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As a certified fried chicken lover, believe me when I say these Fried Chicken Tenders are life-changing good!! They’re super juicy, extra crispy, with a delicious seasoned batter that goes with any sauce! These Fried Chicken Tenders are amazing plain or even better with some of my homemade Sauces like my Raising Cane’s Sauce, Easy Ranch Dressing, or BBQ Sauce – perfect for everyone!
Watch the Chicken Tenders Recipe Video Below!
Table of Contents
- Watch the Chicken Tenders Recipe Video Below!
- What Ingredients do I need for Chicken Tenders?
- Chicken Tender Assembly Line
- Chicken Tenders Recipe Instructions
- Frying Tips
- Homemade Sauces for Chicken Tenders
- Expert Tips for Making The BEST Chicken Tenders at Home!
- Storage, Reheating, and Make Ahead Tips
- Fried Chicken Tenders (EXTRA CRISPY!) Recipe
Do you love fried chicken? Me too! My Fried Chicken recipe is one of my most popular on the website – and for good reason! Japanese Fried Chicken Karaage is one of my weaknesses; so is Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken and Mochiko Chicken! But I think Korean Fried Chicken is my favorite – what’s yours? Let me know in the comments!
What Ingredients do I need for Chicken Tenders?
Homemade Fried Chicken Tenders are so much easier than you would think and much better for you too – you can control all of the ingredients going into your food!
Chicken
- chicken tenders – If you can’t find or don’t have Fried Chicken Tenders, you can slice breasts into long strips.
- Technically, chicken breasts and tenderloins (commonly called Chicken Tenders) are not the same thing. The tenderloin is a muscle underneath the breast – the butcher will usually cut it off and sell it separately.
- Tenderloins are more tender than breasts (hence the name!)
- If you use chicken breasts with skin, save the skin and make Chicken Skin Chips!
- Seasoning Mix – one of my key tips when cooking any dish is to build flavor in every step of cooking – so I highly recommend always seasoning your Chicken Tenders, even before dredging!
Seasoning Dredge
- all-purpose flour – Flour is the base of your dredge. I love to fry chicken and I’ve learned over the years that I like to do a mix of flour and starches for the perfect balance of crispy, crunchy, and golden brown. Flour helps especially with the browning.
- potato starch – Potato starch has a larger granule size than cornstarch, which makes the batter more rigid and brittle. When fried, the Chicken Tenders are crunchier and more robust, with better structure (versus light and crispy when using cornstarch alone).
- cornstarch – Cornstarch, when mixed with flour, helps prevent gluten development – when fried, this makes the Chicken Tenders crispier. The combination of potato starch and cornstarch is how you get Chicken Tenders that are crispy AND crunchy, with nice structure but not too hard.
- Seasoning Mix
- baking powder. The baking powder reacts with the oil when the Chicken Tenders are fried and creates tiny air bubbles, which also helps form a crispy coating.
Wet Batter
- all-purpose flour
- eggs – The egg will help the breading stick to the Chicken Tenders.
- cold water – cold water helps the dredge and batter stick to the Chicken Tenders! It’s not proven but I also think cold liquid helps the Chicken Tenders firm up and stay moist.
- Kosher salt
- black pepper
Oil
- neutral oil – this is for frying your Chicken Tenders! My go-to neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil. Avoid using olive oil, which is not recommended for frying due to a lower smoking point.
Want Chicken Tenders but don’t feel like frying? Try my Air Fryer Chicken Tenders instead! I’ve mastered how to make crispy chicken in the air fryer, like my Air Fryer Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Chicken Katsu, Air Fryer Chicken Karaage, and Air Fryer Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken!
ORDER OF OPERATION
Chicken Tender Assembly Line
Frying Chicken Tenders is super easy once you have an assembly line set up! Here’s how:
- Season the chicken and set aside in a bowl
- On your countertop or table, set up two bowls and a tray or baking sheet:
- Bowl #1 with the wet batter
- Bowl #2 with the seasoning dredge
- A tray or baking sheet with foil or parchment paper on top for easy clean up
- Take the seasoned chicken tenders and dredge in the wet batter
- Move the chicken from bowl #1 to bowl #2, into the dry seasoning and pack on the dredge with your hands
- Shake off any excess and then place down on the tray or baking sheet
- Take the tray or baking sheet to your stove and fry the Chicken Tenders!
Chicken Tenders Recipe Instructions
1. Remove Tendon (Optional) and Season the Chicken
In a small bowl, mix together salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and cayenne pepper.
If desired, remove the tendon from the chicken tenders. I like to do this with a fork and my hand to pull out the tender from the chicken (see photos below or watch the video on how to do this!).
Add the chicken tenders into the bowl and toss to evenly coat each tender.
Set aside to dry brine for 20 minutes while you continue onto step 2.
2. Set up the Dredging Station
Take two medium/large bowls. In bowl #1, mix together the wet batter. In bowl #2, mix together the seasoning dredge. Line a tray or baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Set up a dredging station with the seasoned chicken, wet batter, seasoning dredge, and lined tray or baking sheet.
