Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
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Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and seasoned just right—these homemade chicken tenders are a total crowd-pleaser.
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, BBQ sauce or ranch dressing, or perched on top of a salad.
If you love these, you’ll also enjoy my fried chicken sandwiches—they’re just as crowd-pleasing.
“This is the best chicken tenders recipe I have ever tried…So delicious and crispy and moist and flavorful! Mmm!”
What you’ll need To Make Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
- Chicken tenderloins: Naturally tender and the perfect size for frying (and finger food), they stay juicy inside and crisp outside. If the white tendon peeks out of the end, just snip it off or trim it flush with the meat.
- Buttermilk: Tenderizes the chicken and adds a subtle tang that balances the crispy coating.
- Paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper: Season both the marinade and the coating so the flavor runs all the way through.
- Flour and baking powder: Form a light, crisp crust that fries up golden and crunchy.
- Vegetable oil: For frying.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken tenders to a large zip-top bag with the buttermilk, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, and salt. Seal it up and give everything a good massage so the chicken is evenly coated. Set the bag in a bowl (just in case it leaks) and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to a day if you can plan ahead—the longer it sits, the more flavorful and tender the chicken will be.
Step 2: Prep the seasoned flour. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika until everything’s evenly mixed.
Step 3: Create the craggy coating. Add the buttermilk and stir with a fork until the mixture is evenly clumpy—the little bits of damp flour are what make the coating extra crunchy when fried.
Step 4: Coat the chicken. Working a few pieces at a time, lift the chicken from the marinade and add it to the flour mixture. Toss to coat, pressing the chicken firmly into the breading so those clumps stick—it’s what gives you that great crispy texture. (It’s a messy job, so use one hand for the wet chicken and the other for the dry coating to keep things manageable.)
Step 5: Get ready to fry. Place the breaded tenders on a foil-lined baking sheet. Line another baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels and set it next to the stove for draining. Pour enough oil into a large, high-sided pot to reach about ¾ inch up the sides and heat over medium-high until it shimmers, about 350°F. (You’ll know it’s ready when a cube of bread sizzles right away.)
Step 6: Fry the chicken. Using tongs, carefully place a few chicken tenders in the hot oil, leaving space between them so they crisp instead of steam. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, a few minutes, then flip and fry the other side until it’s golden and cooked through, a few minutes more.
Step 7: Drain and serve. Transfer the cooked tenders to the paper towel–lined baking sheet to drain. Fry the remaining batches, adjusting the heat as needed—if they’re browning too quickly, turn it down a bit. Serve the chicken hot with honey mustard sauce (or your favorite dip) on the side.
Video Tutorial
More Crispy Chicken Recipes You May Like
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
This fried chicken tenders recipe makes the crispiest, juiciest chicken—better than any restaurant or drive-thru.
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.
Pair with
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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Major fail!! breading turned too dark within minutes of frying; most of it fell off…. 🙁
Oh no! Try again. Sometimes it takes a couple of times to perfect a recipe. Once I used nearly a half breast – fail…and, my batter fell off. Tenderloin size or smaller are the best. I’ve messed up royally on using baking soda when not having baking powder, or forgetting to add the buttermilk in the breading. My marinating times have varied from a few hours to 2 days. Surprisingly, it all tasted nearly as delicious….just not the same as Jenn’s recipe. Don’t be discouraged, give it another go. You’ll be appreciative later! It’s honestly, THEE best recipe EVER!
Hi Beth, I agree with Laura. Something must have gone wrong. I tend to be a bit scientific so I like to use a candy thermometer to keep it around 350-360 deg. Your oil might have been too hot if it burned in one-minute.
Can you bake the chicken tenders instead of firing them?
Hi Sharon, Sorry, it won’t work with this recipe but check out my pecan crusted chicken tenders; you can bake those.
This is by far my favorite fried chicken recipe. Super easy to make and a hit with my kids AND hubby. These taste great right out of the oil or cold the next day. The honey mustard recipe is also THE BEST (http://addapinch.com/cooking/honey-mustard-dressing-recipe/).
Gahhh I LOVE this recipe. It was my very first time making fried chicken homemade and it was SO EASY and delicious! I made them for me a my picky husband last week and he wants them again for tonight:) I will definitely be making these on the reg!
can you bread and freeze these to cook later?
Hi there, I’d probably cook them and then freeze, as cooked chicken tenders freeze and reheat well.
I think this is one of the best fried chicken recipes I have tried! After the marinade, just dipping and frying…so easy. My family loved it!
I always love to read the reviews before using a new recipes…… so when I was looking over all of these reviews…..WOW!!!!! everybody had a lot of great things to say! Well, I tried them tonight and my whole family and the extra kids eating with us loved them!!! These are great!!!!!! I will make these again!!
I added a little bit of extra of all of the spices to the flour, then added some onion powder as well. I also added a bit of chili powder to the buttermilk only and marinated for maybe half an hour (it was a last minute meal plan).
My husband said this: “If the Lord Jesus was sitting at our table and wanted fried chicken (and waffles) I would be proud to have you serve this to him.” Keep in mind, he is not even a very religious man.
The compliments are high with this recipe!!
Had these tonight. Marinated them the night prior. Was very good ! It makes me want to try chicken wings in this.
This recipe is amazing, easy and a great way to jazz up my tired dinner rotation! I didn’t change anything, next time I’ll marinate overnight, I could only do 4 hours but it was still amazing. The chicken was juicy and so tasty. My toddler isn’t picky but when he likes something it’s gone almost as soon as it’s placed in front of him. This chicken was gone in a flash! When I do a new recipe I keep the sides simple, mainly because I have 2 little ones under 2.5 so I’m lucky when I can focus on a new recipe! We did this with microwaved mixed veggies! Quick, easy, tasty. This dish could be served with anything though. Enough flavor to go with more robust sides or be the stand-out dish. Well, it’s a stand-out no matter what! My Indian mother-in-law recommended this dish to me, she finds most non-Asian dishes bland. Not this one, and she didn’t adjust the spices bc my nephew, who she made it for, is picky and not into spice (and he’s 100% Indian, go figure!)! And it’s not spicy either. Just robust flavor. I can’t wait to do this again, it’s a welcome new addition to the rotation. Thanks for the great recipe!