These crispy chicken tenders are for my mama’s out there who are tired of trying to pick a chicken tender in the grocery isle. Are you sick of trying to find one that your kids will actually like? While finding one that isn’t filled with junk too? I am not going to tell you these are “healthy”. Let’s face it, they are fried. Yet, at least now you know all the ingredients you are putting into them. Plus, you can do them in the air fryer.
Not only will your kids love these; But these crispy chicken tenders are adult friendly too. They are the crispiest I have ever had. I love these chicken tenders on a salad or in a wrap too. So, you definitely want to make a big batch, double the recipe and freeze them so you always have them on hand. These crispy chicken tenders will save you so much time on busy weeknights and save you from going crazy with a picky eater!
What makes these so crispy?
You are probably thinking, well, how does she get them so crispy? Let me tell you why. I do a trick of double breading them and then letting them sit for 10 minutes before frying. The combination of these two things,(and a secret ingredient your will learn in a minute) will give you a very crispy, crunchy outside crust that stays on when frying.
You will go from the buttermilk into the flour and then egg and flour again. This makes for a nice coating that will really crisp up. Then you will let them sit on the tray breaded and ready to go for about 10-15 minutes. This will help the breading really adhere and dry a little on the chicken. This helps keep the breading on the chicken. It also helps get that outside super crisp and keeps the chicken nice and tender and juicy.
Why do you start with buttermilk?
I start both my fried chicken and chicken tenders in a buttermilk bath. You also want to add a little hot sauce to the buttermilk. It will not make the chicken spicy, I do this all the time and it is not spicy for my kids.
If you soak your chicken in buttermilk with a little hot sauce it helps tenderize the chicken, adds a ton of flavor and keeps the chicken super juicy. I also like the crust that the buttermilk gives with the flour and the egg. It is really flaky and crispy. You will never make fried chicken again without soaking it in buttermilk and hot sauce. That is how tender, juicy and flavorful it really is.
What you need to make this recipe
The ingredients for this recipe are so simple that you probably have most of them already at home. I used chicken tender pieces here, but some people do not like having to clean them. You should, but do not need to remove the white tendon from the chicken tender. Ultimately you can eat it, but it often times gets chewy and rubbery when cooked. You can avoid this step by using chicken breasts.
–Chicken Breasts or Tenders- I use chicken tenders, but if you do not want to have to clean them, just get breasts and cut them into strips
– Buttermilk-Â It will tenderize the chicken and keep it nice and juicy. You can make it with whole milk and lemon juice if you do not have it on hand
– Hot Sauce-Â Use your favorite one. It will not add heat. It adds flavor and also helps tenderize the chicken. You can leave it out if you want to
–AP Flour-Â Regular all-purpose flour is perfect here
–Spices-Â You can change these up to your liking, but I use paprika, garlic and salt and pepper
–Baking Powder-Â This is a little secret ingredient here that will lighten the texture and this really helps with the crispiness
Do I have to fry them?
You totally do not need to fry these. You can 100% make these in the air fryer. If you are using an air fryer instead of deep frying them, you want to make sure you place them directly onto the air fryer. Sometimes you may use foil on the bottom, do not do that here. Make sure they are not touching each other. You will cook them at 400 degrees for 6 minutes per side. Check that the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. If you need to leave them in a bit longer for that to happen, just keep an eye on them.
Can I bake them instead?
I would not make this exact recipe if I were baking them. I would swap out the flour for breadcrumbs and then you can bake them. Make sure you like your baking sheet with cooking spray and bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. They will not come out quite as crispy, but still amazing and a great healthier option.
My favorite dip for these is…
Me and my daughter Lil will pretty much only eat these with Ranch, my homemade ranch to be exact. Yet, my Gani loves them with ketchup! You can do BBQ, honey mustard or event BBQ ranch.
Chef Steph’s Tips
When you make these crispy chicken tenders, make sure you make enough that you can freeze. You can so easily pop them out of the freezer right into the oven for a quick and easy weeknight meal. Make sure that you double dredge them in the buttermilk, flour, egg and flour. Make sure you heavily season the flour. That is the only chance you get to season your chicken. Add any combo of seasoning to change up the flavor for what you like. Last of all, make sure you let them sit for 10-15 minutes before you fry them. That is the key. ENJOY!
Other recipes you will love
If you love these crispy chicken tenders, you will also love these recipes. Make sure you comment below or email me with any questions you may have
Southern Style Chicken and Waffles
Crispy Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1-2 lbs chicken tenders cleaned or chicken breasts , boneless, skinless, cut into strips
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce Iuse Chalula
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2 cups AP flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon course ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- peanut or vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Clean the tendon out of the chicken tenders or cut the chicken breasts into four tenders each and soak them in a bowl with the buttermilk and hot sauce for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours
- When you are ready to make the chicken, add the eggs to one bowl and the flour and spices to a second shallow bowl or dish.
- Dip each piece of chicken from the buttermilk bowl to the flour mixture. Dip it into the eggs then back into the flour mixture. This is important that you double dredge the chicken
- Shake excess flour gently off and put the chicken onto a baking sheet lines with parchment paper. Repeat with all the pieces. Make sure that you allow the chicken to sit on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes to slightly dry.
- Heat the oil (3-4 inches deep) in a Dutch oven or counter top fryer on medium-high heat to 350-375 degrees.
- Fry the chicken in small batches for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a sheet pan lined with paper towel and a wire rack. This will help any excess oil drip off and keep the chicken nice and crispy. ENJOY with your favorite dipping sauce
Notes
