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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Amazing recipe!! I added some corn flakes to the batter.
Have been looking for a good boneless chicken recipe for years….have tried many and this is by far the best! Didn’t have tenders so used cut up breast and deep fried about 6 minutes, otherwise followed recipe and turned out perfect. Will be adding this to my regular rotation.
Gluten Free
OMG I made these with Bobs Red Mill Cup for Cup GF flour. They came out sooo good . Marinated about 4 hours. And followed the directions.
Actually Bobs1 to 1
how important is the baking powder to the recipe, in the middle of making these and realized I don’t have any. Thank you in advance for your help.
Hi Nicole, Not sure if I’m seeing this in time but the baking powder does make the batter “puff” a bit and it also helps make the crust crunchy, but I think you could get away without it. Hope they turn out well!
Thank you for replying! I decided to let the chicken mariande overnight based on the other reviews. So I bought the baking powder and will make today instead. So excited to make these for New Year’s Eve tonight! I will be sure to post after I make them.
I did it without the baking soda and they came out great!!
After reading the fabulous reviews I would like to try my hand at these, but I would like to use almond flour in place of the regular flour that the recipe calls for. Do you feel that this will work? Thank you, Jen
Hi Kirsty, I’m afraid the almond flour would cause the chicken tenders to burn quickly. Sorry!
I have made these twice now. I never know what I’m going to make for dinner so an overnight marinade is usually not for me. However, even having them marinade for only 3-4 hours, they have come out perfectly.
I’m tossing my old recipe out the window for sure. Also was hubby and toddler approved!
Best chicken my family has ever tasted! Followed the recipe exactly. Letting the chicken marinate overnight is even better than just a few hours (I’ve made this several times). I use chicken breasts, remove the tenderloin and cut into 2 or 3 strips depending on the size of the breast. The oil does take a while to heat, I recommend to start heating it while you’re coating your chicken and making sure you have tongs and a baking sheet lined with paper towels ready that way there is no scrambling. I set my stove right inbetween medium and medium-high and it tends to heat to the perfect temperature (between 350 and 375). I usually put 3 or 4 in at a time and 3 minutes on each side (yes I set a timer) seems to be the perfect amount of time for that brown crispy exterior and fully cooked juicy interior. This is the be-all end-all of fried chicken recipes. You need not look any further. Perfection.
This is the PERFECT tenderloins recipe. Take the time to marinate overnight, it’s totally worth it.
Hands down best chicken tenders recipe ever. I’ve tried lots! Don’t worry if you need to leave the chicken in the spices/buttermilk longer than suggested time in recipe. I’ve not gotten to mine for a couple of days and still these were fabulous. I’ve used this technique for frying other things as well like veggies and whole pieces of chicken.
First time chicken fryer here. The chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, with a great taste. I’ll be adding this to my regular rotation of meals.
If I were to make this with mashed potatoes, do you have a recommendation for what gravy would to go along with it?
Thanks Jenn.
Hi Ryan, Glad you enjoyed the chicken! I think you’ll like this gravy recipe.