311@reddit
Por-Q is a great product
caseythebuffalo@reddit
Because you need to actually fry them not chuck them into an air fryer
SharVezSingh@reddit
Lol. Survival of the fittest doesn't apply to you 🤣🤣🤣 as if you cant cook simple breaded chicken.
AugustWest101@reddit
After you bread the chicken let it sit to set. Then use a brush and dab oil over the breading. They will brown and crisp them up.
EhMapleMoose@reddit
Use mayo to stick the breadcrumbs on.
phillybluntz@reddit
I would still crush these with some good sauce
phillybluntz@reddit
You know what I just saw the last pic these look rough. I’ll pass
Alert_Row7148@reddit
But chickens don't have fingers!
professorseagull@reddit
There's no oil in your fryer
xXTheLastCrowXx@reddit
I've never cooked food in my air fryer. Only ever use it to heat food up to bring back their crisp. Like fries, wings, etc.
Chem1st@reddit
Because you're misunderstanding what an air fryer actually is. Hint: it's not a fryer.
error785@reddit
Because you’re kinda not using the right equipment. These are supposed to get deep fat fried if you’re looking for anything close to resembling something you’ve seen come from a restaurant. So for starters you need a bigger pan/dutch so that they can be fully submerged. Second you need a ton more oil. This is why picking up a 5 piece at the drive thru will remain your best option.
slornump@reddit
What are they breaded in?
Obvious-Water569@reddit
Because air fryers are fucking shit and no one can change my mind on that.
Banned_from_italy@reddit
lol it’s not
FNAF1ISTHEBEST@reddit
Why are they frostbitten
Banana_Slugcat@reddit
Micheal Jackson chicken
Also please spray some oil on those, it's not a fryer it's a ventilated mini oven
Lost_Horror4554@reddit
Creating chicken fingers is hard because they don't have fingers, they have toes.
oogabooga20190@reddit
Im sorry, creating?
jeremybeadlesfingers@reddit
You’re using the wrong tool.
SquidFetus@reddit
I’m imagining OP starting out with nothing, trying to find the code to spawn a chicken.
Mazasaurus@reddit
I mean chickens no longer really have fingers so you have to do some reverse engineering and
Substantial-Water-10@reddit
Is that flour and bread crumbs ? If no flour then maybe you can toast the bread crumbs more before you bread the chicken , when I bake chicken with panko it’s mandatory to toast the bread crumbs otherwise they stay a pale color and don’t cook right. Also add a bit of oil and flip half way through.
esperanzalos@reddit
First time seeing someone actually try to fry something in an air fryer. Usually at least put some oil on it the air will dry it put
MediumSatisfaction1@reddit
Honestly id still slam these
chrisp5000@reddit
Pretty_Lie5168@reddit
Chickens don't have fingers?
MarzipanPlane9490@reddit
Did you read the instructions 🤔
brendanb203@reddit
It says creating
MarzipanPlane9490@reddit
Still might be directions or instructions 🤷♀️
Xogoth@reddit
Don't air fryer if you're going to bread things
4-6cm of oil in a pan, heat to around 350°F, a few minutes on each side. If it's going golden brown, you're done, boss.
Don't forget to season at every step—chicken, egg wash, flour, and bread crumbs(or corn flakes, or whatever. If you're wanting that kind of crust/crunch.). At least salt and pepper, for fuck's sake.
And mix your egg wash with a fork, not a whisk—you don't want it frothy.
robertbreadford@reddit
Have you tried looking up a recipe
mhj0808@reddit
For real, every person I know that says they “can’t cook” really is just too lazy/impatient to read a recipe.
And God forbid they actually bother to remember anything they might read and repeat it back later down the line.
Needy_Emo_Girl@reddit
I thought they were chicken heads for a second 😭
pkmaster99@reddit
I mean, they are really good too when done right
QuadraKev_@reddit
You need some oil to help thermal transfer and promote the Maillard reaction to enhance browning.
mango-ranchero@reddit
I use this recipe when I make my own. https://www.recipetineats.com/truly-golden-crunchy-baked-chicken-tenders-less-mess/#h-really-crunchy-baked-chicken-tenders
The keys to good homemade tenders are 1) toast your breadcrumbs before dredging and 2 spray with oil before baking/air frying
Ornery-Practice9772@reddit
Shallow fry in oil. DONT airfry. If you wanna airfry, low heat- cook for longer, brush with oil or theyll turn out like this.
