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Chicken fingers are a weekday staple. We love them because of their texture, taste, and the tons of unexpected dipping sauce options that pair perfectly with them. We put them out at parties and on kids’ plates because they’ll satisfy picky eaters, not because there’s anything memorable about them. Chicken fingers can, in fact, be a little boring. When you get adventurous and swap the chicken for lean turkey meat, or drench them in sauce to make Nashville Hot Chicken, you change that reliable taste and texture, and not always for the better.
Adding a little matcha powder to your next batch of chicken fingers will spark some chatter without changing that iconic texture or taste. Matcha is green tea in fine powder form; it’s slightly sweet with a little caffeine, plenty of nutrients, and a lot of color. Matcha can be used as a green food coloring for everything from frosting to pancakes and popcorn. And it brings its vivid hue to chicken fingers, too.
Just a couple of teaspoons of this vibrant green tea powder will change the color of your breading mixture and turn your chicken fingers bright green. It’s a twist on chicken fingers invented by celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, which are perfect for a Halloween party, a springtime brunch, or your kid’s next lunch.
How to get vibrant green chicken fingers using matcha
Giada De Laurentiis uses matcha green chicken fingers to make spooky, kid-friendly appetizers for Halloween. She adds almond slivers to the ends of each chicken finger, which is an easy way to create a zombie finger vibe, and serves them up between two slices of bread for a hand-held chicken finger sandwich. The chicken comes out crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and it looks wonderfully weird with a bright green hue.
Green chicken fingers don’t have to look as spooky as De Laurentiis makes them, though. Skip the almond slice and you’ll have a striking, simple dish for any occasion. Or, you could double-down on almond slices and use them as garnish for an extra crunchy layer on top. However you dress them up, the process for making matcha green chicken fingers is relatively simple. Use panko for breading and add a little matcha powder from brands like Jade Leaf or FGO, which will infuse the fingers with that delicious green-tea flavor. Dredge your chicken in egg wash and a little flour before you cover it in matcha panko to really get a great crust.
