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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Question: The recipe make 4 servings, so is the nutritional info intended per serving or the whole dish? Also I love that you include the nutritional info, a pair with tab and there’s a toggle for US/metric!
Hi Melissa, glad you find the nutritional info helpful. The info you see there is per serving. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you, that’s what I thought. I’m going to make these this week; they’re sure to be a hit!
Made it tonight and it was a huge hit! We found them surprisingly filling! Filled my 2 teenage boys and husband right up; we ended up with a couple left over!
They were moist and tender, the breading was very flavorful, really crispy, and not oily.
Used my new 13.25″ cast iron skillet and peanut oil (only used just under 1/2 an inch) with Trader Joe’s frozen chicken tenderloins (2.5Lb.); marinated them (from frozen) for just about 20 hours. We have yet to dislike a recipe of yours.
Glad the whole family enjoyed them!
Yea so I made this and my boyfriend and his buddy said it was better than Bojangles chicken and had seconds. Awesome recipe thank you. Really delicious. And to all wanting to tweak it.. don’t..It’s perfect
When cooking can I use a deep fryer or should use a pan?
Hi Ashlee, I just use a regular fry pan, but you can definitely use a deep fryer if you have one. Enjoy!
Tried this for the first time tonight. Delicious! Big hit with adults and kids. Honey mustard dipping sauce also delicious.
Perfect!
These are by far the best chicken tenders I have ever made. They are absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for the receipe. My kids request these often along withe their friends I am so glad I found your website. P.S. The honey mustard receipe is the only one i make!
Excellent
These are the best ever!! My entire family loves these!! I serve this with BBQ sauce and honey mustard as well!!
Wow! What a hit ?? .. I don’t usually put up reviews but this recipe was too good!! All my partner kept saying was how good they were whilst stuffing his face- lol – Thanks for the recipe. It was delicious, definitely a keeper.
It was so good I didn’t think I was going to quit eating. The only thing I did differently was marinate it overnight.
This is a great recipe! Very tender and crispy!
Been a very Once Upon a Chef week. Gazpacho earlier, Pasta y Fagiol and these today. Love the tang of the chicken with the buttermilk and spice marinade. The breading is perfect. As usual! I also did a pound of boneless skinless thighs this round. Not tasted them yet but I expect awesomeness
I’ve had trouble with frying chicken before, but this recipe was amazing! All the tenders were cooked perfectly and so delicious.
These are fantastic!! Easy to make with a great flavor and perfect crunchiness. I used our countertop fryer. I could fit 3 chicken tenders in the basket, took about 5-6 minutes for each batch. I strongly suggest anyone who sees this recipe to make it. I didn’t read the recipe fully at first and didn’t realize I needed to marinate the tenders for 4 hours, I only marinated for 30 minutes and I still thought they were great!
Approx How long do you cook the tenders on each side?
They take 3 about minutes, give or take, per side. Hope you enjoy!
when it came time to fry the chicken tenders the skin kept coming off the chicken and wouldn’t stay on, especially when I tried to flip the chicken… what did I do wrong?
Hi Sarah, It sounds like your oil wasn’t hot enough. Make sure it sizzles when you drop the chicken in and it should adhere.
I want to thank you so much for your chicken strips recipe. I have tried many recipes in the past and wasn’t happy with the outcome. I have finally found the best. I made some for dinner tonight and they came out perfect! Great flavor, super tender and juicy inside and perfectly crunchy on the outside. My husband and picky 7 year old devoured them. I followed your instructions exactly and it was so easy to cook this delicious recipe. So delicious and perfect!
Great flavor. The breading stuck well. I like that it was easy and delicious.
I’ve made bunches, and I mean BUNCHES, of internet recipes over the years and this is easily in my top 5 favorites! Adding buttermilk to the dry mix really helped get the breading thick. Amazing flavor, delicious, a favorite for my five kiddos.
Simple and easy recipe that Came out great! My husband loved it 🙂
MOST AMAZING RECIPE EVER! This was my first attempt at making my own fried chicken. I have been too scared to make it, thinking it would be too hard and they wouldn’t turn out. But they turned out PERFECT! So so good on its own, but I made them into homemade sticky fingers! SO much better than premade tenders! THANK YOU!
Hi Jenn,
I saw all these great reviews and would like to try it! May I know if I can use bone-in chicken thighs instead? If so, what alteration would you suggest? Thank you very much!
You’ll have to finish cooking the thighs in a 350°F oven, as they won’t cook fully in the pan before getting too dark. I’m guessing they’ll need 30-40 minutes in the oven after frying.
I actually let my chicken soak for almost 48 hours as I was not able to bread and fry it the next day so I was concerned it might alter the chicken flavor or consistency once I fried it. Have to say the MOST amazing and delicious fried chicken tenders. My daughters will only want to eat this going forward. I have always avoided making fried chicken as appeared too messy and difficult to make but you have made me a fried chicken convert. Thank you for a very simple but delicious dish.
I rarely leave a review but I looked up this recipe real quick with the hopes to find a good, quick, chicken tender I could make a buffalo chicken wrap with. And OH MY GOSH. They were so good solo I decided to cancel the wraps and just eat the tenders. These were so easy and the tip of mixing some buttermilk in with the flour is what really did the trick. Thanks for this recipe! It will be made again and again in my house!
I made these for the kids at a family dinner party and all the adults were eating them! They were so delicious!