Also is this a repost? Looks familiar
Dave-James@reddit
Because they don’t have “fingers”…
Buy Wings. Don’t do anything to them, no breading, no seasoning. Put them in hot canola oil. Cook til golden and shimmering.
Done.
InsertRadnamehere@reddit
Use oil next time. Or bake them instead.
GrandmaForPresident@reddit
You aren’t frying them….
odiin1731@reddit
Because chickens don't have fingers, silly.
jpainphx@reddit
Did you egg wash and bread them? Looks like excess breading not shaken off. Not horrible
MirandaScribes@reddit
I disagree. They look sort of horrible
Snowf1ake222@reddit
There should be a subreddit where people post pictures of the shitty looking food.
creatyvechaos@reddit
We could call it smthn like "shitty looking food" or something. Oh, but sex sells... Maybe "shitty looking food porn"???
Snowf1ake222@reddit
Don't be silly. That will never catch on.
creatyvechaos@reddit
Shit... :( I'm all out of ideas, then 😞
LardLad00@reddit
They look like they were fried by a 3rd grader
SpicyWokHei@reddit
Can someone explain to me why people seem to think coating something in flour is how you cook in an air fryer?
Is it like some rage bait meme that I missed?
creatyvechaos@reddit
People think "air fryer = no need for oil." That is not and has never been the case. They need to actually start reading the instruction manual that came with their device. Got it for free and/or second hand? I assure you, google has that same exact instruction manual.
Commercial-Star-291@reddit
chickens don't have fingers!
leunam4891@reddit
It’s this easy. Flour, eggs, panko then deep fry them in a pool of oil medium low flame. Or you can do the buttermilk process, mix flour with cayenne, chilli powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Let the chicken fingers brine over night in the buttermilk and hit them with flour mixture you made let them rest for 10 min and dunk them in the. Buttermilk again and once again the flour. Then fry them in a pool of oil medium low flame
creatyvechaos@reddit
OP: you do not need a pool of oil if you are using an air fryer. Spritz your tenders with oil before you put them in.
Sproose_Moose@reddit
Because they have wings, not hands! /s
Soaring_Gull655@reddit
If it was easy, everyone would do it.
creatyvechaos@reddit
It is easy and everyone can do it
MyNameIsSkittles@reddit
Looks like you didn't fry them. That would generally help
Otherwise you need to spray with oil
AlbatrossOk6223@reddit
The closest approximation I’ve found so far is to take a few slices of bread (not breadcrumbs), remove the crusts, add a few spoonfuls of oil, and crumble everything together. I then use this fresh “panko” to coat the chicken.
The combination of moisture from the fresh bread and the way the oil soaks while of mix during the crumbling gives it a better finish. It’s still nowhere near real deep-frying, but it produces a decent result.
creatyvechaos@reddit
Oh, wonderful. You pre-molded your chicken.
iamsheph@reddit
It isn’t 🤷♂️
MisanthropicSocrates@reddit
Ditch the air fryer and fry em in a pot of bacon grease of beef tallow.
Rajion@reddit
My recommendations. You won't get perfect, but don't let perfect be the enemy of okay. You want baked chicken. I did this a lot in 2020.
1) get a oil spray to spritz them before they go in or melt butter into the egg wash.
2) doing flour into egg into breading. Get them cool and dry, then hit with another egg wash before it goes in the air frying.
3) precook the chicken and cutting them into nuggets is another option
ChefArtorias@reddit
You can't just put raw breading in an air fryer. lmao
human_facsimile77@reddit
Chickens don't have fingers, you're creating something that has never existed. No one said it would be easy.
Ok_Ant_3554@reddit
Its not, you just need oil
NoStupidQsExist@reddit
because you’re trying to make em healthy
magicarnival@reddit
How long were these in the freezer? They look freezer burned to hell.
CaptainChrs@reddit
holy shit, man....
QueezyF@reddit
Looks dry
Gloomy-Restaurant-42@reddit
These chicken fingers look like they have vitiligo.