Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders are one of the most requested dishes by my personal chef clients. Chicken tenderloins are dipped in buttermilk and a light coating of seasoned flour and breadcrumbs. They fry up quickly and go great with ketchup, ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Are you a college basketball fan? We are getting geared up for March Madness in our house and can’t wait to watch all the games on tv. And when watching sports we most definitely need snacks. These Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders are always on our menu. Kids and adults love them!
buttermilk chicken tenders
Chicken tenders are one of my favorite to cook with as they are so tender just as the name implies. They are perfect portions too. And not to mention fun to eat.
the ingredients in buttermilk fried chicken tenders
- chicken tenderloins
- buttermilk
- seasoned bread crumbs
- all purpose flour
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper ~ grab this awesome pepper mill!
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- paprika
- canola or vegetable oil
My buttermilk fried chicken tenders recipe is super easy to prepare. Dip the tenderloins in buttermilk. The thick buttermilk clings to the chicken and adds a little zing. A quick dredge in a combination of seasoned flour and breadcrumbs is the only breading. Fry the tenderloins in hot oil (canola and vegetable oils are good options) until crispy and golden brown. Immediately sprinkle with kosher salt. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Try ranch or blue cheese dressing, mayonnaise mixed with sriracha, or the old stand by ketchup.
chef cooking tips for making buttermilk fried chicken tenders
- Chicken tenderloins are usually ready to use. Check to see if there is any fat or the tendon to trim.
- Place the tenderloins in a large bowl with the buttermilk while getting the other ingredients ready and heating the oil. An easy substitute for buttermilk is 1 tablespoon vinegar added to 1 cup whole milk. Let sit 5 minutes before using.
- Let the buttermilk drip off the tenderloins before dredging in the flour/breadcrumb mixture
- Use a candy thermometer to make sure the oil is heated to the right temperature. 350 degrees is what you are aiming for. Oil that is not hot enough will make for soggy breading. Initially heat the oil to 375 degrees F. The oil temperature will immediately go down when adding the breaded chicken tenders.
- Chicken tenders cook quickly. A digital thermometer ensures the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees F.
- Drain the tenders on a cooling rack placed in a rimmed baking sheet so any oil can drip off. No one likes a soggy bottom.
- Season the hot Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders with a generous sprinkling of kosher or other finishing salt.
Also, if you make this delicious buttermilk chicken tenders recipe, I’d love hearing from you. Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.
my cooking videos ~ mac and cheese bites
more snack recipe to try
- Little Big Macs
- Hawaiian Tortilla Pizza with Ham, Bacon and Pineapple
- Easy Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
- Mini BLT Crab Cake Sandwiches
- Sheet Pan Cheeseburger Sliders
- Mini Mac and Cheese Bites
- Stuffed Pizza – a Chicago original!
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Chicken tenders are dipped in buttermilk and a light coating of seasoned flour and breadcrumbs. They fry up quickly and go great with ranch or blue cheese dressing or ketchup.
Ingredients
- 24 chicken tenderloins
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- canola or vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Place chicken tenders in a large bowl and add the the buttermilk. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, add the breadcrumbs, flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. Whisk to combine.
- Place a stock pot over medium high heat and add 2 inches of oil. Heat to 375 degrees F.
- Remove the tenders one at a time from the buttermilk and dredge in the breadcrumb/flour mixture.
- Fry 4 to 6 tenders at a time (do not crowd the pan) for 3 to 4 minutes per side. The tenders should be golden brown and cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Remove the tenders to a cooling rack placed in a rimmed baking sheet. Season with a generous sprinkle of kosher salt.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- An easy substitute for buttermilk is to add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to whole milk. Let sit 5 minutes and stir before using.
- The optimal temperature to fry chicken is 350 degrees F. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F before adding the first coated chicken tenders. The oil temperature will go down as soon as the chicken tenders are added.
- Drain the fried chicken tenders on a cooling rack placed in a rimmed baking sheet.
- The chicken tenders can be made ahead of time. Cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat in a 400 degree F oven on a cooling rack placed in a rimmed baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: appetizer or entree
- Method: deep fry
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 tenders
- Calories: 316
- Sugar: 2.4 g
- Sodium: 642 mg
- Fat: 25.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.4 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 7.8 g
- Cholesterol: 16 mg
Keywords: fried chicken tenders, buttermilk fried chicken recipe
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