Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders

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One of my most popular recipes, these chicken tenders are marinated in seasoned buttermilk and pan-fried to crispy, crunchy perfection.

Bowl of buttermilk chicken tenders.

Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)

Like most kids, my daughter prefers “kid food” to “grown-up food” any day of the week. Occasionally, it works to my advantage—a trip to McDonald’s makes excellent bribery—but most of the time I’m just dealing with a picky eater. Rather than desperately trying to coax her into eating dinner every night, sometimes I just make her favorites. These chicken tenders, marinated in seasoned buttermilk and pan-fried to crispy, crunchy perfection, are at the top of her list. They’re delicious plain, dipped in honey mustard sauce, or perched on top of a salad. And they’re not just for picky kids—everyone loves them.

What you’ll need To Make Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tendersingredients to make fried chicken tenders

Step-by-Step Instructions

To marinate the chicken: In a large sealable bag, combine the chicken tenders with the buttermilk, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and salt. Seal the bag tightly and massage the chicken until it is evenly coated with buttermilk and seasoning.

chicken tenders marinating in bag

Place in a bowl (in case of leakage) and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

chicken tenders in a bag in a bowl to prevent leakage

When you’re ready to cook them, make the breading: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.

breading ingredients in bowlWhisk until well blended.

whisked dry ingredients for coatingAdd the buttermilk and stir with a fork until the mixture is evenly clumpy.

Bowl of clumpy coating.Remove the chicken tenders from the marinade a few at a time and toss into the breading mixture.

breading the tenderloins

Be sure to press the chicken firmly into the breading so clumps adhere to the meat. (It’s a messy job: use one hand to remove the wet tenders from the bag and the other to toss in the breading.)

breading the tenderloinsSet breaded tenders on a foil-lined baking sheet.

breaded tenders on baking sheet

To fry the chicken: Line a baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels and set next to the stove. Add oil to a large, high-sided pot until the level reaches about 3/4-inch. Heat over medium-high heat until oil is shimmering (about 350°). (If a cube of bread sizzles when you drop it in, it’s ready.) Using tongs, place several chicken tenders in the hot oil without crowding the pan. Cook until golden brown on the bottom side, a few minutes, then flip and cook until the second side is also golden, a few minutes more.

chicken tenders frying in oilSet the cooked tenders on the paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.

fried chicken tenders draining on paper towelsFry remaining tenders in batches adjusting the heat as necessary (if the tenders are browning too fast, lower the heat). Serve hot with honey mustard sauce.

Bowl of buttermilk chicken tenders.

Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)

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Video Tutorial

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders

One of my most popular recipes, these chicken tenders are marinated in seasoned buttermilk and pan-fried to crispy, crunchy perfection.

Servings: 4
Total Time: 40 Minutes, plus at least 4 hours marinating time

Ingredients

For the Marinade

  • 2 pounds chicken tenderloins
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika

For the Breading

  • 1½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 heaping teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¾ teaspoon paprika
  • 3 tablespoons buttermilk

For Cooking

  • 3-4 cups vegetable oil, for cooking

Instructions

  1. To marinate the chicken: In a large sealable bag, combine the chicken tenders with the remaining marinade ingredients. Seal the bag tightly and massage the chicken until it is evenly coated with buttermilk and seasoning. Place in a bowl (in case of leakage) and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
  2. To make the breading: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Whisk until well blended, then add the buttermilk and stir with a fork until the mixture is evenly clumpy.
  3. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Remove the chicken tenders from the marinade a few at a time and toss into the breading mixture. Be sure to press the chicken firmly into the breading so clumps adhere to the meat. (It's a messy job: use one hand to remove the wet tenders from the bag and the other to toss in the breading.) Set breaded tenders on the prepared baking sheet.
  4. To fry the chicken: Line another baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels and set next to the stove. Add oil to a large, high-sided pot until the level reaches about ¾-inch. Heat over medium-high heat until oil is shimmering (about 350°). (If a cube of bread sizzles when you drop it in, it's ready.) Using tongs, place several chicken tenders in the hot oil without crowding the pan. Cook until golden brown on the bottom side, a few minutes, then flip and cook until the second side is also golden, a few minutes more. Set the cooked tenders on the paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Fry remaining tenders in batches adjusting the heat as necessary (if the tenders are browning too fast, lower the heat). Serve hot.
  5. Note: I find that it's hard to tell how golden the chicken is when it's immersed in the oil. It may only look lightly golden, but it's actually a perfect fried chicken golden brown. If you're unsure, simply pull a tender out of the oil and rest it on the paper towels to see the true color.
  6. Note: Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately ¼ cup of the oil is absorbed into the chicken tenders when frying.
  7. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked chicken tenders can be frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, put the frozen tenders on a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet and warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven until heated through and crisp, about 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (4 servings)
  • Calories: 925
  • Fat: 51
  • Saturated fat: 1
  • Carbohydrates: 75g
  • Sugar: 5g
  • Fiber: 4g
  • Protein: 41g
  • Sodium: 1866mg
  • Cholesterol: 96mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • My kids and I loved these tenders. They said they were the best they’ve had (better than Canes)! Superb flavor and surprising tenderness really made these a hit for my family. I made them in an air fryer and on the stove. While the stove top gave the most consistent results, the air fryer worked really well too as long as I made sure the chicken was fully coated with oil on all sides. If I missed spots (as I did with the first batch), the color and texture of the breading wasn’t quite right. I’ll definitely be using this recipe again and again.

    • — Benny on October 26, 2024
    • Reply
  • Hi Jenn
    I’ve made this and they are delicious. It’s becoming hard to find buttermilk and don’t always want to buy so much of it for just this recipe since it has a short shelf life. Is there anything else I can use?
    Thank you!

    • — Amy Wollins on October 16, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Amy, Glad you like the tenders! You can easily make your own buttermilk (see how here). I typically reserve homemade buttermilk for baked goods, but you can certainly give it a try here. Please LMK how they come out with the homemade buttermilk!

  • Another winner, I halved it and used King Arthur Keto Wheat Baking Flour instead of white flour and they came out picture perfect – I am so happy to be able to replace the store-bought frozen version that I’ve been using with homemade.

    • — Brenda Kimberlin on October 14, 2024
    • Reply
  • I made them and fried them, delicious. I used a boneless chicken breast. Cut in strips and flattened. They were delicious, today I will bake them for the less fat version. I love this recipe, 5 star. Can’t wait to make it with the chicken tenders.

    • — Alwayshungry on October 7, 2024
    • Reply
  • Incredible recipe

    • — Aravind Balasubramaniam on October 1, 2024
    • Reply

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