Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
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This fried chicken tenders recipe has everything you want: a crispy, craggy crust with juicy, tender chicken underneath.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
When my daughter was little, she was a champion picky eater, and unsurprisingly, chicken tenders were always at the top of her very short list of acceptable foods. Needless to say, I made them a lot! These fried chicken tenders became a family favorite, and while her list has most definitely expanded, she still loves them today. We all do.
The secret is in the coating: I mix a little buttermilk into the seasoned flour to create small clumps, which cling to the chicken and fry up into all those crunchy, craggy bits. The chicken gets a long soak in seasoned buttermilk first, so it stays tender and flavorful beneath that crisp crust.
Serve the tenders with honey mustard sauce, BBQ sauce or ranch dressing for dipping—or add them to a salad.
“This is THE BEST fried chicken tender recipe that you will find. It comes out perfectly every single time! And the honey mustard sauce is beyond yummy.”
What you’ll need To Make Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
- Chicken tenderloins: Naturally tender and just the right size for frying. If the white tendon sticks out from the end, you can snip it off or trim it flush with the meat.
- Buttermilk: Tenderizes the chicken and adds a subtle tang. You’ll also use a little in the breading to create the craggy bits that get extra-crispy when fried.
- Paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper: Season both the chicken and the breading so the tenders are flavorful throughout.
- Flour and baking powder: Form the crisp, golden coating. The baking powder helps give the crust a lighter, crunchier texture.
- Vegetable oil: A neutral oil that works well for frying at high heat.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Fried Chicken Tenders
Marinate the chicken: Combine the buttermilk with the seasonings, then add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to a day—the longer it sits, the more flavorful the chicken will be.
Make the breading: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and seasonings. Drizzle in a little buttermilk and stir with a fork until small clumps form throughout. These are what create all those crunchy, craggy bits when the chicken fries.
Coat the chicken: Working one piece at a time, lift the chicken from the marinade and press it firmly into the flour mixture so the coating really adheres. Using one hand for the wet chicken and the other for the flour helps keep things from getting too messy.
Fry the chicken: Heat the oil to 350°F. Fry the tenders in batches, without crowding the pan, until they’re crisp and golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Keep an eye on the oil temperature as you go and adjust the heat as needed.
Drain and serve: Transfer the tenders to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Keep in mind that fried chicken looks lighter while it’s submerged in the oil, so lift a piece out if you want to check its true color. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.
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 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!