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!rn”
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
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 freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
For Cooking
- 3 to 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 (2-cm). Heat over medium-high heat until oil is shimmering (about 350°/175°C). (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.
Notes
- 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.
- 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
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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So delicious!
This recipe is very good, kid and adult approved! To make life a little easier I put the flour mixture in one ziplock bag and shake it after I take it out of the buttermilk mixture. If you have too much buttermilk on the chicken the breading won’t adhere to the chicken, so run your fingers across the tenders before dumping in the bag. I like to serve this with a simple ranch salad.
These tenders are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Why go out for juicy tenders when you can make them at home…even better?!?! I tweaked it just a bit for some heat with crushed red pepper flakes which gives it a little umph of bite back! 😉 Simple, quick (if you marinate overnight), and OH MY delicious. Winner winner chicken dinner delicious.
I like to serve Garlicky Roasted Broccoli (also found in Once upon a Chef’s recipe archives) and baked macaroni as my sides. These are my kids and my husband’s favorite! Try them… you will then have to add them to your weekly meal plans!
I have made this recipe for my family of 5 four different times now. It comes out perfect every time! Thanks for making such a classic comfort food so easy. Yummy!
I didn’t have any cayenne so I just doubled the garlic powder in the breading mix and it turned out great! Because I bought chicken breast fillet instead of tenders, I had chicken skin to remove. I coated the chicken skin with the breading mix and fried them too, they turned out great! My whole family loved the chicken fingers and are begging me to make some more. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I’ve made this twice now, and both times it was great. The first time, I didn’t read the instructions carefully beforehand, and didn’t realize I needed to marinate the chicken overnight. I only had a half hour I could spare to marinate in the buttermilk, and it was still delicious. I also didn’t have cayenne and just added more paprika, and it tasted great still. I paired it with waffles for a brunch I was hosting and my guests loved it. I made it a second time and this time marinated it overnight, and it was even more delicious than the first time. My only issue is that I ran out of batter to coat the chicken (I made 1.5 times the recipe, so maybe my calculations were off or perhaps my chicken tenders were too big), so I had to think fast. Luckily, I had some breadcrumbs in my pantry and made a quick batter using that. Not only is this a great recipe, but this recipe is pretty much idiot-proof. It’s super easy and tastes very impressive. If I made it, ANYONE can.
This recipe is fabulous! Instructions were easy to follow and the result was so moist, tender and easy to make. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Jenn, just wanted to say I LOVE THIS RECIPE! 👏🏽 It’s so easy to follow and the results are excellent. Thank you so much! Xxx
Delicious! Tender and crunchy and easy to make. Second night we lightly broiled them on both sides and they did not loose their crunch. Yum : )
Another winner from Once Upon A Chef! I made a Japanese teriyaki dinner with this one. Jasmine rice, grated carrot+bell peppers, buttermilk fried chicken tenders, homemade teriyaki sauce (1/2 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp sweet rice wine, 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 small lime juice, 1tbsp+2 tsp brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar mix in the small pan, taste then adjust the sugar to own liking then thicken the sauce with slurry from 1/2 tbsp cornstarch+1 tbsp water). Thank you Jen for a terrific recipe, even the batter is the perfect amount, not much leftovers…