Sometimes a chicken nugget is just a chicken nugget. Sometimes it’s a crisp, panko-crusted strip of chicken breast with a sweet and tangy sauce. This is the latter.
Super Bowl Sunday is snack time at its finest. No one is looking for fancy footwork (at least not in the food realm; we do want to see that on the field). I have hosted more Super Bowl parties than I can (want to) count, and what I can tell you is that the delicate little canapes aren’t going to fly off the buffet as fast as the nachos.
The best Super Bowl food lives in the same realm as the best bar food. And that includes chicken tenders.
If you tend to think of chicken strips as a guilty, kiddie-centric pleasure, give yourself permission to relax and enjoy them. They're basically fried chicken sans bone.
But these chicken strips bake on a wire rack for maximum crispiness without frying. A little olive oil in the panko makes all the difference. For a spicy kick, add Sriracha to the egg wash.
Now the sauce, simple but game-changing: Melt apricot or orange preserves, stir in Dijon mustard and fresh thyme, and dip away. It’s sweet, tangy and herbaceous, perfect for dunking each golden strip.
Bake, sauce, serve. The platter disappears fast, so consider making a double batch for a larger crowd. Easy enough for a weeknight, special enough for the big game, and guaranteed to impress both kids and adults.
Serves 4 to 6
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha or other hot sauce, or to taste
1 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise into 1-inch thick strips (or use chicken tenders)
1 cup apricot or orange preserves
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a wire cooling rack into a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Place the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Whisk together the eggs and Sriracha in a second shallow bowl. Combine the Panko and olive oil in a third bowl.
3. Working in small batches, toss the chicken strips in the flour, shake off any excess, dip them in the egg mixture, allow extra egg to drip back into the bowl, and roll them in the panko. Shake off any excess, then place the strips at least 1 inch apart on the wire rack. (It’s possible you may need to bake these in two batches.)
4. Bake until the chicken strips are golden brown and cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes.
5. While the chicken is cooking, place the preserves in a small saucepan or skillet. Heat over low heat until melted, stirring occasionally, then stir in the mustard and thyme. Transfer the sauce to a small bowl, transfer the chicken strips to a serving platter and serve hot.
Katie Workman writes regularly about food for The Associated Press. She has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at https://themom100.com/. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.
For more AP food stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/recipes
This image shows a recipe for crispy chicken strips with an apricot mustard dipping sauce. (Katie Workman via AP)
CARTAGO, Costa Rica (AP) — Preliminary and partial results showed the Costa Rican president’s handpicked successor poised to win the presidency in a crowded field after Sunday's election.
The Supreme Electoral Tribunal reported that with votes from 88.4% of polling places tallied, conservative populist Laura Fernández of the Sovereign People's Party had 48.5% of the vote. Her closest challenger was economist Álvaro Ramos of the National Liberation Party with 33.3%.
Ramos conceded Sunday night and pledged to lead a “constructive opposition,” but one that would not let those in power get away with anything.
“In democracy dissent is allowed, criticizing is allowed,” he said.
Fernández spoke to her supporters after Ramos conceded and President Rodrigo Chaves congratulated her.
“Costa Rica has voted and it has voted to continue the change, a change that only seeks to rescue and perfect our democratic institutions and return them to you, to the sovereign people, to create more well-being and prosperity for our people,” Fernández said.
“The mandate the sovereign people give me is clear: the change will be deep and irreversible,” she said.
At least 40% of the total vote is required to win the presidential election in the first round. Otherwise, the top two candidates will go to a runoff on April 5.
Fernández campaigned on continuing the policies of the term-limited Chaves.
The historically peaceful Central American nation’s crime surge in recent years could be a deciding factor for many voters. Some fault Chaves' presidency for failing to bring those rates down, but many see his confrontational style as the best chance for Costa Rica to tame the violence.
Fernández was previously Chaves’ minister of national planning and economic policy and, more recently, his minister of the presidency.
She is Chaves' favored successor and was considered the frontrunner headed into Sunday's election.
Costa Ricans also voted for the 57-seat National Assembly. Chaves’ party is expected to make gains, but perhaps not achieve the supermajority he and Fernández have called for, which would allow their party to choose Supreme Court magistrates, for example.
Twenty contenders were seeking the presidency, but no candidate other than Fernández and Ramos reached 5% in the preliminary and partial results.
Some 3.7 million Costa Ricans are eligible to vote. They began casting their ballots at 6 a.m. Sunday and voting continued until 6 p.m.
Ronald Loaiza, an electrical engineer, was one of the first to vote amid rain and cold early Sunday at a school in Cartago, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) east of San Jose. He came early so that he could accompany his father to vote later in another town.
“I hope that it’s a democratic celebration, that the people come out to vote,” he said. “It’s very important that we exercise the right that this country gives us, that we’re conscious of our democracy.”
Four years ago, Chaves ran an outsider campaign that carried him to victory over the country's traditional parties, despite the fact that he had briefly served as economy minister in a previous administration. His framing of traditional parties as corrupt and self-interested resonated in a country with high unemployment and a soaring budget deficit.
Presidential candidate Laura Fernández addresses supporters after polls closed in San Jose, Costa Rica, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carlos Borbon)
FILE - Costa Rica President Rodrigo Chaves attends the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
Costa Rica's presidential candidate Laura Fernandez prepares to cast her vote at a polling station in Cartago, Costa Rica, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carlos Borbon)
FILE - Costa Rica's former finance minister Rodrigo Chaves speaks to supporters at his headquarters in San Jose, Costa Rica, after winning a presidential runoff election, April 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Carlos Gonzalez, File)
Costa Rica's presidential candidate Laura Fernandez prepares to cast her vote at a polling station in Cartago, Costa Rica, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carlos Borbon)
