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Why we love this recipe
I am a big old sucker for chicken nuggets and tenders. Especially when they are marinated in buttermilk and garlic for maximum tenderness, and fried lovingly until they are golden brown.
And while I will never say no to a restaurant version, I am here to tell you that there is nothing like a hot and crispy chicken tender right out of your own kitchen. And they are easier than you think!
I’ve tested this recipe over and over (you know, for scientific reasons) and using boneless strips of chicken that are soaked in buttermilk and dunked in flour pretty much guarantees scrumptious tender chicken that comes out just right every time.
And not only are they delicious right out of the pot, any leftover buttermilk chicken makes the world’s best chicken sandwich the next day. A soft roll, some mayo, a little lettuce and you are in chicken sandwich heaven.
Or you can toss them into this 15 minute Shortcut Fried Chicken Salad. The possibilities are endless!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Chicken: You can either buy chicken tenders that are already cut to size, or you can take boneless chicken breasts and cut them into roughly 1 inch by 3 inch pieces.
- Buttermilk: You can use either lowfat or regular buttermilk for this recipe. Both can be found near the regular milk in the dairy section of your supermarket.
- Oil: We like canola oil for this recipe, but any vegetable oil will work. You want enough to fill your pot with about two inches of oil – I find that a 48 ounce bottle works for that.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Pour a quart of buttermilk, a cup of milk, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika and some smashed garlic cloves into a large bowl and give it a good stir. Add 2 pounds of boneless chicken tenders and stir again, making sure it is all submerged. Pop the mixing bowl in the fridge for 8 hours or as long as overnight.
Step 2: Preheat oven to 200 (or turn on your warming drawer if you’ve got one!). Take out a couple of rimmed baking sheets and put cooling racks on top of them (this is to keep the chicken warm as you’re cooking it).
Step 3: Mix together 3 cups of flour, a tablespoon each of poultry seasoning, paprika and sea salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
Step 4: Ready to fry it up? Pour enough canola oil into a deep Dutch oven to reach 2 inches depth and turn the heat to high, heating the oil until it reaches 350 on an instant read thermometer.
Step 5: Use tongs to take the chicken out of the marinade, shake it off a little, and then dunk it thoroughly in the flour mixture. When you have about a quarter of the chicken ready, use the tongs to put it gently into the oil, turning it now and then until it is cooked and golden, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 6: Place the cooked chicken on the baking racks and pop it in the oven until all the chicken is cooked. You should add a minute or two of cooking time with each batch, as the oil will have cooled down a little. And, you’re done!
Recipe FAQs
This is a two part answer! Chicken tenderloins (which are sometimes labeled as chicken tenders) are strips of boneless chicken that come from the muscle underneath the chicken breast. Chicken tenders are pieces of chicken breast that are cut into roughly 1 inch by 4 inch strips. Both of them will work just fine for this recipe.
Buttermilk is milk that has been fermented (similar to yogurt) so it is thick and a bit sour tasting. Because it is fermented it works to tenderize everything from biscuits to chicken…we even use it for tenderizing steak! It doesn’t add any taste, but it does make things soft and tender in miraculous ways.
You can use safflower, peanut or corn oil. You don’t want to use olive oil because that has a lower smoke point than other oils. Personally, I use canola oil any time I am frying things up and it never lets me down.
You don’t want to crowd the pot, for a few reasons. The chicken tenders will stick together, and they need space to develop that golden crust that makes them so scrumptious. I promise it is worth the wait that cooking in batches takes!
Pop your question (or comment or suggestion) in the Comments section below and I will answer pronto!
Serve it up with your choice of dunking sauce – we like honey mustard, ranch, and just good old ketchup!
Want to round out your meal?
We do love some biscuits with our chicken tenders, and maybe some coleslaw on the side?
And this caramel apple cake makes the perfect dessert!
Other chicken recipes we love
Looking for more chicken dinner inspiration? Here is our complete collection of chicken recipes!
Could you leave us a review?
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section.
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
These easy buttermilk fried chicken tenders are crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and will make you forget that takeout menu!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Marinating Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 quart buttermilk
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 pounds chicken tenders or skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into roughly 1×4 inch pieces.
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Canola oil, for frying (you need enough to get 2 inches worth of depth in your frying pot)
Instructions
- Pour buttermilk, milk, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika and the garlic cloves into a large bowl and give it a good stir. Add the chicken and stir again, making sure it is all submerged. Pop the mixing bowl in the fridge for 8 hours or as long as overnight.
- Preheat oven to 200 (or turn on your warming drawer if you’ve got one!). Take out a couple of rimmed baking sheets and put cooling racks on top of them (this is to keep the chicken warm as you’re cooking it).
- Mix together the flour, poultry seasoning, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon sea salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
- Ready to fry it up? Pour the canola oil into a deep Dutch oven and turn the heat to high, heating the oil until it reaches 350 on an instant read thermometer.
- Use tongs to take the chicken out of the marinade, shake it off a little, and then dunk it thoroughly in the flour mixture. When you have about a quarter of the chicken ready, use the tongs to put it gently into the oil, turning it now and then until it is cooked and golden, about 5-7 minutes. Place the cooked chicken on the baking racks and pop it in the oven until all the chicken is cooked. You should add a minute or two of cooking time with each batch, as the oil will have cooled down a little.
- Serve it up with your choice of dunking sauce – we like honey mustard, ranch, and just good old ketchup!
Notes
-
- Chicken: You can either buy chicken tenders that are already cut to size, or you can take boneless chicken breasts and cut them into roughly 1 inch by 3 inch pieces.
-
- Buttermilk: You can use either lowfat or regular buttermilk for this recipe. Both can be found near the regular milk in the dairy section of your supermarket.
-
- Oil: We like canola oil for this recipe, but any vegetable oil will work. You want enough to fill your pot with about two inches of oil – I find that a 48 ounce bottle works for that.
Joan says
I am always nervous to fry things, but this came out amazing! So delicious and even the picky eater in my family loved them. Thank you!
Joan! This is a great and delicious way to try out deep frying! And always happy to have the picky eater seal of approval. :)
Denise Saget says
This recipe is excellent! My family loved the tenders. In addition, I cut some of the chicken into bite sized pieces for my grandson’s. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Denise, thank you so much for this sweet comment! I always especially love to hear when a recipe is a hit with the kids. Happy summer! :)
Martha in KS says
These chicken tenders look scrumptious! But I don’t fry anything because I can’t stand the lingering smell it leaves in my house. So when I am hungry for crispy, tender chicken, I head to KFC (if I have a coupon) and get an extra-crispy breast, or strips. I’ll save this recipe for warm weather when I can open the windows, and I’ll make these gorgeous tenders.
I hear you – my oven fan goes full blast when I make these. Your summertime plan sounds perfect!
Denise Saget says
Your very welcome!