Fried Chicken Tenders Recipe
My juicy, breaded, crispy-as-can-be homemade fried chicken tenders recipe is so easy to make in just 30 minutes. These crispy chicken strips are better than any restaurant!
Servings: 5 people
Calories: 436kcal
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
*Use boneless chicken tenders/tenderloins. Or cut chicken breast into thin and even strips.
**Vegetable oil, canola oil, or another high smoke point oil are best for deep-frying.
***You can use any hot sauce you prefer; or skip it.
Tips:
- 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.
Nutrition
Serving: 2tenders | Calories: 436kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 953mg | Potassium: 659mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 360IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 2mg