Crispy buttermilk chicken tenders are soaked in a seasoned buttermilk chicken marinade and then dredged in flour and breadcrumbs before they are pan-fried to crispy, golden perfection. Paired with your favorite dipping sauce, this buttermilk chicken tenders recipe is better than restaurant-style chicken fingers.
Post includes Weight Watchers points.
The secret to golden, crunchy buttermilk fried chicken tenders is the buttermilk. Marinating chicken fingers will make them juicy and melt-in-your-mouth tender, and adding the seasoning directly to the marinade imparts flavor throughout the chicken.
The combination of flour and panko breadcrumbs creates a golden crust that rivals your favorite take-out chicken strips. Whether you are feeding kids or grown-ups, everyone will love these incredible buttermilk chicken tenders.
Why Make This Recipe
- Cheaper Than Take-Out – Chicken strips at your favorite restaurant can be pricey, but you can make this buttermilk chicken tenders recipe at home. They taste great, and you’ll save money by cooking this recipe at home.
- Pantry Ingredients – The chicken is perfectly seasoned with ingredients you have in your pantry.
- Everyone’s Favorite – Golden brown homemade chicken tenders will be a favorite meal for everyone in your family.
Ingredient Notes
- Buttermilk – Buttermilk is used to marinate the crispy chicken tenders. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can mix 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup of milk and let it sit for a few minutes until it thickens slightly.
- Seasonings – a blend of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika powder and ground black pepper flavor the chicken.
- Chicken – Use chicken tenderloins or you can slice chicken breasts into tenders.
- Vegetable oil – You will need enough for frying the chicken tenders in about 2 inches of oil.
- Coating – All-purpose flour and panko breadcrumbs give these buttermilk fried chicken tenders a crispy, golden crust.
How To Make Buttermilk Chicken Tenders Recipe
Get full ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
- Whisk together buttermilk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken to the buttermilk chicken marinade and stir to coat all of the chicken.
- Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 6 hours.
- Heat 4 inches of vegetable oil in a deep frying pan or Dutch oven to 300 degrees F / 180 degrees C over medium heat.
- While the oil comes up to temperature, remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving 1 ½ cup of the marinade and adding half a cup of flour, then stirring until combined.
- Add the remaining half cup of flour to a shallow bowl and the breadcrumbs to a separate shallow bowl.
- Dredge the tenders one at a time in the dry flour, then the buttermilk mixture and finally dip it in the breadcrumbs. Gently press more breadcrumbs on to coat the chicken thoroughly.
- Fry the buttermilk chicken tenders (3 to 4 tenders at a time) in hot oil for 5-6 minutes (cooking time can vary depending on size of strips) or until they turn a light golden color and the internal temperature is 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C when checked with a meat thermometer. Repeat with the remaining tenders.
- Drain buttermilk fried chicken tenders on a cooling rack to keep them crispy.
- Serve hot with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce and garnish with freshly chopped parsley if desired.
Note: Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The temperature should be 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.
Buttermilk Chicken Marinade
Buttermilk is the secret to getting incredibly tender and juicy chicken. Slightly acidic, buttermilk tenderizes the meat perfectly in as little as one hour. Seasoning the marinade is a great way to impart flavor to the chicken.
This buttermilk fried chicken recipe also uses the marinade as part of the dredging process so the buttermilk chicken tenders are flavorful and have an unbelievable crunch.
Tips For Success
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by mixing 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice with 1 cup of milk and letting it sit for a few minutes until it thickens slightly.
- Do not over-marinate the chicken. The tenders should not sit in the buttermilk chicken marinade for more than 6 hours or the texture of the chicken can become mushy.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. The temperature of the oil will drop as you add the chicken. Adding too many chicken tenders can cause the oil to cool too much and the chicken will absorb more oil.
- Fry chicken in batches of 4-6 chicken tenders.
- Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The temperature should be 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.
- Reheat buttermilk fried chicken tenders in a 350 degree F / 180 degree C oven for 5 minutes or until crispy.
Variations
- Swap The Seasoning – Use your favorite seasoning blend to alter the flavor of the chicken. Italian, Greek, cajun, or ranch seasoning are all flavorful options.
