Crisp & Spicy Chicken Tenders with Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. chicken tenders
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, for frying
• Ingredients for Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce:
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese, or more to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or parsley, optional

Directions

1. Add the panko to a wide, shallow dish, such as a pie pan, then season it with 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. If the chicken tenders have any visible tendon tips at the wider ends, trim those away.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1/4 cup of the mayonnaise, the hot sauce, cayenne, and 1/8 tsp. salt. Add the chicken, then use your hands to turn and coat every piece thoroughly.
3. Press each tender into the seasoned panko, coating it all over, and place the pieces in one layer on a sturdy rimmed baking sheet. Slide the pan into the refrigerator while you get the broiler going and mix the sauce.
4. Set a rack 6 inches below the broiler, then turn the broiler to high and let it heat for at least 10 minutes. While it heats, make the dipping sauce: in a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup mayonnaise, blue cheese, sour cream, milk, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a few grinds of pepper until the mixture is blended, with just small pieces of cheese left.
5. Broil the chicken until the coating is browned and crisp in places and the tenders are cooked through, turning them once, about 4 to 6 minutes per side. Rotate the baking sheet as needed so the pieces brown evenly.
6. Move the tenders to a platter or individual plates, and serve them with the dipping sauce.