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.
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 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.
Place in a bowl (in case of leakage) and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
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.
Whisk until well blended.
Add the buttermilk and stir with a fork until the mixture is evenly clumpy.
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 a foil-lined 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.
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 with honey mustard sauce.
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.
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Note: Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately ¼ cup of the oil is absorbed into the chicken tenders when frying.
- 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.
Nutrition Information
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- 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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This is the best buttermilk chicken recipe ever! Everyone loved it – making it for the third time today!
We loved it and it was so easy. My husband doesn’t like tenders but he loves these.
Absolutely loved these!! I made some tenders and some as nuggets. Thank you!
Amazing recipe. I swapped out flour for gluten free flour and it was still delicious!
I am about to make these for my family and would like to know what the tenders taste like. I don’t want them spicy but I also don’t want them to be to plain.
Hi Gabby, these definitely don’t taste spicy, but if you’re concerned about the heat at all, you can reduce or omit the cayenne — they’ll still have plenty of flavor. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jen, I made this recipe today and it was a hit with the family! My husband chose to make it into his own version of ‘chicken parm’ with havarti and marinara sauce and it was delicious. I’ve been making your recipes for a little less than a year and I feel like a star chef! They always turn out wonderfully. It has given me confidence and joy cooking. Your willingness to share your wonderful, easy to follow recipes, in my humble opinion, is a huge contribution to make people’s lives better especially now. Thanks again Jen!
Thanks for your very kind words – – so glad you enjoy the recipes and that they are providing a small measure of comfort during these scary times. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know – you made my day! ❤️
Can these be made ahead and served at room temp?
Hi Robin, I prefer them hot because when they’re cold, they’re not crispy. That said, I do put leftovers in my kids’ lunches and they enjoy them. Hope that helps!
The best, most delicious, crispy crust!
Thank you for the great recipe! We cut chicken breast into strips and marinated them for about 5 hours in buttermilk. We actually used whole wheat flour and weren’t too sure about the flour mixture because it was very crumbly, but it stuck to the chicken and fried up to be amazingly crunchy. It was a wonderful treat that I think my family will be asking for again.
Another 5 star, I did not have time to marinate them for 4 hours, only did about an hour. Fried them up and they were great!!. Nice and crunchy. I did make some buffalo sauce and toss them in it and had with blu cheese dressing. I did taste them before I put the sauce on them and I love them and my husband loved them. Being a southern woman I assumed I knew how to fry chicken but I have never done it with the buttermilk. It is the secret to crunchy chicken. Thanks Jen for your great recipes.
Made these for my niece and myself for lunch today! They were fantastic. The best chicken tenders I have ever had. My only issue was I used an induction cooktop and 350 was a little high for the first batch. They got brown and crispy before cooking through. I finished them in the oven.
Jenn, could I oven roast these on a rack…what temperature and for how long
Hi Carol, These really are best when fried; if you want a chicken tender recipe that you can bake, I’d suggest this one. They’re also really good!
Can I just say, best fried chicken ever! Jenn, you never fail me. It’s a joy knowing that whenever I need a wonderful recipe, all I have to do is head to your blog and I am never disappointed. Thank you! Love the cookbook too!
❤️
The best fried chicken I’ve ever made! So crunchy and tender. I used big chicken breasts that I cut into strips and chunks. Came out just as tender as tenderloin thanks to the overnight soak in the buttermilk concoction. And the flavor – absolutely delicious!
Amazing restaurant quality the family enjoyed
Jenn, love EVERY recipe of yours that I have tried. Always comes out perfectly. Also have your book and love it too. Finally tried the buttermilk chicken tenders with homemade honey mustard…YUM!! Talk about comfort food. Thank you again for another great recipe.
Since we can’t eat out as much given recent events, we decided to try some “takeout” favorites at home. These were amazing and much more tender and fresh than any tenders we have ordered from restaurants! I did not have buttermilk but made my own using fresh lemon juice and half and half which worked really well. We used our small deep fryer to ensure the temperature was right and cooked each batch for about 4-5 minutes. We will be revisiting again and again!
We made these last night and loved them! They were crispy and had excellent flavor. This will definitely be our go to recipe for chicken tenders now.
I have three boys and they gobbled it up. We are a huge fan of yours. Thank you!
These tenders are not just for kids. They’re gourmet tenders 😀
So juicy and tender on the inside and crispy and crunchy on the outside. I will never make them any other way. Thanks Jenn, for yet another amazing recipe
Used gluten free flour, these are the best breaded chicken strips I’ve had in years. Thanks for posting a recipe that actually turns out good and tastes fantastic.
