Chobani Chicken Fingers with Chipotle Chobani Dip #DeliciousBowl

Chobani Chicken Fingers with Chipotle Chobani Dip 

Years ago, when I was a new mom,  I made it a point to keep a bag of frozen chicken tenders in the freezer for nights when I just didn't have the time to get a "real" dinner on the table.  I thought this was a good mom thing because it kept us out of the local drive-throughs.  Those days are a distant memory now for two reasons:  first, I learned how easy it is to whip up delicious fresh chicken fingers  from scratch and second, my children will no longer tolerate anything that's not "home-made".  I laugh about it, but they're quite serious.  They know the difference and now they won't let me live it down!

These chicken tenders are made using Chobani Greek Yogurt as a base in the marinade instead of buttermilk.   Like buttermilk, it helps to tenderize the meat, adds flavor, and helps to retain the moisture in the chicken throughout the cooking process.  While buttermilk is tangy, the yogurt is more tangy and tastes creamier, too.  Because it's thicker, it coats better and makes the best fried chicken I've ever had.

But these are chicken fingers, right?  They're born to dip!  So I made the most perfect dip for these babies.  I took one of my favorite flavors, honey-chipotle, and added it to creamy, cool Chobani plain yogurt.  This is a match made in heaven because it cooled the heat of the peppers and enhanced the flavor of the chicken beautifully.  They were so good that we're going to have them again for the big game next week...I just need to triple the recipe listed below!

Chobani Chicken Fingers with Chipotle Chobani Dip

Ingredients

Marinade for raw chicken
          5 large boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
          1 Cup of Chobani Plain Yogurt
          2 Tablespoons of Hot Sauce
          1 Teaspoon of Salt
          1 Teaspoon of Pepper
Breading for chicken
          4 cups flour
          2 teaspoons black pepper
          2 teaspoons crushed rosemary
          1 teaspoon thyme
          1 teaspoon garlic powder
          1 teaspoon onion powder
          1 teaspoon salt
Honey Chipotle Chobani Dip
          1 lime, juice and pulp
          2 chipotle peppers* (from a can on chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
          2 tablespoons adobo sauce* (from the can)
          2 cloves garlic, minced
          2 tablespoons soy sauce
          2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
          1 teaspoon onion powder
          1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
           1/2 cup honey
           1 cup Chobani Plain Yogurt

Directions

Marinade

1.  Add the Chobani, hot sauce, salt and pepper to a large bowl and mix well.  Add the chicken strips to the marinade and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to overnight.

Breading
2.  Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix well.
3.  Remove the chicken from the marinade and dredge it in the flour mixture.
4.  Move the coated chicken to a large plate and allow the coating to dry on the chicken for about 20
     minutes.  If it appears too wet after this period of time, dredge it in the flour mixture once more.
5.  Fry the chicken in 375F oil for about 4 minutes on each side.  Remove from oil and allow to drain
     on a wire rack.  Don't drain on paper towels because it will make your beautiful crispy coating 
     soggy.
Honey Chipotle Chobani Dip

6.  Add the lime, peppers, adobo sauce, garlic, soy, vinegar, onion powder, cilantro, and honey 

    ingredients to a food processor and pulse until a thick sauce is formed. 

7.  Add yogurt to a large bowl and carefully fold in the chipotle sauce.

For more great Chobani recipes, visit their Tumblr page or the Chobani Website.

Note:  While I was asked by Chobani to participate in their #MadeWithChobani #DeliciousBowl #GameDay campaign, this recipe as well as all opinions stated are my own.