Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders are marinated in seasoned buttermilk, breaded in seasoned flour and panko breadcrumbs, and fried in peanut oil until golden brown and crispy. They are absolute perfection.
Servings: 6
Calories: 499kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 2 pounds chicken tenderloins
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning if you don't have Tony's, you can use ¼ tsp cayenne with a pinch more salt
For the Breading
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning again, if you don't have Tony's, you can use ¼ tsp cayenne with a pinch more salt
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
For Frying
- 4 cups peanut oil (use a larger quantity if using a deep fryer)
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
- In a large plastic bag or bowl, combine the chicken tenders with the buttermilk, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and Tony's.2 pounds chicken tenderloins, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
- Massage the marinade into the chicken until it is fully coated, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, overnight if possible.
Bread the Chicken
- Before breading the chicken, begin preheating the frying oil. The target temperature is 350°F. (Our fryer can take anywhere from 15 - 25 minutes to heat up depending on the amount of oil.) See below for notes about the quantity of oil.4 cups peanut oil
- In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, panko breadcrumbs, baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and Tony's.1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon black pepper, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
- Toss together with a fork until well combined, then drizzle in the buttermilk and stir until the mixture is clumpy.3 tablespoons buttermilk
- Remove the chicken tenders from the marinade a few at a time and place them into the breading mixture.
- Press the chicken firmly into the breading so that the clumps of panko and buttermilk stick to the chicken. (This is what makes the breading crispy/like takeout chicken.)
- Lay the breaded tenders on a baking sheet or dish, but do not stack them on top of each other. Repeat until all tenders are breaded.
Fry the Chicken
- Check that the oil is heated to 350°F. If I am frying chicken tenders on the stove, I use a thermometer. If I am using a deep fryer, it self regulates the temperature, which is really nice.
- Next, get a draining station set up for the chicken. I like to place a paper grocery bag down with a layer of paper towels on top and a cookie rack on top.
- I like to double-check that the oil is hot enough by dropping a rogue/leftover chunk of breading into the oil. If it starts bubbling up right away, it is ready to go. If the breading sinks and doesn't start cooking at first, it will absorb a lot of oil and won't taste very good.
- Using tongs, place a few chicken tenders in the oil but only in one layer. Do not place them on top of each other or they can stick together. (If using a deep fryer, give the basket a shake to make sure the tenders don't stick to the bottom.) Do not overcrowd the oil as this will drop the temperature and the chicken won't cook right.
- Cook the tenders until they are golden brown. If they are not fully submerged in oil, flip them over and cook until the second side is also golden.
- Drip the excess oil off the tenders, then place them on the cookie rack to drain. (If using a deep fryer, I hang the basket on the side for a minute or two before flipping them onto the pepper towels.)
- Repeat and fry the rest of the chicken tenders in batches. If you are using a deep fryer, it should go pretty quickly. If you are using the stove, keep an eye on the oil level and the temperature. It might need increasing and you might need to add more oil. (This is why a thermometer is really helpful.)
- Serve tenders while they are still hot with a delicious dipping sauce.
Notes
For frying oil, I like to use 1 ½ inches to 2 inches if I'm frying chicken tenders in a pot or cast-iron pan on the stove. If I'm using a deep fryer, I like to use 2 - 3 inches of oil. I strain and reuse my oil several times, storing it in a jar once it has cooled. (Though I keep a separate jar of oil for frying fish.)
- a bit less than ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- pinch Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning again, if you don't have Tony's, you can use pinch cayenne with a pinch more salt
- 1 tablespoon buttermilk This should bread about 4 tenders. Note: The nutritional information was calculated assuming that ½ cup of the oil is absorbed into the chicken tenders when frying. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: If I am going through the effort of breaking out the fryer and coating myself in Eau-de-fried chicken, I want to be sure it is going to be worth my while. I like to make a double batch of tenders and freeze some for easy reheating for a busier night! Just cook the chicken tenders as directed in the recipe, let them cool, completely then toss them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. I usually vacuum seal them for extended freshness. Credit for the breading technique in this recipe should be given to Once Upon a Chef - adding buttermilk to the dry ingredients totally makes the recipe!
Tips
- If you marinate the chicken tenders in a bag, place the bag in a bowl, just in case it leaks.
- Chicken tenders might be more cooked than they appear when still immersed in oil. Lift them out of the oil with a fryer basket or tongs to check them periodically to be sure that they don't overcook. Also, remember that they will continue cooking for a little once they are removed from the oil.
- I've made this recipe many times, and every once in a while, I run out of breading. I think sometimes the chicken just absorbs more breading. If you happen to run into this situation, use the breading recipe below to make a mini-batch of breading:
- a bit less than ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- pinch Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning again, if you don't have Tony's, you can use pinch cayenne with a pinch more salt
- 1 tablespoon buttermilk This should bread about 4 tenders. Note: The nutritional information was calculated assuming that ½ cup of the oil is absorbed into the chicken tenders when frying. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: If I am going through the effort of breaking out the fryer and coating myself in Eau-de-fried chicken, I want to be sure it is going to be worth my while. I like to make a double batch of tenders and freeze some for easy reheating for a busier night! Just cook the chicken tenders as directed in the recipe, let them cool, completely then toss them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. I usually vacuum seal them for extended freshness. Credit for the breading technique in this recipe should be given to Once Upon a Chef - adding buttermilk to the dry ingredients totally makes the recipe!
Nutrition
Serving: 2tenders | Calories: 499kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 942mg | Potassium: 790mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 393IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 3mg