Simple Sourdough Discard Chicken Strips

Stop throwing away your sourdough discard! It can be used to make so many delicious recipes, including these sourdough discard chicken strips. It only takes a few ingredients to make these delicious, crispy chicken strips that are great for lunch or dinner!

When you maintain a sourdough starter, sourdough discard is inevitable, but instead of throwing it away, you can put it to good use! There are so many recipes that you can incorporate sourdough discard into including baked goods like muffins, homemade crackers and more! Adding sourdough discard to your recipes adds extra depth of flavor and incorporates some healthy and beneficial bacteria to your food.

For these sourdough discard chicken strips, the discard acts as a wet batter that coats the chicken beautifully and allows for a nice even crust to form, which results in the classic crunchy texture you would expect from a chicken strip. Pair them with a side of homemade french fries and some broccoli and you’ve got a delicious meal the whole family can enjoy! I personally love to dip my chicken in honey mustard. What’s your favorite dipping sauce for chicken?

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WHY SOURDOUGH?

If you’re new to the world of sourdough, I have a whole guide that can help you learn how to feed and maintain a sourdough starter. But in short, a sourdough starter is a mixture of flour and water that includes wild yeast and natural healthy bacteria. When sourdough starter is added into recipes that contain flour or other grains and is allowed to ferment for a long period of time, the yeast and lactic acid that are present start to break down the phytic acid that is present in grains. Phytic acid is hard for the body to breakdown itself, so by allowing the sourdough starter to break that down prior to you consuming the baked good, it is easier for your body to break that food down.

Although we are not fermenting the batter for these chicken strips, by using sourdough discard, we are still incorporating lots of good and healthy bacteria into our food. We also are adding a layer of flavor with the discard that makes these chicken strips taste even better!

TOOLS YOU MAY NEED

• Cutting board and knife
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Bowl or pint size mason jar
• Shallow bowl or plate
• Tongs
• Lined baking sheet (optional)
• Cast iron skillet or Dutch oven
• Plate/serving platter
• Paper towel

INGREDIENTS FOR SOURDOUGH DIACARD CHICKEN STRIPS

• Sourdough discard: Sourdough discard coats the chicken strips nicely and adds a depth of flavor.
• Egg: The egg in this sourdough discard batter helps to coat the chicken so that the flour can adhere properly.
• All purpose unbleached flour: I prefer to use unbleached flour in my baking and cooking, but most types of flour will work well in this recipe!
• Panko bread crumbs: Panko bread crumbs give the chicken strips an extra crunchiness!
• Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper: These are the spices I like to use, but you could change them up to fit your needs and tastes. If you enjoy chicken that is spicy, add in spices like crushed red pepper flakes.
• Chicken: I like to use chicken breasts in this recipe because they’re easily accessible for me, but chicken tenders would work great too. If you use chicken tenders, I’d still cut them into smaller strips to make cooking quicker.
• Oil: I like to use olive oil, but you could use any type of neutral cooking oil to fry these chicken strips.

NOTES

• Place your sourdough discard on the counter 1-2 hours prior to making these chicken strips to allow it to come to room temperature. The sourdough discard will become thinner in texture, which will make it easier for dipping the chicken strips.
• It’s important your cast iron skillet and oil are full heated to cook these chicken strips thoroughly, so be sure to preheat for about 5 minutes prior to cooking.
• Don’t over crowd your pan when frying.
• Watch the chicken strips carefully while they are cooking because they can burn easily.
• These chicken strips can be baked or cooked in the air fryer as well!
• If you like spicy chicken, try adding hot sauce into the sourdough discard and egg mixture.

HOW TO MAKE SOURDOUGH DISCARD CHICKEN STRIPS

In a bowl or a pint size mason jar, mix together sourdough discard and an egg and set aside. Then in another bowl, mix together the flour, panko bread crumbs and spices and set aside.

Cut the chicken breasts into strips that are an inch or so thick, going with the grain.

Preheat the cast iron skillet or Dutch oven and proceed to dipping the chicken strips.

Take one piece of chicken and dip it into the sourdough discard and egg mixture. Be sure to coat the chicken completely, then allow the excess to drip off.

Then place the chicken strip into the flour mixture, coating it completely. Place the chicken strip onto a lined baking sheet. Repeat this process with all of the remaining chicken.

Once the cast iron skillet is hot, add the olive oil (or oil of your choosing) and allow it to heat completely.

Using tongs, carefully add the chicken strips into the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes on the first side, or until a nice crust has formed, then flip and allow to cook another 2-3 minutes on the other side.

Once fully cooked, remove the chicken strips from the pan and place them on a plate covered with paper towel to allow the excess oil to drip off. Repeat the process until all the chicken is fully cooked.

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Sourdough Discard Chicken Strips

Yield: approx. 15 chicken strips

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Stop throwing away your sourdough discard! It can be used to make so many delicious recipes, including these sourdough discard chicken strips. It only takes a few ingredients to make these delicious, crispy chicken strips that are great for lunch or dinner!

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Ingredients

• 1 cup sourdough discard
• 1 egg
• 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 tsp each of garlic powder, salt, onion powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 large chicken breasts cut into strips
• Neutral oil for frying (I use olive oil)

Instructions

1. In a bowl or a pint size mason jar, mix together sourdough discard and an egg and set aside. Then in another bowl, mix together the flour, panko bread crumbs and spices and set aside.
2. Cut the chicken breasts into strips that are an inch or so thick, going with the grain.
3. Preheat the cast iron skillet or Dutch oven and proceed to dipping the chicken strips.
4. Take one piece of chicken and dip it into the sourdough discard and egg mixture. Be sure to coat the chicken completely, then allow the excess to drip off. 
5. Then place the chicken strip into the flour mixture, coating it completely. Place the chicken strip onto a lined baking sheet. Repeat this process with all of the remaining chicken.
6. Once the cast iron skillet is hot, add the olive oil (or oil of your choosing) and allow it to heat completely.
7. Using tongs, carefully add the chicken strips into the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes on the first side, or until a nice crust has formed, then flip and allow to cook another 2-3 minutes on the other side.
8. Once fully cooked, remove the chicken strips from the pan and place them on a plate covered with paper towel to allow the excess oil to drip off. Repeat the process until all the chicken is fully cooked.

Notes

1. Place your sourdough discard on the counter 1-2 hours prior to making these chicken strips to allow it to come to room temperature. The sourdough discard will become thinner in texture, which will make it easier for dipping the chicken strips.
2. It's important your cast iron skillet and oil are full heated to cook these chicken strips thoroughly, so be sure to preheat for about 5 minutes prior to cooking.
3. Don't over crowd your pan when frying.
4. Watch the chicken strips carefully while they are cooking because they can burn easily.
5. These chicken strips can be baked or cooked in the air fryer as well!
6. If you like spicy chicken, try adding hot sauce into the sourdough discard and egg mixture.

Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 321Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 98mgSodium 322mgCarbohydrates 35gFiber 2gSugar 1gProtein 26g

Nutrition facts can vary based on different brands of ingredients and does not account for substitutions. This nutrition information is only an estimate.

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CHECK OUT MORE OF MY SOURDOUGH RECIPES!

Looking for other sourdough recipes? Check these out:

• Long-Fermented Sourdough Pretzel Buns
• Sourdough Sweet Potato Muffins

Did you make these sourdough discard chicken strips? If you enjoyed them, I’d really appreciate if you came back and gave it a five star rating! Tag me on Instagram (@thesimplehomeplace) to show me your own recreation of this recipe!