This is my go to recipe when I needed to treat the family. It is even good the next day when served cold at picnics!
That is by far the best chicken recipe I found. So tasty and easy. Everybody loves it!!!! ?
Our grand children visit us every summer and this recipe is requested from both of them every time! My husband and I also love it except we add siracha to our homemade ranch for our dipping sauce !
The best chicken finger recipe ever! My son is allergic to eggs and this recipe does not call for eggs in the breading. 5 stars!!!! Restaurant quality!
My husband of 50 years has always loved fried chicken, which we rarely eat for health reasons. Tonight he took his first bite of your recipe, beamed happily, and said, “How did I earn this!” And I’m happy that it seemed simpler than my long-time recipe, so maybe we can indulge a bit more often. Grandkids will surely enjoy it, too. One question… Is there an ideal temperature for the oil? I have a thermometer but didn’t know what I was aiming for, and got the oil too hot, I think.
Love your recipes!!!
Oil should be 375° for ideal fried chicken parts. Don’t crowd the skillet. Enjoy!
I made these and they were so good! The first time I made them I accidently put too much salt in the breading, but the chicken was so juicy and tender! One problem was that the breading didn’t stick to the chicken and fell off when I bit into it. How do you fix that? I’m going to make a second batch (carefully measuring the salt 🙂 ) and don’t want that problem to happen again. Thanks for this AMAZING recipe!
Glad you liked them Kayla (even with the extra salt)! The oil may not have been hot enough if you had problems with the breading sticking– 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.
Great recipe…what are your thoughts on adding fresh garlic in the marinade?
Hi Gregor, I don’t think it’s necessary, but it couldn’t hurt!
These were awesome!! The breading was super crunchy and tasty.
I made these tonight after a 24 hour soak. Best ever and when I asked my family when I should make them again they laughed and said soon. Zero leftovers! My tip is let them sit for about 10 minutes after flour dip to let them set up before frying.
Also to drain oil let them stay warm on the paper towel in the oven after frying. Mine came out crispy and not oily. Broavo on the seasoning, it makes this receipe a 10!
First I want to start off by saying these are simply awesome!!! Has anyone ever deep fried them in a healthier oil? Coconut oil maybe?
I have a question about the recipe for the Buttermilk chicken tenders– It says in step 2- When you’re ready to cook them, make the breading by combining the flour, baking powder and spices in a bowl. Stir in a bit of buttermilk until the mixture is nice and clumpy. So This will make the mixture somewhat liquidity and then it shows in step 3 another bowl of flour, so are you supposed to dip the chicken in the liquid mixture and then in the second bowl of flour?
Hi Sylvia, sorry for any confusion– the chicken gets dipped/coated with the flour and spice mixture only once. Hope you enjoy!
From all the wonderful reviews, I thought I should try this recipe for myself. They are awesome! Definitely a keeper recipe, Thank you for sharing it!
How many calories are in each individual tender?
A pound of chicken tenders usually has anywhere from 9 – 12 tenders, so based on those numbers, each prepared tender should have somewhere between 154 – 205 calories each.
I’ve made this twice and it was great both times. Also really good cold for lunch the next day.
These are soooooo good! I’ve been missing Stanford’s chicken fingers (Portland, Oregon), and this comes really close.
This recipe was one of the few times I went “WOW! I made this?!” when I tasted it.
Just made these (x4) for a dozen fellow firefighters to accompany some Belgian waffles…not a single strip leftover!! Great recipe!
Loved this recipe!
I made one batch without cayenne for my son and he asks for it every Saturday!
These truly are AMAZING!!! I like to add a dash of tony’s seasoning as well as some Sriracha to the marinade to give them a little kick! This is my go to for Chicken Strips I won’t use any other recipe! My family goes nuts for these, I never ever have leftovers!!!
Best chicken tenders ever. my go to recipe.
This was amazing! So easy. It was easy to add/subtract seasonings as you go.
Just got done eating oh my goodness this was absolutely delicious!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much for the recipe. I will be using it again. I have never made Fried Chicken of any type before. I had it with homemade buttermilk ranch dressing and it was out of this world!
I forgot to mention how tender and moist it was and how supercrunchy the outside was. I was so impressed with myself since I’ve never made Fried Chicken or deep fried before……. LOL
Made this last night and just loved the crunch from the breading and moist chicken. I only had regular chicken breasts, so I just sliced them into thickness of tenderloins. Used cranberry mustard sauce to dip them in from Damaris Phillips on Food Network and served with Butternut Squash Orzo. Yum!!
Absolutely delicious. The chicken was so tender and the batter perfectly crisp with just the right amount of spice. I left the meat to marinate overnight and the first batch tasted fabulous but the chicken I left even longer was the best I’ve ever had. It looked so professional too, can’t rate this recipe highly enough. Thanks for sharing.
Love these tenders. Great flavor and crunch! Definitely the best I’ve ever made. Plus they are easy to make. I will definitely be making them again. Thanks for the recipe.
Best chicken tenders I’ve had yet. Follow the recipe and you can’t go wrong. Even my wife loved them and she won’t eat fried food.
I made these tonight for dinner, and they are SO good! My husband and I both loved them and thought they were the best chicken tenders we’d ever had. The breading came out so light and crispy, and the flavors and spices were perfect. Jenn, I tried the shallow fry, and it worked just fine. We are already plotting to have chicken and waffles with our leftover chicken tenders later this week. This will definitely be going into our regular dinner rotation. A classic!