Could I cook these in an air fryer instead of oil? Do you think the results would be the same?
Hi Patty, I don’t have an air fryer I don’t know much about using one so I can’t say for sure – sorry! You may find these tips helpful in converting traditional recipes to air fryer versions.
BEST CHICKEN EVER ! and I have tried hundreds of recipes for chicken strips.
This recipe yields my best tenders yet! Thanks for the post!
This recipe doesn’t really need any more favorable reviews, but I’m adding mine to the mix anyway. I made this for the first time ever to serve to company tonight. Everyone loved it, and it was so flavorful that no one even wanted anything to dip it in (though I put out several options for them as their tastes all vary). I never have any fear when trying out Jenn’s recipes on my family or friends.
Another winner! I halved the recipe for my hub and me. I marinated chicken about 20 hours. I did use a combo of canola oil and and peanut oil because that is what I had. The tenders turned out perfect and delicious! Thanks Jen!
Totally amazing
I’m so glad I found this recipe because I didn’t know how to make my chicken breading to be crispy. I’ve made it several times using this recipe.
Made these last week and they were DELICIOUS. Better than our local go-to chicken strip restaurant. I always found frying chicken intimidating, but this was a lot easier than I thought!
Is there any way to ensure that the breading will stay on? I check the oil temperature before dropping them so I don’t believe thats the problem. It’s so weird cause some of them come out perfectly and some of them fall apart.
Hi Israel, if you’ve ensured that the oil is hot enough, it should stay on. Are you making any changes to the recipe?
No. I read through the reviews and saw you recommend lightly coating the tenders in the flour mixture, dipping the tenders back in the marinade, then back again in the flour mixture. I’ll try that then let you know if that solves the problem.
It worked like a charm!
So glad — thanks for the follow-up!
Made these for the first time and they were an instant family favorite! My son’s 16th birthday is this weekend and he gets to pick any meal… he chose these. What a testament!
I like to throw a little more heat on mine, but you cant go wrong with this recipe.
my breading was soggy after frying. What did I do wrong?
These are best if eaten right after they’re cooked. Did you let them sit for a while?
So bomb! One of my favorite recipes, for sure!!
I left a review for this recipe before but want to do it again. I just made this again, probably for the 50th time. My husband said: “This is the best fried chicken in the world. It is not possible for it to be better.” I don’t think I need to say more than that.
🙂
Absolutely wonderful. I’ve never had luck with fried chicken before. I cut up boneless breast into strips and used that. Best ever! Only adjustment would be for less salt. I love salt but a touch too salty for me. This will be a regular on our menu!
Awesome stuff!
I did not have the same success with this recipe as others claim. Not impressed with flavor very much, and breading did not want to stay on chicken after frying. Maybe baking it would have worked for me.
Do you remove the white tendon?
Totally up to you — I don’t bother unless the tendon is large.
I was so excited for this recipe after reading soooooo many great reviews. We once had a buttermilk chicken sandwich at a restaurant and it was the best sandwich I ever had so seeing buttermilk tenders got me excited. However, after following the recipe to a T, I was so sad that none of the breading stayed on my chicken. I even made a second batch of breading and used bread crumbs instead. It stayed a little better, but nothing like what your pictures show. What am I doing wrong? I so wanna get this recipe to work for me. Thanks for your help!!
Hi Vicky, Sorry you had a problem with the breading sticking. If it came off during frying, the oil may not have been hot enough. A good way to ensure the oil is hot enough is to drop a cube of bread into the oil; if sizzles when you drop it in, it’s ready. Hope that helps!
These chicken tenders are outstanding. I think it’s the tbsps of buttermilk added to the batter that is the best part- makes it flaky. Just make sure your oil is not enough and then they come out perfect every time.
We used to go out for fried chicken but since I started making these, my family doesn’t want to go out anymore. They would rather have these. I just wish there would be some leftover for lunch the next day.
I have made these chicken tenders quite a few times and they are fabulous!
Crunchy, juicy and tender
Great flavor!
Marinate in refrigerator? And how much of the buttermilk goes into the flour?
Yes, the chicken should be marinated in the fridge. And you’ll need 3 tablespoons of buttermilk for the breading. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn. I’ve made these with regular flour before and they’re great, however I’m curious to know if you think a gluten free breading would work OK? Thanks
Sure, Nicole, I think gluten-free flour would work here too! 🙂
I made these with gluten free flour and they were a great success! 🙂
Can you use cultured buttermilk with this recipe?
