My juicy, flavorful (and crispy as can be) fried chicken tenders recipe is so easy to make in just 30 minutes! I bread chicken tenders in boldly seasoned flour and buttermilk before deep frying them to absolute perfection. I like these better than any restaurant tenders I’ve ever had!
Fried Chicken Tenders Recipe
I guess you could call my love of chicken tenders a guilty pleasure… but I don’t feel guilty about it at all! There’s nothing quite like dipping a juicy, well-seasoned, crispy chicken tender into some ketchup or BBQ sauce. I think I’ve probably tried every chicken tender known to man (my kids order them at restaurants and never finish them, which leaves me to happily enjoy their leftovers). Trust me when I say that these tenders are so much better than any others I’ve tried – and I’m basically an expert!
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How to Store and Reheat
Any leftover fried chicken tenders you have can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days and can be reheated in the oven or an air fryer to re-crisp the breading.
How to Freeze
Let the cooked chicken tenders fully cool to room temperature prior to freezing in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Don’t forget to date and label!
Notes and Tips
- I love this recipe with chicken tenders because they’re so… tender! If you want to use chicken breast instead, you absolutely can. Cut the breast into thin and even strips and follow the recipe as directed.
- Two coatings of buttermilk and flour mixture make a thick breading. It’s not necessary, but I definitely prefer a thicker breading on my tenders!
- Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the oil! If it gets too hot or not hot enough, your tenders won’t cook properly.
- A Dutch oven works best for stovetop deep frying because it holds the temperature evenly.
- When you add the chicken to the oil, the temperature of the oil will drop. Avoid adding too many pieces of chicken at once! That’ll lead to a more dramatic shift in oil temperature.
- If you have access to a deep fryer, use it! They hold the temperature better than a Dutch oven.
- Strainers work best for lifting the fried chicken from the hot oil without breaking apart the breading. Tongs also get the job done.
Fried Chicken Tenders Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds chicken tenders (about 10 tenders)
- 4 cups vegetable oil for frying
- 1½ cups buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco hot sauce
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
- Instant-Read Thermometer
Instructions
- Be sure that chicken is thawed completely, drained, and pat dry with paper towels.1½ pounds chicken tenders
- Fill a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot with at least 4 cups of oil, preferably 4-6 inches deep. Heat the oil until it reaches 350°F (this will take 15 minutes or so), Get the oil heating while preparing the chicken.4 cups vegetable oil
- In a bowl, whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder.1½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt, 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper, 1 teaspoon ground paprika, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 1½ cups buttermilk, 1 teaspoon Tabasco hot sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- Dip each side of the chicken tenders in the flour mixture until thoroughly coated.
- Dip the flour-coated tenders into the buttermilk mixture, then back into the flour mixture. For extra breading, repeat this process one more time.
- Carefully drop one chicken piece at a time into heated oil and fry until cooked through (the center should reach 165°F). The outside should be deep golden brown and crispy. Maintain an oil temperature of 350°F for best results. The chicken tenders will cook through in about 5 minutes. I’ve found that as long as the oil temperature is maintained correctly, the chicken will be cooked by the time the breading is a deep golden brown.
- Place cooked chicken on paper towels or brown paper bags to soak up excess oil.
Notes
How to Make Chicken Tenders Step by Step
Dredge the Chicken: Pat 1½ pounds of chicken tenders dry with paper towels. Fill a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot with at least 4 cups of vegetable oil, preferably 4-6 inches deep. Heat the oil until it reaches 350°F (this will take 15 minutes or so), Get the oil heating while preparing the chicken. In a bowl, whisk together 1½ cups of buttermilk and 1 teaspoon of Tabasco hot sauce. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together 1½ cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of garlic salt, ½ teaspoon of coarse sea salt, 1 teaspoon of coarse black pepper, 1 teaspoon of ground paprika, and ½ teaspoon of onion powder. Dip each side of the chicken tenders in the flour mixture until thoroughly coated.
Coat the Chicken: Dip the flour-coated tenders into the buttermilk mixture, then back into the flour mixture. For extra breading, repeat this process one more time.
Fry the Chicken: Carefully drop one chicken piece at a time into heated oil and fry until cooked through (the center should reach 165°F). The outside should be deep golden brown and crispy. Maintain an oil temperature of 350°F for best results. The chicken tenders will cook through in about 5 minutes. I’ve found that as long as the oil temperature is maintained correctly, the chicken will be cooked by the time the breading is a deep golden brown.
Drain the Chicken: Place cooked chicken on paper towels or brown paper bags to soak up excess oil.
Looks delicious I don’t have air fryer. I prefer cook in oven, I would love to do it in the oven,
any suggestions please.
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