If there is one copycat recipe I wanted to get absolutely perfect, it’s this one. Cane’s juicy, fried chicken strips dunked in tangy, peppery sauce is the kind of fast food meal I dream about. While the restaurant has expanded outside of the Midwest, it still isn’t totally accessible everywhere yet… until now. I tested and tested and retested this recipe so that I could confidently say, this copycat is as good as the real thing.
The sauce:
Cane’s sauce is rightfully secretive—rumor has it that not even the employees know the exact recipe, but I love to crack a mystery. Their sauce is tangy with just a bit of sweetness and a lot of pepper, and my version, I think, is as close as you can get. Cane’s sells their sauce by the cupful, so being able to make as much as your heart desires in the comfort of your own home is a big win.
The chicken:
Their crispy, juicy chicken tenders were a bit easier to replicate thanks to a buttermilk marinade. Letting them marinade in a salty buttermilk solution makes the chicken even more tender and juicy after frying and flavors the chicken well, while a simple cornstarch breading creates a light, crispy coating. They fry quickly, making it easy to make batch after batch for large parties and get togethers. To help keep them warm out of the fryer, you can place them on a rack over a baking sheet and keep them in a 200° oven until ready to serve.
Storage:
The sauce only gets better with time, so make it first and keep it refrigerated until ready to use. Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, the sauce will last for up to 3 days. The chicken can also be saved in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container, though it may start to lose some texture the longer it sits. If you do end up making a huge batch for a party, and not as much is eaten as expected, don’t fret! You can pop any leftover chicken into a freezer-safe bag with as much air removed as possible, and place it in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Did you try making this copycat at home? Let us know what you think in the comments down below!
