Baked Sesame Chicken Fingers with Fries

This post is sponsored by Alexia Foods, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Dinner at the Zoo possible.

These baked sesame chicken fingers are tossed in a sweet and tangy asian-style honey, soy and sesame sauce and are served with oven-roasted fries and a creamy sesame dip. A complete meal in 30 minutes with less guilt!

Now that the holidays are behind us it’s time to get back into old routines. For me, that means more diligence with meal planning and making better food choices to get 2016 off to a great start. I find that if I have our dinners all planned out for the week it’s less stressful and also gives me a chance to make sure we’re eating well balanced meals. While I like to cook from scratch when possible, I also rely on products to help make meal time prep go a little smoother. I always have a bag of Alexia fries in my freezer, they’re the perfect all-natural snack or meal complement. The Smart Classics Fries and Potatoes are 98% fat-free and have just 100 calories per serving – I can have the fries I love without breaking any New Years Resolutions!

My kids love chicken fingers but I don’t love that they’re deep-fried. I’ve created these baked sesame chicken fingers as a lighter alternative that pair perfectly with Alexia Smart Classics roasted straight cut fries.

Part of meal planning is coming up with ways to save time – I know in my house we’re all tired by the end of the day and the last thing I want to do is spend hours cooking! This recipe can be prepared in about 30 minutes. The chicken fingers bake on the same pan as the french fries and while everything’s in the oven I take a few minutes to make an asian-style sauce to coat the chicken fingers and a creamy sesame sauce to dip the fries and chicken into.

This meal was a win for my family – the kids loved that they could still have their chicken fingers and fries and I loved sticking to my New Year’s resolution to make good food choices that allow for fast and easy meal prep.

Alexia Smart Classics Fries and Potatoes come in three different varieties (crinkle cut, straight cut and tri-cut) and are available nationwide, check here to see where they’re sold near you.

Alexia Foods offers frozen potatoes, appetizers, breads and side dishes with minimal, but distinctive, real ingredients that serve-up exceptional Farm to Flavor taste–right in your kitchen. For more from recipes , tips and inspiration from Alexia online, check out AlexiaFoods.com.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.

5 from 3 votes

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Baked Sesame Chicken Fingers with Fries

These baked sesame chicken fingers are tossed in a sweet and tangy asian style sauce and are served with oven roasted fries and a creamy sesame dip.

Course Dinner

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Dinner at the Zoo

Ingredients

• For the chicken:
• 1 pound raw chicken tenders or boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• cooking spray
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• 1/2 bag Alexia Smart Classics Straight Cut Fries

• For the sesame dipping sauce:
• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
2. Place the chicken in a resealable bag with the buttermilk; toss to coat. Marinate for 10 minutes.
3. While the chicken is marinating combine the soy sauce, ketchup, honey and sesame oil in a saucepan.
4. In another resealable bag combine the flour, panko, cornmeal, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and add pepper to taste.
5. Remove half of the chicken from the buttermilk and place into the bag with the panko mixture. Shake to coat the chicken; remove the chicken and place in a single layer on the sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Coat the tops of the chicken with cooking spray.
6. Place the fries in a single layer on the sheet pan with the chicken.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned and fries are golden brown and crispy.
8. While the chicken and fries are baking, make the sauces. Bring the soy sauce mixture to a boil. Combine the cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water and add to the sauce. Boil for 1-2 minutes more or until sauce has slightly thickened. Set aside.
9. For the dipping sauce mix all ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use.
10. When the chicken comes out of the oven, drizzle the soy honey sauce over the top and toss to coat. Sprinkle the chicken with the tablespoon of sesame seeds. Serve the chicken and french fries with the sesame dip. Garnish with parsley or cilantro if desired.