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
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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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Left in marinade overnight, followed exact recipe.
Tossed a stick of Crisco in a pot, fried them up, tender, juicy, Took like a half hour with a 2 year old and an 10 month old underfoot.
5 stars, definitely will make again.
Granny Judi
Oh my goodness I finally successfully fried good chicken thanks to your recipe! Ingredients and instructions were perfect. I used an iron skillet and it came out juicy, crispy, and delicious. I have a very happy husband lol. Thank you so much for sharing!
We baked them for 20 minutes at 350 and they turned out terribly. Worst recipe I have ever tried. If ysing this recope, fry them and do not bake them. Notive the author doesn’t even mention how long to bake them for. We tested with a meat thermometer to 165. Never again!
I have baked over 50 years.
Read the recipe again . The recipe clearly states to fry them ! 😬
She says to fry them…
Delicious! Perfect! Very flexible recipe. I’ve sliced up breasts, and I do add 1/4 to 1/2 ish cup of honey to the marinade. I make my own buttermilk in a pinch (1 c milk and 1 lemon juiced). Definitely let it marinade overnight. Fabulous every time!
My family devoured these! I’m not typically a big fan of fried food, but these will be in the regular rotation from now on. Made them exactly according to the recipe and wouldn’t change a thing! Paired with the Macaroni Salad from this site. Perfect summer meal!
Just made these tonight and they were a hit!! Thank you for the recipe! I normally don’t make the same recipe the same week but I I will with this one. I do need to use up the extra buttermilk, but they are so good we don’t mind the repeat. Thank you again! You made our usual “what sounds good for dinner” a little easier!
I have tried SO MANY turns to fry chicken and it is always SUCH an ordeal because the recipes usually have you dip in flour, egg, and flour again. Dipping once in a shaggy flour is ingenious! And the idea to line the pan with foil for easy clean up was gold! Thank you for the GAME CHANGER of fried chicken!!
Just made this recipe for the first time, and it was easy and delicious! Made the marinade in the morning, chicken marinated in the fridge for about 6 hours which seemed to be plenty. Also mixed the dry ingredients for the breading in the AM while I had the spices out. Covered and set aside, then added the buttermilk just before dredging & cooking. Used my Dutch oven, which allowed me to do 5-6 tenders at a time without crowding, and also minimized splattering. Will definitely make again – This is going into my regular rotation of chicken recipes! Thanks Jenna, this was my first time visiting your site and I’ll be checking it regularly now!
This is it right here! This is gonna be my family’s go-to chicken fingers recipe. It’s perfection in every bite. I am forever grateful, Jenn. I paired the chicken fingers with homemade Raising Cane’s sauce and they were so good.
This might be one of the most delicious dishes I have ever cooked. This recipe is a keeper!!
These tenders came out great! This is my second time trying to make fried chicken and this recipe went much better . The key is keeping the oil around 350. I only marinated for 4 hours but will try overnight next time to see if it enhances the flavor. I had 3 lbs of tenderloins so I eyeballed the measurements a bit and it still came out perfect. Great recipe!