If you’re craving restaurant-style chicken fingers, you’re going to love my homemade fried chicken tenders recipe. They’re crispy, juicy, and ready in just 30 minutes! Hand-breaded with seasoned flour and buttermilk, then deep-fried to golden perfection, these super crispy chicken strips beat any drive-thru or frozen bag I’ve tried.
Breaded Deep-Fried Chicken Strips
I guess you could call my love of crispy chicken tenders a guilty pleasure…but I don’t feel guilty about it at all! As much as I love making Air Fryer chicken tenders for my kiddos regularly, sometimes I want the real deal. There’s nothing quite like dipping a juicy, well-seasoned, deep-fried chicken tender into some ketchup or BBQ sauce.
I think I’ve probably tried every chicken strip known to man–my kids order them at restaurants and never finish them, which leaves me to happily enjoy their leftovers. So trust me when I say that my homemade fried chicken tenders are so much better than any restaurant.
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Double-Dredge for Extra-Crisp Tenders
For the crispiest coating: dredge, dip, and dredge again, then let the breaded chicken fingers rest on a wire rack for 5 minutes before frying. This helps the coating stick firmly so it won’t slide off in the oil, and it creates those signature crunchy ridges.
Fried Chicken Tenders Recipe
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or Deep Fryer
- Instant-Read Thermometer
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless 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 ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Pat chicken tenders dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture from the surface.1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken tenders
- Fill a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot with at least 4 cups of oil; or about 4-6 inches deep. Heat the oil until it reaches 350°F (this will take 15 minutes or so).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 ground 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-crunchy breading, repeat this process one more time..
- Carefully drop one chicken tender at a time into heated oil; fry until cooked through. The internal temp should reach 165°F, while 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.
- Place cooked chicken on paper towels or brown paper bags to drain excess oil before serving.
Notes
- 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.
- I recommend using an instant-read thermometer both to maintain a consistent oil temperature while frying, and to check that the chicken is properly cooked.
- Properly cooked chicken should read 165°F at the thickest point.
- Strainers work best for lifting the fried chicken from the hot oil without breaking apart the breading. Tongs also get the job done.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
Deep Frying Tips for Chicken Strips
Deep frying anything can be super intimidating, but I’m here to make it easy! With just a handful of tips, you’ll be a pro at frying these chicken strips in no time at all.
- Cooking Vessel: A Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot works best for stovetop deep frying because it holds the temperature evenly. If you have access to a deep fryer, use it! It has better temperature regulation.
- Oil Type: Make sure to use an oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil. Lower smoke point oils are not suitable for frying, as they will smoke and burn.
- Temperature: 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.
- Quantity: 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 and soggy, greasy tenders.
How to Fry Chicken Tenders Step by Step
Prep: Gather the list of ingredients for this breaded chicken tenders recipe. Pat 1½ pounds of chicken tenders/tenderloins dry with paper towels. This will help the breading stick. Fill a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot with at least 4 cups of vegetable oil, or about 4-6 inches deep. Heat the oil until it reaches 350°F. This will take about 15 minutes, so get the oil heating while preparing the chicken.
Dredge 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. Shake off any excess so the tenders don’t get any floury lumps.
Coat the Chicken: Dip the flour-coated tenders into the buttermilk mixture, then back into the flour mixture. For extra-crispy breading, repeat this process one more time.
Fry the Chicken: Carefully drop one chicken tender at a time into the 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: Then place cooked chicken strips on paper towels or brown paper bags to soak up excess oil. This will help ensure they turn out nice and crisp as they dry.
Serve: Serve fried chicken tenders while hot and crispy, with your favorite dipping sauce. My kids love my homemade Chick-fil-A sauce, but I’m partial to BBQ or ranch.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store breaded chicken tenders in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. For best results, reheat chicken strips in a 350°F oven or Air Fryer for 5-7 minutes to re-crisp the breading.
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