Copycat Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers

By Becky Hardin

Updated May 8, 2025

raising canes chicken fingers pinterest. - 2

raising canes chicken fingers pinterest. - 3

raising canes chicken fingers pinterest. - 4

These Copycat Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers are tender, crispy, and packed with flavor—served with a crave-worthy Creole sauce. Best of all, they’re easy to make at home without a deep fryer!

Copycat Raising canes chicken fingers being dipped into a Creole sauce with lemon as a garnish. - 5

5-Star Review

“I only had 30 minutes to let the chicken sit while I made the sauce and got the breading ready and it was still great! I thought I would save some for leftovers for tomorrow night but they’re all eating it cold right from the fridge for a snack.” -Melissa

Raising Cane’s Chicken Strips

Raising Cane’s is famous for the most wonderfully crisp and delicious chicken strips, and this recipe serves up awesome copycat strips! Fried in vegetable oil, these juicy strips come out golden brown and delicious—they are utterly addictive! Dipped in the creamy and flavorful sauce, they’ll disappear in minutes.

Looking for more chicken recipes? Why not also try these Crockpot Chicken Fajitas instead of tacos on Taco Tuesday, and this Baked BBQ Chicken for Sunday night dinner?

Ingredients1x2x3x

For the Chicken

▢ 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts chicken tenders also work
▢ 1 cup buttermilk (see note)
▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Sauce

▢ ½ cup mayonnaise store-bought or homemade
▢ ¼ cup ketchup
▢ 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
▢ ¼ teaspoon Creole seasoning store-bought or homemade
▢ Pinch kosher salt

For the Breading

▢ vegetable oil for frying
▢ 2 large eggs
▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
▢ 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
▢ 1 teaspoon ground paprika
▢ ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
▢ 1½ cups breadcrumbs

Video

Instructions

On a clean work surface, cut the chicken breasts into ¾-inch strips. Place the chicken breasts in a large Ziplock bag. 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Pour the buttermilk, salt, and ground black pepper over the chicken and seal the bag. Massage the marinade around the chicken. Refrigerate overnight. 1 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. ½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup ketchup, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon Creole seasoning, Pinch kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
When ready to fry the chicken, set a colander in the sink. Drain the chicken strips in the colander.
Preheat a deep fryer to 350°F. Set out two plates and line one with paper towels. Set aside. vegetable oil
Set up a breading station with three shallow bowls. Whisk the eggs in one bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and white pepper together. Spread the bread crumbs in an even layer in the third bowl. 2 large eggs, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon ground paprika, ½ teaspoon ground white pepper, 1½ cups breadcrumbs
Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, dip in the eggs, and coat with bread crumbs. Place each strip on the clean plate and repeat with the remaining strips.
Working in batches, fry the chicken strips in the hot oil for 6-9 minutes, or until golden brown and 165°F in the center.
Transfer cooked chicken strips to the paper towel-lined plate. Serve with the sauce and enjoy!

Equipment

Deep Fryer (optional)
Dutch Oven (optional)
Deep Frying Thermometer if using Dutch Oven

Becky’s Tips

To make your own buttermilk, measure 1 cup of milk, remove 1 tablespoon of it, and mix in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes before using in the recipe.
Instead of using a deep fryer, use a Dutch oven or other deep pot. Heat the oil to 350°F and fry the chicken, increasing and reducing the heat as needed to maintain 350°F.
At a minimum, refrigerate the sauce for at least 6 hours and let the chicken marinate for at least 2 hours.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

How to Make Copycat Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers

Slicing chicken breasts on a wooden cutting board with a plastic bag on the side. - 6

Prepare the chicken breasts : On a clean work surface, cut 1½ pounds of boneless chicken breasts into ¾-inch strips. Place the chicken breasts in a large Ziplock bag.

Raw chicken fingers in a sealed zip top bag with marinade. - 7

Create the marinade: Pour 1 cup of buttermilk, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 ground black pepper over the chicken and seal the bag. Massage the marinade around the chicken. Refrigerate overnight.

Overhead view of mixed Raising Cane's sauce in a white bowl. - 8

Prepare the sauce : Add ½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup ketchup, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon Creole seasoning, a pinch of kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper to a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Drain the chicken : When ready to fry the chicken, set a colander in the sink. Drain the chicken strips in the colander.

Get the fryer going: Preheat a deep fryer to 350°F. Set out two plates and line one with paper towels. Set aside.

4 bowls; one with eggs, breadcrumbs, flour and raw chicken. - 9

Get the breading going: Set up a breading station with three shallow bowls. Whisk the 2 eggs in one bowl. In a second bowl, whisk 1 cup of flour, 1½ teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, and ½ teaspoon white pepper together. Spread the 1½ cups of bread crumbs in an even layer in the third bowl.

Dredging the chicken in flour with bowls of egg and breadcrumbs. - 10

Bread the chicken: Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, dip in the eggs, and coat with bread crumbs. Place each strip on the clean plate and repeat with the remaining strips.

Fry the chicken: Working in batches, fry the chicken strips in the hot oil for 6-9 minutes, or until golden brown and 165°F in the center.

Chicken fingers on a plate with dipping sauce and lemon wedges. - 12

Transfer and enjoy : Transfer cooked chicken strips to the paper towel-lined plate. Serve with the sauce and enjoy!

Close up of copycat Raising Cane's chicken fingers and sauce with lemon wedges and parsley. - 13

How to Store

Store leftover chicken fingers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. To freeze, arrange the cooked chicken tenders on a baking sheet and freeze until hard, about 1-2 hours. This ensures that the tenders do not stick together. Transfer to an airtight container or zip-top bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

When ready to reheat, remove the chicken from the refrigerator 20 minutes prior to baking. Heat oven to 400°F and set a wire cooling rack onto a baking sheet. Place the chicken pieces on the rack and bake for 20 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.

Make Ahead Instructions

For best results, give yourself 2 days to make these chicken fingers. Prepare the marinade and sauce on day 1, refrigerate overnight, and fry the chicken on day 2. Serve immediately for super crispy chicken.

Serving Suggestions

For a classic meal, serve copycat Raising Cane’s chicken fingers with crispy Shoestring Fries, and Creamy Coleslaw . For a healthier alternative, try Baked Sweet Potato Fries or serve the chicken fingers atop a Mandarin Orange Salad .

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Trademark Note : In the spirit of transparency, I want to note that some of this recipe is a copycat version of a trademarked product. Raising Cane’s is a proprietary brand that I want to acknowledge and give credit to.

featured copycat raising canes chicken fingers. - 22

Copycat Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers Recipe

Equipment

Deep Fryer (optional)
Dutch Oven (optional)
Deep Frying Thermometer if using Dutch Oven