Crispy sweet potato chips are not only a convenient, ready-to-eat snack but can also be transformed into a unique ingredient for creative homemade treats. If you want to create a naturally crispy coating for baked chicken sticks without using industrial breadcrumbs, crushed natural dried sweet potato chips are the perfect choice. Let’s explore this simple combination to bring a nutty, unique, and healthier twist to your family’s daily snack menu.
How to Make Crispy Sweet Potato Chip-Crusted Chicken Strips for a Creative Afternoon Snack
Recipe idea for crispy chicken sticks coated with sweet potato chips – especially appealing for children (Image source: Internet)
You can use crispy sweet potato chips as a chicken coating by crushing them into small crumbs, mixing them with a little flour and spices, coating the egg-dipped chicken strips, and baking them. The recipe below follows the core logic of the original recipe but scales down the portions to perfectly fit one 100g bag of crispy sweet potato chips.(1)
The original recipe calls for 7 oz of sweet potato chips (nearly 200g) for 1.5 lbs of chicken breast. With a 100g bag, the amount of chicken should be reduced to about 350g to ensure the coating sticks evenly.
Ingredients for 2 people:
The Chicken: 350g boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
The Coating: 1 bag of VietNatur crispy sweet potato chips (100g)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch or all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
- 1 large egg
- A little cooking spray or a thin brush of cooking oil
- Salt: Only add if the chips are not noticeably salty
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 200°C. Place a baking rack onto a baking sheet, then lightly grease or spray the rack with oil.
- Cut the chicken breast into bite-sized strips. Pat them completely dry with paper towels, then season lightly with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Place the crispy sweet potato chips into a zip-top bag, blender, or food processor. Crush until they break into small crumbs, similar to crushed cornflakes. Do not grind them too fine.
- Pour the chip crumbs into a shallow bowl. Add the cornstarch (or all-purpose flour), black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika (if using). Mix well.
- Crack the egg into another shallow bowl and whisk well with a small pinch of salt and pepper.
- Dip each chicken strip into the egg, letting any excess drip off.
- Transfer the chicken to the bowl of crushed sweet potatoes. Press gently so the coating adheres evenly to both sides.
- Place the chicken onto the prepared rack. If you have any leftover crumbs, you can sprinkle them onto any spots where the coating looks thin.
- Spray or lightly brush a very thin layer of oil onto the surface of the chicken.
- Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken strips. After about 10 minutes, check the top surface; if the coating is browning too quickly, you can loosely tent a piece of aluminum foil over it and continue baking. The chicken must be fully cooked through, with no pink remaining inside.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest on the wire rack for about 5 minutes before serving.
Note: Do not use sugar-added sweet potato chips for this recipe, as the sugar can cause the coating to darken and burn quickly during baking.
Why Can Crispy Sweet Potato Chips Be Used as a Coating for Chicken?
Crispy sweet potato chips work perfectly as a coating because, once crushed, they form a dry mixture that easily adheres to the chicken strips after they are dipped in egg.
In this recipe, the egg acts as a binder to keep the chip crumbs secured to the meat’s surface. Adding a bit of cornstarch or all-purpose flour helps the mixture coat the chicken more evenly. Spices such as garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and smoked paprika are kept light so they do not overpower the natural flavor of the sweet potatoes.
Since sweet potato chips have a more prominent natural sweetness than traditional breadcrumbs, you should always taste a chip first before adjusting the amount of salt and seasonings. If the chips already have a distinct savory taste, there is no need to add much salt to the coating mixture.
See more:
Dried Fruit Gift Ideas: Healthy & Unique
Crispy dried sweet potato snack: A natural snack experience from Vietnam
How to Pair Side Dishes and Notes for Serving
Some delicious pairing ideas you can try (Image source: Internet)
To preserve the authentic flavor of the sweet potato chip-crusted chicken, it is best to stick to minimalist dry spices and serve any dipping sauces or sides separately.
- Keep seasonings simple and measured: Garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and smoked paprika are the ideal choices for the coating. If you do not have smoked paprika on hand, you can easily substitute it with sweet paprika or skip it altogether. Keeping the dry spices simple allows the aroma of the meat to come through without overpowering the unique, natural sweetness of the sweet potato chips.
