• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Search All Recipes
    • Recipe Round-Ups
  • More
    • About
    • Work With Me!
    • Lifestyle
    • Outside the Kitchen
    • Kitchen Tips & Gifts
    • Contact

Framed Cooks

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Father’s Day Recipes!
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Father’s Day Recipes!
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ร—
    Framed Cooks ยป Recipes ยป Chicken and Turkey

    Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders

    Published: Feb 27, 2022 ยท Modified: Oct 28, 2024 by Kate Morgan Jackson ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท 7 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    These easy buttermilk fried chicken tenders are crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and perfect with your favorite coleslaw!

    Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders cooling on a rack.
    Jump to:
    • Why we love this recipe
    • Ingredients you need
    • Ingredient notes and substitutions
    • How to make this recipe
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Want to round out your meal?
    • Other chicken recipes we love
    • Could you leave us a review?
    • Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders

    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

    Ingredients needed to make buttermilk fried chicken tenders.

    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.

    Cooling rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet.

    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).

    Flour mixture in a metal bowl.

    Step 3: Mix together 3 cups of flour, a tablespoon each of poultry seasoning, paprika and sea salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.

    Dutch oven filled with vegetable oil.

    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.

    Chicken tenders being tossed with flour in a metal bowl with tongs.

    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. 

    Buttermilk fried chicken tenders cooling on a rack.

    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

    What are chicken tenders?

    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.

    What is buttermilk (and promise me my chicken won’t taste like buttermilk!)?

    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.

    Can I use a different kind of oil to fry with?

    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.

    Why can’t I cook all the chicken at once?

    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!

    Have a question that I didn’t cover?

    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!

    Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders cooling on a rack.

    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

    • Chicken pot pie with mashed potato crust in a casserole dish.
      Mashed Potato Chicken Pot Pie
    • Slow cooker chicken and biscuits on a plate.
      Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken and Biscuits
    • Honey Fried Chicken Tenders
    • Stovetop Chicken and Rice in a bowl with a spoon.
      Stovetop Chicken and Rice

    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.

    Print

    Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders

    Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders cooling on a rack.
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    5 from 3 reviews

    These easy buttermilk fried chicken tenders are crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and will make you forget that takeout menu!

    • Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Marinating Time: 8 hours
    • Cook Time: 15 minutes
    • Total Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
    • Yield: 6
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Stovetop
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 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

    1. 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.
    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).
    3. Mix together the flour, poultry seasoning, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon sea salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
    4. 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.
    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.  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.
    6. 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.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag @FramedCooks on Facebook or Instagram…we want to see it!

    124 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Yummly

    Want every new recipe delivered right to your email inbox?

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Joan says

      January 18, 2024 at 12:05 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Kate Morgan Jackson says

        January 18, 2024 at 1:16 pm

        Joan! This is a great and delicious way to try out deep frying! And always happy to have the picky eater seal of approval. :)

        Reply
    2. Denise Saget says

      August 06, 2022 at 1:26 pm

      This recipe is excellent! My family loved the tenders. In addition, I cut some of the chicken into bite sized pieces for my grandsonโ€™s. Thanks so much for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Kate Morgan Jackson says

        August 10, 2022 at 2:46 pm

        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! :)

        Reply
    3. Martha in KS says

      February 27, 2022 at 9:21 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Kate Morgan Jackson says

        February 28, 2022 at 1:46 pm

        I hear you – my oven fan goes full blast when I make these. Your summertime plan sounds perfect!

        Reply
        • Denise Saget says

          August 10, 2022 at 2:48 pm

          Your very welcome!

          Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    Primary Sidebar

    Kate from Framed Cooks

    Hi, Iโ€™m Kate! Iโ€™m a recipe writer, food photographer and devoted bacon lover. Iโ€™m so glad youโ€™re here!

    More about me โ†’

    Father's Day Recipes!

    • steak and cherry tomato skewers
      Steak Skewers
    • Summer lasagna on a plate.
      Summer Lasagna
    • Shrimp cooked in beer in a bowl with a can of beer in the background.
      Shrimp Cooked In Beer
    • Bacon and egg pancakes on a plate.
      Bacon and Egg Pancakes
    • shredded pot roast
      Mimosa Fruit Salad
    • Sliced strawberry bread on a plate.
      Glazed Strawberry Bread

    Reader Favorites

    • Pastina with egg and cheese in a bowl.
      Pastina with Egg and Cheese, Otherwise Known As Comfort Food
    • Lemon Garlic Lobster Pasta in a bowl with a fork.
      Pasta with Lobster Sauce
    • Grandpa's Coca-Cola Ribs on a cutting board.
      Grandpa’s Coca-Cola Ribs
    • Pasta with Buttered Egg Sauce on a plate with a fork.
      Pasta with Egg Sauce
    • Soft scrambled eggs with ricotta on a plate.
      Ricotta Scrambled Eggs
    • Cheese Fries in a bowl on a wooden counter.
      Easy Cheese Fries

    Want every new recipe delivered right to your email inbox?

    Sign Me Up!

    Footer

    โ†‘ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up!

    Get in Touch

    • Contact

    Copyright ยฉ 2025 Framed Cooks

    All photographs ยฉ FramedCooks and may not be used for any purpose without written permission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    124 shares
    124 shares
    • 92