These deep fried chicken tenders are one delicious treat that I just know you are going to love! Soaked in buttermilk and coated with a seasoned flour they come out so juicy and succulent.
Easy Fried Chicken Tenders Recipe
Time to treat yourself with these yummy fried chicken tenders! These are so good, and easier to make than you think!
Perfectly crispy, these tenders are super quick to prep and cook. They are great to serve as an appetizer or main meal with your favorite dips and sides (we love these Charro Beans!).
Be sure to check out my Fried Chicken Sandwich and Air Fryer Fried Chicken too!
Why You’ll Love this Deep Fried Chicken Tenders Recipe:
- Quick and easy: These tenders are ready to serve in 30 minutes, so they are a great option after a busy day.
- Simple ingredients: You only need a handful of simple ingredients, most of which you will already have to hand in your cupboard.
- Kid-friendly: Kids of all ages love these fried tenders. Little hands love to dip them in ketchup!
How to make Fried Chicken Tenders from Scratch
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce in one bowl and the flour and seasonings in another.
- Dip each tender in the flour, then buttermilk, then flour again.
- Fry in hot oil until golden brown.
- Drain and serve!
Can you make them ahead of time?
These fried chicken tenders are best served as soon as they are cooked so that the coating is nice and crispy. You can coat them in the buttermilk and flour a few hours before frying them and keep them covered in the fridge.
Any leftovers 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.
Can you use chicken breast?
I love this recipe with chicken tenders, because they are 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.
Are they spicy?
These crispy tenders are pretty mild, the seasonings add a little punch of flavor to the breading. You can kick up the amount of hot sauce or add buffalo sauce for a spicier chicken tender if you prefer.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- For perfectly fried chicken pieces, be sure they are not too thick (pound to 1⁄2” if necessary). Maintain a decent depth of oil and the proper oil temperature for best results.
- Use an instant read thermometer to check and monitor the temperature of the oil.
- A dutch oven works well for stovetop deep frying because it holds the temperature more evenly than lightweight pots and pans.
- When you add the chicken to the oil, the oil temperature will drop. Avoid adding too many pieces of chicken at once which can lead to a more dramatic shift in oil temperature. Likewise, the oil can easily heat above 350°F, burning the breading before the chicken is cooked through.
- Two coatings of buttermilk and flour mixture make a nice, crispy thick breading. It’s not necessary, but I do like it extra yummy if I’m going to go to the effort of deep frying.
- Use vegetable oil, shortening, or peanut oil for best results.
- If you have access to a deep fryer, they work really well because the oil temperature is held even and you don’t have to toss the oil every time.
- Strainers work really well for lifting the fried chicken from the hot oil without breaking apart the breading. Tongs will work also.
This crispy fried chicken tenders are a real crowd pleaser! The chicken comes out so juicy and succulent and that coating is all kinds of delicious!
More chicken tenders recipes we love
- Coconut Chicken Tenders
- Flamin’ Hot Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Buffalo Chicken Tenders
- Baked Chicken Tenders
- Pretzel Chicken
If you’ve made this recipe, please be sure to let us know by leaving a star rating or a comment below. Enjoy!
Easy Fried Chicken Tenders Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon Tobasco hot sauce
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders about 10 tenders
- vegetable oil or shortening for frying at least 4 cups
Instructions
- Be sure that chicken is thawed completely, drained, and pat dry with paper towels.
- Fill a dutch oven or heavy stock pot with at least 4 inches of oil, preferably 6”. 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 buttermilk and hot sauce. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder in a shallow bowl or on a sheet of parchment paper.
- Dip each side of the chicken tenders in the flour mixture, then dip into the buttermilk mixture and 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.
- Serve immediately.
- Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Fried coating is best right after cooking. Reheat in the oven or an air fryer to re-crisp the breading.
Notes
- For perfectly fried chicken pieces, be sure they are not too thick (pound to 1⁄2” if necessary). Maintain a decent depth of oil and the proper oil temperature for best results.
- Use an instant read thermometer to check and monitor the temperature of the oil.
- A dutch oven works well for stovetop deep frying because it holds the temperature more evenly than lightweight pots and pans.
- When you add the chicken to the oil, the oil temperature will drop. Avoid adding too many pieces of chicken at once which can lead to a more dramatic shift in oil temperature. Likewise, the oil can easily heat above 350°F, burning the breading before the chicken is cooked through.
- The seasonings add a little punch of flavor to the breading. Kick up the amount of hot sauce or add buffalo sauce for a spicier chicken tender.
- Two coatings of buttermilk and flour mixture make a nice, crispy thick breading. It’s not necessary, but I do like it extra yummy if I’m going to go to the effort of deep frying.
- Use vegetable oil, shortening, or peanut oil for best results.
- If you have access to a deep fryer, they work really well because the oil temperature is held even and you don’t have to toss the oil every time.
- Strainers work really well for lifting the fried chicken from the hot oil without breaking apart the breading. Tongs will work also.
Grace says
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.
Becky Hardin says
Check out recipes by method (how you cook it!)
Luise Luhr says
I could not refrain from commenting. Well written!