McDonald’s Chicken Selects are a copycat chicken strip recipe made with buttermilk marinated chicken breast, seasoned panko and a quick deep fry, ready in 35 minutes once the marinade is done. That makes them an easy party appetizer for game day, a potluck or a weeknight dinner the kids will actually finish.
There is no egg wash in this one, so the wet buttermilk clinging to the chicken is the only thing holding the crumbs on. Let the excess drip off, press the coating in hard, then leave the strips on a rack for 10 minutes before they go anywhere near the oil.
Selects were never nugget meat, they were whole breast cut into strips, which is why this recipe starts with a chicken breast and a knife. And the coating is panko rather than a flour dredge, so it fries up light and jagged instead of smooth.
McDonald’s Chicken Selects
Course: AppetizersCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings20
minutes15
minutes420
kcalChicken breast strips sit in buttermilk and hot sauce until they turn tender, then get pressed into seasoned panko and fried at 350°F. Three to a plate with sweet curry or BBQ sauce.
Ingredients
- For the Chicken:
1 lb 5 oz (600 g) chicken breast, cut into 12 strips
- For the Marinade:
1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk
2 tbsp hot sauce
1 tsp fine sea salt
- For the Coating:
About 4 cups (200 g) panko breadcrumbs
Generous ¾ cup (100 g) all-purpose flour
Scant ½ cup (50 g) cornstarch
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp fine sea salt
- For Frying:
About 4¼ cups (1 liter) vegetable oil, for deep frying
Directions
- Cut the strips:Slice the chicken breasts into 12 even strips, roughly ¾ inch wide and 4 inches long. Keep them the same size, because thin ones burn while thick ones stay raw.
- Make the marinade:Stir the buttermilk, hot sauce and 1 tsp salt together in a large bowl, then add the chicken and push it under. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you can plan that far ahead.
- Mix the coating:Combine the panko, flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, black pepper and 1 tsp salt in a wide shallow dish. Mix it properly so the seasoning is not sitting in one corner.
- Coat and rest:Lift each strip out and let the extra buttermilk drip off, then press it into the crumbs one at a time until it is covered. Set them on a wire rack for 10 minutes, since that is what stops the coating sliding off in the oil.
- Heat the oil:Bring the oil to 350°F (180°C) in a deep saucepan or fryer, and use a thermometer rather than guessing. Too cool and they drink oil, too hot and the crumbs darken before the chicken is done.
- Fry in batches:Lower in 3 or 4 strips at a time and fry for 5 to 6 minutes, turning now and then, until deep golden and 165°F (75°C) inside. Do not crowd the pan.
- Keep them warm:Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, then hold them in a low oven at about 212°F (100°C) while the rest fry.
- Serve: Bring them out hot with sweet curry, BBQ or sweet and sour sauce for dipping.
FAQs
Why is there no egg in the coating?
Because the buttermilk is doing that job. The strips come out of the marinade already wet and slightly thickened, so the panko grabs straight onto them. Add an egg wash and you get a heavier, more battered crust, which is not what Selects were.
Can I leave the chicken in the buttermilk longer than overnight?
I would not push much past that. Buttermilk and hot sauce are both acidic, so after a full day the surface of the breast starts to go soft and mealy. Two hours is the floor, overnight is the sweet spot.
How many strips does this make, and how much is a serving?
Twelve strips from 1 lb 5 oz of chicken breast, which works out at three per person for four people. That serving comes to 420 calories, so it lands closer to a real meal than a snack.
Mine came out greasy instead of crispy. What happened?
Your oil dropped below temperature, which is what happens when you put too many strips in at once. Cold chicken pulls the heat down fast, so the coating soaks instead of sealing. Fry three or four at a time and let the oil climb back to 350°F between batches.
Can I use the oil again afterward?
Yes, once it has cooled all the way down and you have strained the loose crumbs out through a fine sieve. Keep it sealed somewhere dark and use it for frying again within about a month. Throw it out if it has gone dark and thick or smells stale.
