Copycat Raising Cane’s: Texas Toast, Fried Chicken, & Dipping Sauce
Craving the delicious flavors of Raising Cane’s? Try this easy copycat recipe for Texas Toast, crispy fried chicken, and homemade dipping sauce—perfect for recreating the restaurant experience right in your kitchen!
Ingredients you’ll need:
- chicken tenders
- buttermilk
- flour
- cornstarch
- baking powder & seasonings
- frying oil
- mayo
- lemon
- ketchup
- butter
- whole milk
- heavy cream
- instant yeast
- eggs
What does milk bread taste like? what makes it different?
Milk bread has a light, subtly sweet, and creamy flavor, thanks to the milk and butter in the dough. It’s incredibly soft and tender, with a slight sweetness that makes it almost cake-like, but still perfectly bread-y.
What makes it different from regular bread is its moist, pillowy texture and slightly sweet taste, which is the result of the milk, sugar, and sometimes a bit of honey added to the dough. Unlike traditional bread, which tends to be a bit firmer or chewier, milk bread is often described as having a “cloud-like” softness that melts in your mouth.
How to Reheat Fried Chicken:
Reheating fried chicken while keeping it crispy can be tricky, but with the right technique, you can bring it back to life! Here are a few methods:
1. Oven Method (Best for Crispiness)
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Place the fried chicken on a wire rack set on a baking sheet. This allows air to circulate around the chicken, keeping it crispy.
- Bake for about 10–15 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces. If it’s not crispy enough, you can broil for the last 2 minutes, but keep an eye on it to avoid burning.
2. Air Fryer Method (Crispy and Convenient)
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C).
- Place the fried chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Reheat for about 4–6 minutes, flipping halfway through for even crispiness.
TIPS for Making the Best Fried Chicken:
For the most tender fried chicken, make sure to marinate overnight the chicken in buttermilk or water-vinegar mixture.
Let the battered chicken rest for 10-15 minutes after seasoning in the flour mixture to allow the flavors to meld and the batter to adhere better. This will help prevent the battering from falling off after frying.
Finally, use a thermometer to maintain the oil temperature between 350°F and 375°F to ensure the chicken cooks evenly and doesn’t get soggy.
Cook with me!
Copycat Raising Cane’s Recipe
Ingredients
For the Fried Chicken Tenders:
- 1 ½ lbs. Chicken Tenders
- 1 ½ cups Buttermilk
- 1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
- ¼ cup Cornstarch
- 1 tsp EACH: Baking Powder Cayenne Pepper, Garlic Powder, Salt, & Onion Powder
- Frying Oil such as olive oil
For the Dipping Sauce:
- 1 cup Mayo or substitute half with plain yogurt
- Juice of ½ Lemon
- ¼ cup Ketchup
- 1 tsp. EACH: Black Pepper Garlic Powder, & Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- Optional Honey, to taste
For the Texas Toast Milk Buns:
- 3 tbsp. + 3 ¼ cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Whole Milk divided
- 3 tbsp. Heavy Cream
- 1 packet Instant Yeast or 2 ¼ teaspoons
- ¼ cup Granulated Cane Sugar
- 1 ½ tsp. Fine Salt
- 2 large Eggs
- 4 tbsp. Softened Butter
- Sesame Seeds for garnishing
For the Candied Jalapenos:
- 1 cup Jalapeno Peppers thinly sliced
- ½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup Honey or granulated cane sugar
Instructions
For the Fried Chicken Tenders:
- Brine the chicken by making sure it’s fully soaked underneath the buttermilk in a bowl. Cover and place in the fridge overnight.
- Heat up 4” of frying oil in a skillet or large saucepan over medium high heat until glistening, or 350F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and seasonings.
- Dredge each chicken tender through the flour mixture until very well coated and shaggy looking.
- Place in the hot oil to fry 5-7 minutes, until deeply golden on all sides.
- Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oils.
For the Dipping Sauce:
- Combine all ingredients together. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Let sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight to help the flavors to develop.
For the Texas Toast Milk Buns:
- In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine the ½ cup milk and 3 tbsp flour. Mix with a spatula until a paste, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat to cool to room temperature. This is the tangzhong.
- Heat up the remaining ½ cup milk and heavy cream until warm to touch. Add to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Add the instant yeast and sugar, give it a quick stir, then let bloom for 5-10 minutes.
- Add the tangzhong, eggs, salt, and remaining 3 ¼ cups flour to the stand mixer bowl. Mix on LOW speed until incorporated.
- Increase speed to Medium to slowly add the cubed butter. Once incorporated, knead for 8-10 minutes, until a soft and pliable dough.
- Transfer to greased bowl, cover, and set aside in a warm environment for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece into a ball, then use the palm of your hand against the counter to roll into a short log-shape.
- Place in a parchment paper-lined 9×9” square baking pan. Cover and let rest 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Brush the rolls with a beaten egg or milk, then garnish with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until deeply golden on top.
- Let cool at least 10 minutes.
For the Candied Jalapenos:
- Combine the apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and honey in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, then add the sliced jalapenos.
- Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove the jalapenos to a jar stir until the syrup is reduced by half, about an additional 4-6 minutes.
- Add the syrup to the candied jalapenos jar to store.
To Serve:
- Slather each individual bread roll with butter on both sides. Toast in a skillet for 30 seconds on each, until deeply golden.
- Serve the Texas toast with the fried chicken, candied jalapenos, and copycat dipping sauce.
I truly hope you all enjoy this treasured recipe that has nestled its way into our hearts here in the ABM kitchen! ’till next time… xxL
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
Did you love this recipe?
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Do you have a recipe for the onion rings!?
I do not but making I’ll work on that soon 😉
My husband and I enjoyed this recipe! The candied jalapeños???? AMAZING add. He is a Raising Canes frequent flyer and approved of the sauce and chicken! This was probably a user error as I am still learning how to master bread but it came out more dense than I’d like but the flavor was there! I could have over kneaded the dough? Not a knock on the recipe at all!
Just amazing! The moment I found you that was it, I haven’t looked at anyone else’s recipes. Your recipes have made my husband say that there is no point in eating out anymore. I just wanted to say thank you. I still have practicing to do, im using your amazing recipes to teach me how to cool. I just made this last night and I was just proud of myself when I actually made that Texas milk bread, it was so good, and those candied jalapeños omg. I’m still working on getting my chicken right, it was good but it seams to never come out how your does. I even make sure I have enough oil and at right tempature. But do you think I’m having trouble because I fry with vegtable oil? I noticed you use olive oil a lot, only thing I can think of why its not as good as yours it. (By the way, I have successfully made many of your recipes, that when guests see it and then taste it, they think I’m there private chef, so thank you haha)
Hi Brynn!! This has made my whole week!! Thank you so much! YOU’RE amazing!!!
I only made the chicken but my daughter who is obsessed with raising canes said it was “Delicious! I finished it in 2 minutes!” She immediately asked me to make it again asap
Made this tonight and it was delicious!!