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!

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders

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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 1x
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)

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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.

Find it online: https://www.framedcooks.com/buttermilk-fried-chicken-tenders/