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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Since trying this recipe, my family requests it all the time! Super easy, quick and the BEST tasting chicken strip ever! Thank you for this recipe.
I made these last night. Delicious!! I followed the recipe to a T. I did have an issue if someone can chime in. When I removed the tenders from the cast iron skillet they were all golden brown and looked awesome but the crust did not stay on the chicken, it did on some but not all. Like I said, we loved the recipe and plan on trying again. Taste was there just not sure what I did wrong.
Hi Jackie, Sorry you struggled with these a bit. If the batter came off, the oil may not have been hot enough. A good way to ensure the oil is hot enough before you fry the tenders is to drop a cube of bread into the oil; if sizzles when you drop it in, it’s ready.
Just made these last night and this is a really solid recipe! I followed as written and this is the recipe I will go to from now on. Only thing I found is that I went through double the amount of breading. Not sure why but they were crispy and delicious and heated up wonderfully the next day. Good as cold leftovers right out of the fridge too so I can see using them for a salad. (Or just standing at the fridge eating one for a snack) 😊 Many thanks for developing and sharing this recipe.
These were a hit in our house. I’ve only fried food a few times so I wasn’t sure how it would go. It wasn’t hard at all. I surprised myself and will definitely be making these again. I made them for a casual kid friendly weekend dinner and served them with a platter of sliced vegetables, fruit and the buttermilk ranch & honey mustard sauce. Delicious!
Having extra buttermilk on hand, I decided to try your recipe for Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders and Buttermilk Ranch Dressing and my family loved dinner last night! Thank you for sharing your wonderful dishes – I made your chocolate cupcakes last week (I typically make cookies or brownies) and they were amazing. I keep returning to your website because I am confident they are fail proof -many thanks!
Great recipe, very easy. I was lazy and threw too many in my flour mix so it basically turned into a swamp that I had to navigate. Lesson learned. I also might add some extra heat in both mixes but not much else.
Pan fried in Canola with a black iron skillet. Turned out awesome!
Could I bake these in an air fryer and what would you suggest the time/temp be?
Hi Angela, I don’t have an air fryer and don’t know much about using one so I can’t say for sure – sorry! You may find these tips helpful in converting traditional recipes to air fryer versions. I’d love to hear how they turn out if you make them in an air fryer!
Absolutely delicious!!! Thank you for this recipe. Always a winner in my house! Can you tell me if you’ve ever made these into chicken nuggets? If so, how would you go about doing that?
So glad you like them! I haven’t made these as nuggets but I think you can. Cook time may be slightly shorter. I’d love to hear how they turn out if you try them!
I did an experiment with this recipe: pan fried vs. air fried. 100% pan fry these!! They are so great. My 2 year old is gobbling them up! Thank you!!
It was amazing. Did some in the air fryer at 160 Celsius for 10 mins and the rest in the pan. Both were great. Son went back for seconds. Favourite chicken recipe ever. Will definitely be making it a regular thing.