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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Dear Chef Jenn,
You really bring out the Best in all of us! Thank you! I made your chicken tenders tonight and they were delicious! My husband called them chicken tender breasts and not chicken tenders..I guess they were cut in semi-big pieces, but he (if I’m being honest we) had seconds and thirds. I marinated the chicken the night before and followed your recipe to a tee. The flavor was amazing. I cooked the chicken outside on our side burner propane grill using a 12″ cast iron skillet. The pieces, while being on the larger side, cooked 7 minutes on the first side and 5 minutes after I turned them over. I made your chocolate chip muffins last week and they were as another Review had mentioned, better than Costco muffins! I purchased your cookbook for our daughter in law and plan to purchase one for myself this weekend.
So glad you like the recipes and thanks for your support of the cookbook! 🙂
Dear Jenn,
Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes.
I am a student in the UK, and make them all the time for my family.
This one is particularly popular, and the favourite meal of one very fussy eater!
I was just wondering, this recipe is listed under the freezable / make ahead categories.
Should the tenders be fried first before freezing / refrigerating?
Many thanks for your advice!
Hi Savanna, how nice that you cook for your family! To make these ahead, I would cook them first. See the bottom of the recipe for make-ahead/freezer-friendly instructions. 🙂
I love this recipe. But I’m having a hard time getting the coating to stay on after frying. You say to pull from the buttermilk marinade and toss in the flour, but in your picture, it looks like the chicken strips are clean and dry. I do let them drip off before adding, but something is still not working. Thank you!
Hi Lori, If the breading isn’t sticking, it’s likely that your oil is not 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!
Everytime I make these, they are a total hit and I’ve shared the link many times too! Thank you!
This was amazing according my husband. He thought the chicken was cooked perfectly and the breading was restaurant quality. I have depended on several of your recipes since I am a vegetarian and can’t taste the finished product. This is a keeper! Thanks!
These are amazing!!! Made the recipe exactly as stated. Very flavorful and fantastic texture! Even good the next day reheated in my toaster oven. I will be making these often.
Time and time again, this one knocks socks off. Tonight it was for my 82 year old dad. Told me “that fried chicken was the best I had in my entire life… even better than your mother’s” (which is a huge compliment as she’s departed some 17 years ago and he alerts me that many other dishes aren’t up to snuff, like my goľąbki efforts). Thank you for another winner and always bringing smiles to my table.
This is the part where I tell you how much that I enjoyed your rendition of chicken tenders, AFTER I changed everything. Well, I enjoyed your seasoning blend for both marinade and flour! Just right! Changed nothing!! 10 stars!! Great recipe,Chef! Thanks for sharing!
I wanted to bake this but did fry and SO glad I did. It was the most tender, crunchy delicious chicken. We couldn’t stop eating, made a lot, and ended up freezing some. I would give it a 10 stars if I could. I did marinate in buttermilk for around 24 hours WOW so good.
Can I bake these and if so what temp and how long?
PS I always go to your website first. Thanks for great recipes.
Hi Barbara, I wouldn’t recommend baking these, but if you’d like chicken tenders you can bake, I’d recommend this recipe. (While I do prefer them fried, if you want to bake them I’d put them in a 350-degree oven for 15 – 20 minutes. Enjoy!