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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Hi Jenn! I used the rest of the buttermilk in the bottle to make dressing, is it ok to pull from the marinade required for the dredge?
Thanks!!
Yep 👍
Update: Last night I made the buttermilk chicken tenders. Followed the recipe exactly. Worked perfectly! I marinated them for about eight hours. They were super juicy and tasty and even crispy on the outside. Once Upon A Chef has become my favorite food blog because the recipes are consistently delicious and they work. Thanks very much Jen for all you do.
Jen your recipes rock. Your beef stew and lentil stew are two regulars at my house. Delicious!
Question about frying the chicken tenders – what do I do with all the oil when I’m done? Thanks in advance for any guidance.
Hi Greg, So glad you like the recipes!! Here is some guidance on how to deal with the leftover oil.
Never thought I could make Chicken Tenders at home that would compete with my grandkids favorite fast food chicken tenders. But this recipe won them over. And it was so quick & easy to make. They are now Chicken Tender converts. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful & kid pleasing recipe.
Made this tonight to add to bao buns. So delicious. Kids and husband loved the taste and crunchiness. Will definitely be making it again…and again. Thank you for the recipe
What an amazing and easy recipe. We used flattened chicken breasts and turned them into sandwiches on a brioche bun with some shredded lettuce, mayo and pickles. Adding buttermilk to the flour dredge was key in creating all those irregular delicious crispy bits. 11/10. Will be part of the rotation for sure.
These were so goooood! I am a serious home cook..and girl I can make just about anything…except good fried chicken. Moving to the Deep South in 2014, I have been trying to master it. My Husband and I joke as I always say…” I am going to give try #123 “ lol. Well the eyebrows went up when I defrosted 3 lbs. of chicken tenders. I want to freeze them, so when we want a snack, we just pop them in the air fryer. ( keeping him away from processed foods) these were perfect. I also made your honey mustard…yum! Thanks so much love your recipes….keep them coming. I also purchased your cookbook months ago….Love that as well.
This chicken is fabulous you could open a restaurant with this recipe. But I almost didn’t make it because of how many steps and time to marinade. The recipe is overly complicated. I added more spice to the buttermilk and it only sat in marinade for 30 minutes. Buttermilk in flour mix not nessary and batter sticks better. Chicken is already covered in buttermilk. No foil lined trays nessary just added unnecessary steps. Buttermilk to flour to oil then drain on paper towels.
Can you bake these in the oven?
Hi Rachel, I wouldn’t recommend baking them. If you want a chicken tender you can bake, I’d recommend this recipe. These are also best fried, but you can get away with baking them. If you go that route, I’d suggest baking them at 350°F for 15 – 20 minutes. Hope that helps!
Best damn crumbed fried anything I’ve ever cooked in my 63 years. Ran out of chicken but still had crumbly mixture so did onion rings, cauliflower florets, zucchini sticks, mushrooms… Thank you so much for this recipe
Tried this these are awesome and turned out perfect!
Love this recipe!! I made so much of it I had to share with my neighbors:)