- Add Heat – Make these buttermilk fried chicken tenders extra spicy by adding hot sauce or cayenne pepper to the marinade mixture.
- Serve with Sauce – Serve with your favorite dipping sauces like honey mustard sauce, ranch dressing, or BBQ sauce. Or toss the buttermilk chicken tenders with buffalo sauce, honey-chipotle sauce, or your favorite saucy coating.
Budget-Friendly Tips
- Purchase In Bulk – Look for bulk packages of chicken tenders or purchase them on sale and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Cut Tenders from Chicken Breasts – Chicken tenders are a specific, tender portion of a chicken breast but can be higher in price. Purchase less expensive chicken breasts and cut them into strips like chicken tenders.
- Make A Meal – Add a few sides to make a meal or pile the chicken tenders on pasta, salad or even pizza.
Prep Ahead And Storage
- Prep Ahead – Prepare the chicken marinade recipe and marinate the chicken for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 6 hours.
- Store – These chicken tenders can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze – Freeze delicious chicken tenders for up to 3 months. Flash freeze the chicken on a baking sheet before placing in a freezer bag. Defrost frozen tenders overnight in the freezer and reheat in the oven.
Meal Prep
- Enjoy dinner and then eat the leftovers for up to 3 days.
- Serve on salads or sandwiches for more meal options.
- Cold chicken tenders make a tasty lunch.
FAQs
Buttermilk chicken marinade is one of the secrets to getting incredibly tender chicken strips. The buttermilk acts as a gentle brine and tenderizes the chicken.
It also helps to lock in moisture so you get chicken tenders that are juicy and flavorful. The brine also helps the coating stick to the chicken so you get that crispy crunch that we all love.
If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a similar substitute using milk. Combine 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice with milk to make 1 cup. Allow the mixture to thicken slightly for a few minutes before use.
Oil temperature is very important. Oil that is too low will cause the coating to become soggy with excess oil. Hot oil can burn the coating before the chicken is cooked through. Maintaining proper cooking temperature is a key factor when making buttermilk chicken tenders.
Baked chicken tenders will not have the same crunch as fried ones, but they are flavorful. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and top with an ovenproof wire rack. Place the coated chicken onto the prepared baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and perfectly crispy.
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Serving Suggestions
Weight Watchers Points
There are 10 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.
Get The Buttermilk Chicken Tenders Recipe:
Buttermilk Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 2 cups (450g) buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ¼ pounds (680g) chicken tenderloins
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour divided
- 2 cups (178g) panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Whisk together buttermilk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken tenders to the buttermilk chicken marinade and stir to coat all of the chicken.
- Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 6 hours.
- Heat 4 inches of vegetable oil in a deep frying pan or Dutch oven to 300 degrees F / 180 degrees C over medium heat.
- While the oil comes up to temperature, remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving 1 ½ cup of the marinade and adding half cup of flour then stirring until combined.
- Add the remaining half cup of flour to a shallow bowl and the breadcrumbs to a separate shallow bowl.
- Dredge the chicken tenders one at a time in the dry flour then the buttermilk mixture and finally dip it in the breadcrumbs. Gently press more breadcrumbs on to coat the chicken completely.
- Fry the chicken tenders (3 to 4 tenders at a time) for 5-6 minutes or until they turn a light golden color and the internal temperature is 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C when checked with a meat thermometer.
- Drain buttermilk fried chicken tenders on a cooling rack to keep them crispy.
- Serve with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce and garnish with freshly chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can mix 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup of milk and let it sit for a few minutes until it thickens slightly.
- Do not over-marinate the chicken. The tenders should not sit in the buttermilk chicken marinade for more than 6 hours or the texture of the chicken can become mushy.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. The temperature of the oil will drop as you add the chicken. Adding too many chicken tenders can cause the oil to cool too much and the chicken will absorb more oil.
- Fry chicken in batches of 4-6 chicken tenders.
- Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The temperature should be 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.
- Reheat buttermilk fried chicken tenders in a 350 degree F / 180 degree C oven for 5 minutes or until crispy.
- Storage – keep leftovers in an airtight container inside the fridge for 3 days.
- There are 10 WW Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.
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