I think that should work – hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Haven’t tried these yet but was wondering if I could use chicken thighs? Thanks!
Hi Danielle, Are you referring to bone-in thighs? If so, you’ll have to finish cooking them in a 350°F oven, as they won’t cook fully in the pan before getting too dark. I’m guessing they’d need 30 – 40 minutes in the oven after frying. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Have made this recipe twice now. My family and I love it. I use a deep fryer to cook them instead for convenience factor. Dipped in plum sauce or tossed in Buffalo wing sauce, nothing beats these. Thanks for sharing your amazing recipes.
it will not print, we were going to do for supper, looks like not happing…
Hi a.b., I’m sorry to hear about the problem you had printing – I haven’t gotten complaints from others about it and wasn’t able to duplicate the problem myself, so I suspect it’s specific to your computer. I would suggest going onto the blog using a different internet browser and try printing from there. Oftentimes, those annoying glitches can be resolved by using a different browser. Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
So I decided to try these in my air fryer. The flavor was great, spot on, and I could tell they’d be fabulous deep fried. Still, the air fryer did a respectable job with them. Here is what I did: I followed the recipe exactly up until cooking. I preheated the air fryer to 400. I sprayed them with canned cooking spray on one side, turned them over and put them in the fry basket (in a single layer), then I sprayed the other side. I cooked them at 400 for about 15 minutes. At that point I tested the temp and they were close to 160 but I wanted the coating to be more brown, so I turned the temp down to 380 and cooked them another 5 minutes. At which point they were at least 165, everywhere I tested. I was afraid they were over cooked but they weren’t. The breading was very tasty and crispy, though it did fall off in spots. And as always in an air fryer, spots I missed with the oil weren’t browned. Served with some honey mustard dipping sauce they were great, tender and moist with a good crisp on them. I will make them again for sure, but starting with a lower temp so they have longer to brown.
These are the absolute best chicken tenders!! They do take a bit more time but were so worth it. My family devoured them leaving no chicken untouched and have asked me to make them again and again. The last and quality of these tenders is far superior to that of most any place you can buy chicken tenders. Absolutely fantastic!
I meant to say the taste and the quality, not the last and quality haha.
Hi Jenn! I have two questions. Can I make buttermilk for this recipe the way one can sometimes do for baking when you combine milk with lemon juice or vinegar or do you have to use the store bought kind? Second, sometimes when I do make the buttermilk out of milk and vinegar (one T vinegar for 1 cup milk), it doesn’t really curdle or thicken (at least not noticeably), even after waiting 15 or more minutes. Is it ok to still use or is there something wrong with the mixture?
Hi Heather, it’s perfectly fine for you to make your own buttermilk for these and it’s okay if the mixture doesn’t visibly thicken — the chemical reaction that’s needed happens regardless. Hope you enjoy!
These tenders were perfection! Best I’ve ever made – kids adored them. I completed the meal with mashed potatoes and used the leftover breading for gravy. Mmmmm!
I made these chicken tenders last night and they were amazing when they were fresh out of the oil. However, as they sat and I placed them on the table to serve, the breading got really soft and sort of started to fall off a bit…what did I do wrong? The flavor was excellent, though. I would still make them again regardless.
Hi Carissa, Based on what you’re describing, I suspect the oil may not have been hot enough – a good way to ensure the oil is hot enough is to drop a cube of bread into the oil; if it sizzles when you drop it in, it’s ready. Hope that helps and that you have better luck next time around!
I made this recipe today. From someone who LOVES to eat chicken fingers, and thought I had the best recipe. I was wrong. THIS is the best chicken finger recipe I have ever tried. Simple and delicious. Thank you. *****
Amazingly tender, juicy & flavorful!
This looks delish but over 1800 mg of sodium and then deep fried is not healthy. 1500 mg sodium should be the max/day.
Maybe don’t eat so many!
Could you make these in an air fryer?
Hi Kristen, I don’t have an air fryer I don’t know much about using one so it’s hard to say for sure – I’m sorry! You may find these tips helpful in converting traditional recipes to air fryer versions. Hope you find them useful.
Can this be baked? Looks delicious!
Hi Tegan, these really are best if fried. If you’d prefer chicken tenders that you can bake, I’d suggest these (the recipe indicates that they should be pan-fried, but you can get away with baking them for a healthier option (at 350°F for 15 – 20 minutes). Hope you enjoy if you make them!