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top down view of the completed buttermilk chicken tenders recipe

Buttermilk Chicken Tenders

Marinated chicken tenders are fried crispy and golden.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Marinating Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 475kcal
Author: Bintu Hardy | Budget Delicious

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 475kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 1093mg | Potassium: 811mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 490IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 211mg | Iron: 4mg