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.
Pair with
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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I’ve never made fried anything before but after great success with the fish tacos (another great recipe), I decided to dive in and give this a shot. I’m so glad I did. They turned out fabulously. I ended up marinating my chicken for two days. Before cooking, I preheated the oil on an electric stove, I set the temperature at about a 6.5 for 20 minutes. Then I dredged the chicken and added it to the pot. It took about 7 minutes to cook to perfection. My husband is still raving about it! Thanks!
I created this last night and followed the recipe exactly except for one thing, I had to use low fat buttermilk as my local store did not have any other kind. They were easy enough to make and turned out decent, but I did have two issues. My wife and I both found them lacking in flavor and the breading didn’t stick that well to the chicken. Could either or both of these issues have been caused by the low fat buttermilk? I am hoping that is the case (especially with the flavor) as I would like to try these again sometime if so.
I don’t think the buttermilk would caused those issues. The breading may not have stuck if the oil wasn’t hot enough. And you can always boost the flavor to your taste by adding some additional seasonings.
My son has requested my homemade fried chicken tenders for his rehearsal dinner for approximately 50 people! Any suggestions? I have friends willing to help. I would appreciate any make ahead tips, or keeping warm tips. We are renting a place that has lg kitchen (not proffesional) so I will not be transporting food just cooking/ serving. I would like to be a part of the festivities though! Thanks for any helpful advice you can give.
Tracee
Hi Tracee, Wow, that’s a lot of tenders! I would fry them up right before people arrive and keep warm on wire racks in a low oven — otherwise, you’ll be standing at the stove all night. Have fun 🙂
These are delicious! I cut the chicken into bite size pieces, and made half the batch with regular flour and the other half with a gluten free flour blend. Both batches were eaten so quickly by my gf husband and four children. Definitely a recipe I will make over and over. Also going to spend an afternoon and make a big batch of these to freeze so that I can pull them out for quick dinners. Yum!
These are moist on the inside and crispy on the outside with incredible flavor!!! Best chicken tender recipe I’ve had–a must try!
I have made this recipe many times, exactly as directed, and it is fantastic! The flavor is amazing and it has become a family favorite. I do cut off the white tendon/ligament part before I marinate the tenders. Thank you for this recipe!
I noticed on some questions that you say you only remove the white piece if its thick. DOES MARINATING THE CHICKEN SOFTEN THE WHITE LIGAMENT? I always hate biting into a piece of chicken and getting this part, but removing them is so much extra work. I thought about using chicken breast and cutting them into strips. If I did that do you recommend I pound out the chicken first? I’m anxious to try this recipe based on all the reviews!
Hi Misty, It really doesn’t soften it so if it really bothers you, I would go ahead and remove it. You can use the breasts (pounded) and cut into strips but they won’t be quite as tender as the tenderloins. Hope that helps 🙂
Absolutely amazing chicken fry recipe!! So simple and yet so scrumptious. My husband and I just had this and a salad for dinner. So filling and delicious. It went really well with the garlic yogurt dressing that I made for the salad.
Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe!
Found this recipe on Pinterest and it was exactly what I was looking for. So much so, that I made it twice this week! Thanks for the very clear instructions and delectable meal!
how much of each ingrediants do you use?
Hi Breanna, Scroll down below the photos or click on the recipe tab and you’ll find the exact recipe. Enjoy 🙂