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Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders Recipe
I don’t know about you, but some amazing fried chicken always makes for an awesome snack or meal. KFC is my favorite fast-food spot to get some fried chicken - in India or Canada, it’s so satisfying!
What if you could make the best snack ever right from home? Of course I’m here to say that you can! I describe in my free motivational guide to be creative in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!, how going out to eat inspires you to make new and exciting recipes! Often when I’m craving fried food, I’ll just plan to make it myself! If you’ve never made fried chicken at home before but you’ve wanted to try it out, then now is the time to make these Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders and check them off your bucket list as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! You can start on your cooking journey for free today by signing up to my email newsletter, plus you’ll receive all of my latest recipes right in your inbox!
For all the tips and tricks presented visually as I prepare the tastiest chicken tenders, be sure to watch the video! It would mean a lot to me if you would please subscribe to me on YouTube if you haven’t already so you always know when the complementary video recipe to the written one is live! Let’s get frying!
Questions You May Have!
What are Chicken Tenders?▼
Chicken tenders, or tenderloins, are the thin and narrow strips of meat that are found underneath the chicken breast. They’re lean and taste exactly like chicken breast meat, but as the name suggests, they’re incredibly tender and bursting with juiciness when they’re cooked! Due to their thin size, they also cook quite quickly.
What Chicken Should I use for Fried Chicken Tenders?▼
I actually used boneless, skinless chicken breast for this recipe. I cut them into thin strips so that they are in a similar shape to chicken tenderloins. If you can find a pack of chicken tenderloins at the grocery store, then feel free to do that is it will save you some time.
How long should the chicken marinate?▼
In this case, I marinated my chicken for about 3 and a half hours. 3 hours is a good minimum, but if you pre-plan and have the patience, then I would recommend you marinate overnight for best results!
How do I prevent the breading from coming off the chicken?▼
There are three main ways that the breading can come off:
- You do not coat the chicken piece well before frying, which would result in pockets of thick and thin breading, or spots with no breading at all! Ensure that you roll and toss the chicken in the flour breading well. Squeeze lightly until you see crumbs all around the chicken.
- Secondly, when you are frying, you try to handle the chicken too early. You need to give the crust and the baking powder a little bit of time for the crust to develop and harden. Once the crust is formed, then turning the chicken for an even cook will be much easier.
- Lastly, if you are too rough and impatient with turning the chicken, your spatula or slotted spoon may cause you to break through the crust and cause it to come off.
Shallow Frying Versus Deep Frying?▼
For this chicken tenders recipe, we will be shallow frying the chicken instead of deep frying. Shallow frying is when the food is not entirely submerged in the oil, as opposed to deep frying, when the food is entirely submerged in the oil. Examples of deep frying include Paneer Pakoras, Potato Samosas, or French Fries. When you shallow fry, the oil only covers the surface of the food.
What oil should I use for shallow frying Chicken Tenders?▼
I used vegetable oil to fry my chicken tenders. However, you an use any oil that has a high smoke point and has a neutral flavour. Other recommendations include peanut oil, canola oil, grape-seed oil.
How long will the Chicken fry?▼
The chicken will take about 5-8 minutes to fry and get a perfect golden brown colour, in addition to the chicken to being fully cooked inside. If you fry for too long, then the colour will be too dark, and the chicken will dry out. It’s key to cook it just right so it is juicy and looks appetizing!
How do I know the Chicken is Cooked?▼
The chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 Fahrenheit or 75 degrees Celsius. Without using a meat thermometer, the batter will be golden brown and the meat will be white with no visible pink. The juices from the chicken will run clear.
How do I keep the Tenders Crunchy and Hot After Cooking?▼
The easiest way is to keep your oven preheated to around 180-200 F and placing a baking sheet with a wire rack set in the middle rack. Place the cooked pieces of chicken on the baking sheet and keep warm until you are ready to serve. However, the longer you keep the chicken at this temperature, the higher the chances of the tenders drying out.
What Equipment will I Need for Buttermilk Fried Chicken?▼
Additional Tips for the Crunchiest Chicken Tenders
- Ensure that your oil temperature is not too hot (375F and up). This will result in the crust to get dark too quickly, but the inside will be raw.
- Once you have added the chicken tenders in the oil, adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a temperature of 300F.
- Avoid cooking for too long or else your chicken will dry out. Try practicing with a tester piece - it will make for an excellent snack, and it will give you a good idea on how long the chicken will take to fry. Cut the inside and examine the color, that it is white, and the texture, ensuring that it is juicy!
Ingredients for Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
Let’s see the ingredient list required for the marinade, for the breading mixture, and for frying the chicken. Scroll to the bottom of this post or press the “Jump to Recipe” button for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD for all ingredient quantities and to save the recipe for later. This can also help you determine how much chicken you’ll need to get the desired amount of fried chicken tenders so no one is hungry!
- Chicken
- Flour
- Buttermilk
- Paprika
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Cayenne Pepper
- Salt
- Pepper
- Baking powder
- Oil, for frying
How to Make Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
Marinating the Chicken
In a large bowl, add the chicken tenders and 2 Tbsp of the spice mix from earlier. Mix well to coat the spices all over the chicken.
Pour buttermilk over the chicken and add enough to completely submerge the chicken.
Add salt and then toss the chicken well in the buttermilk.
Marinate for at least 2-3 hours or preferably overnight.
Breading the Chicken
In a large casserole or bowl add flour, salt, pepper and baking powder. Mix well.
Add 2-3 Tbsp of the buttermilk marinade on the breading mix and mix to combine.
Add the chicken tenders, 3-4 at a time and toss well with the flour. Press lightly to ensure you get crusting and layers of flours over the marinated chicken. There is no need to drip any excess marinade while breading the chicken.
Repeat the above step for the remaining chicken pieces.
Frying the Chicken
Pour oil in a cast iron skillet or dutch oven until it fills around 2 inches of the height of your skillet/dutch oven.
Preheat the oil to around 350F.
Carefully, transfer each breaded chicken to the oil and fry until crispy golden brown outside, make sure to turn the chicken every 2-3 minutes to ensure even color on each side.
Once the chicken is added, the oil temperature should drop to 300F, adjust heat as required to ensure the oil maintains this temperature.
After 8-10 minutes, or when you are happy with the colour of the chicken, transfer each chicken piece to a baking sheet lined with a wire rack. Check some of the chicken pieces to check if the internal temperature at the thickest part of the chicken is 165F.
Serve right away and enjoy the crunch.
What to Serve with Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
Dipping Sauces
- Spicy Aioli
- Homemade Yogurt Caesar Dressing
- Ranch Dip (or even Seasoning Ranch)
- Garlic-Truffle Aioli
- Thai Curry Mayo
Meal Ideas
Try these sides and mix and match to create a new meal every time you make these Buttermilk Chicken Tenders!
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