- Prepare a separate dipping sauce: This dish pairs beautifully with plain yogurt mixed with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, honey mustard sauce, or any familiar sauce you have at home. You should always serve the sauce in a separate small bowl for dipping rather than pouring it directly over the chicken before eating. This prevents the sweet potato coating from absorbing moisture and turning soggy too quickly.
- Flexible side dish suggestions: Sweet potato chip-crusted chicken strips can be enjoyed as a weekend afternoon snack, during a movie night at home, or as a light platter for two. You can serve them alongside a simple salad, vegetable sticks, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, or some fresh fruit. If you want to assemble a snack board, feel free to arrange a few varieties of nuts or sugar-free dried fruits on the side, just make sure to keep them separate from the chicken.
- Temperature and texture considerations: This dish is best enjoyed while still warm. If left out for too long, the coating can lose its crunch and soften due to the moisture released from the chicken combined with the surrounding environment.
Important Notes When Making Sweet Potato Chip-Crusted Chicken
The key details to watch out for when preparing sweet potato chip-crusted chicken are the dryness of the chicken strips, the size of the crumbs, and the baking time.
- Pat the chicken completely dry before coating: If the chicken surface is too wet, the egg and chip coating will struggle to adhere evenly.
- Do not crush the chips too fine: The chip crumbs should be small but relatively uniform. If ground into a fine powder, the coating can become dense and heavy; if left too large, the crumbs will easily fall off.
- Taste the chips before adding salt: Different brands of sweet potato chips have varying levels of saltiness. If your chips are already savory, you only need to use pepper and aromatic spices.
- Check the oven after 10 minutes of baking: Since sweet potato chips are already a finished product, the crust can easily over-brown if exposed to high heat for too long.
- Let the chicken rest for a few minutes after baking: Once out of the oven, leave the chicken on the rack for about 5 minutes before transferring it to a serving plate.
Why Are VietNatur Crispy Sweet Potato Chips the Ideal Choice for This Recipe?
VietNatur crispy sweet potato chips are perfect for transforming into many fun and creative dishes (Image source: Internet)
When applying the product to this recipe, you will easily succeed thanks to the following outstanding advantages:
- Low-sugar formula with an authentic natural taste: VietNatur sweet potato chips are specially crafted to be low in sugar, accentuating the characteristic natural sweetness of the root vegetable without being cloyingly sweet. Thanks to this feature, the outer crust handles the oven heat beautifully, minimizing the risk of turning bitter or darkening too quickly at 200°C.
- A gentle roasting aroma that awakens the palate: The gentle preparation process allows the chip slices to retain their natural, lightly roasted aroma. When combined with simple seasonings like garlic and onion powder, this pleasant aroma blends beautifully with the chicken, creating a highly appealing layer of flavor for a light bite.
- Balanced sweet and savory profile for easy adjustment: Since the product preserves its authentic flavor profile with a delicate balance of natural sweetness, it is recommended to taste a chip slice before you begin. If the chips already taste well-balanced to you, you can proactively cut down on the salt used to marinate the chicken to achieve the most harmonious final dish.
Sweet potato chip-crusted chicken strips are an option well worth considering when you want to refresh your snack routine, turning a familiar packaged snack into a warm, flavorful platter for the whole family. Without requiring any complicated culinary techniques, you can easily use VietNatur crispy sweet potato chips to create a perfectly seasoned, crunchy crust for your family’s next light bite.
Are you ready to test this recipe out? Share your results with VietNatur or leave a comment below if you have any other unique twists on this dish!
References:
Content Contributor
Mit 3 Jahren Erfahrung im Schreiben und in der kulinarischen Entdeckung bin ich stets auf der Suche nach der Schnittstelle zwischen traditionellen Werten und modernem Lebensrhythmus. Gemeinsam mit VietNatur möchte ich internationale Leser:innen für ein Vietnam begeistern, das fein, einzigartig und voller Lebendigkeit ist – vermittelt durch sorgfältig gestaltete Blogbeiträge.
Leave a Reply