Take a 2 tablespoons of water and drizzle it into the dry seasoning dredge. Rub the seasoning dredge together with your hands to form craggily bits throughout the mixture. This is super important to create texture within the dry batter which will create a better crust!
3. Dredge the Chicken
Bring the seasoned chicken tenders to the dredging station.
Dredge the seasoned chicken tenders into the first bowl with the wet batter, and let any excess drip off.
Immediately add the chicken tenders into the second bowl with the seasoning flour. Use your hands to pack the dredge into the chicken. See that texture below? That’s because we created those initial craggily bits into the dry mix beforehand! That is the secret to crispy, crunchy fried chicken tenders!
Shake off any excess loose breading and place on the lined baking tray or sheet. Let them rest while you heat up the oil – this will also help the batter stick to the chicken.
Key Tip
Frying Tips
I highly recommend using two tools for the best frying experience:
- an infrared thermometer to easily check the temperature of your oil during heating and frying
- a heavy bottomed pot like a dutch oven that retains heat well
For the first fry:
- The ideal oil temperature of the first fry after the chicken is in the oil should be 315-325°F.
- If you see the oil drop below 300°F on the first fry, remove the chicken tenders and turn the heat up until it reaches at least 300°F.
- I recommend frying the tenders in small batches – for 1.5 lbs of chicken tenders, I fried in two batches.
For the second fry:
- For the second fry, heat the oil to 375°F before frying.
- You can fry all the tenders at once if your pot is large enough.
- Do not overcrowd your pot and risk oil bubbling over!!
Make sure to check the internal temperature of the chicken – it should reach 165°F to be safe to consume.
4. Fry the Chicken Tenders
In a large heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven, heat neutral oil to 325°F.
Fry the chicken tenders in batches at 325°F for 4 minutes. For 1.5 lbs of chicken, I fried in two batches. Use a thermometer to ensure the oil temperature does not drop below 300°F.
Remove the chicken to a wire rack to drain. They should look lighter in color as shown in the photo below.
If cooking in batches: Wait for the oil to reach 325°F again. Repeat until all the chicken tenders have been fried once.
5. Fry a Second Time
Use a mesh skimmer to remove any loose batter from the oil. (Otherwise these will burn when we heat the oil to higher temperatures for the second fry!)
Heat the oil to 375°F and fry the chicken tenders a second time for 2 minutes. You’ll see that they will become much darker and the breading will be more pronounced and crispier.
Remove to the wire rack and let cool. Serve with dipping sauce and enjoy!
Balance all of the fried deliciousness with easy roasted vegetables, like Honey Roasted Carrots, Roasted Cauliflower, and Roasted Brussels Sprouts (Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts)!
Homemade Sauces for Chicken Tenders
I love making as many Sauces and Condiments at home as possible! It allows me to:
- control the quality of my ingredients
- avoid unnecessary additives or preservatives
- I can customize it to my taste (I usually prefer sauces on the less sweet and more spicy side)
Here are some of my favorite sauces you can use with Chicken Tenders:
PRO TIPS
Expert Tips for Making The BEST Chicken Tenders at Home!
Chicken Tenders vs Breasts
- Technically, chicken breasts and tenderloins (commonly called Chicken Tenders) are not the same thing. The tenderloin is a muscle underneath the breast – the butcher will usually cut it off and sell it separately.
- Tenderloins are more tender than breasts (hence the name!)
- If you can’t find or don’t have Chicken Tenders, you can slice breasts into long strips.
Dredging Tips
- For the best dredging, make sure to let any excess wet batter drip off before dredging the chicken in the seasoning flour.
- Pack in the dredge so the chicken is evenly coated (no bald spots!)
- Shake off any excess loose breading before placing on the lined tray.
Watch the Oil Temperature!
- I highly recommend using an infrared thermometer to easily check the temperature of your oil during heating and frying.
- Monitor the oil temperatures and if they drop below 300°F , remove the chicken tenders and turn the heat up for the oil to reach at least 300°F.
- I recommend frying the tenders in small batches – for 1.5 lbs of chicken tenders, I fried in two batches.
- Do not overcrowd your pot and risk oil bubbling over!! Use a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven, as they retain heat better.
Storage, Reheating, and Make Ahead Tips
You can store any leftover Chicken Tenders in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Keep in mind that the Chicken Tenders will not stay crispy once refrigerated.
You can reheat Chicken Tenders in the air fryer at 350F for 6-8 minutes until crispy, or on a wire rack in the oven at 375°F for 10 minutes until crispy and warmed through.
You can also reheat them quickly in the microwave, if you don’t care about the texture.
If you tried this Chicken Tenders Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Fried Chicken Tenders (EXTRA CRISPY!)
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1.5 lb chicken tenders
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Seasoning Dredge
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup potato starch
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- ½ tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp onion powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
Wet Batter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Oil
- 2 quarts Neutral Oil, for Frying
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and cayenne pepper. Evenly add the mixed spices to the chicken tenders and toss to fully coat the chicken. Let sit and dry brine for 20 minutes while you move to step 2 and 3.
- In two separate bowls, mix together the wet batter and the seasoning dredge and set up a dredging station with the seasoned chicken, wet batter, and seasoning dredge.
- Take a ¼ cup of water and drizzle it into the dry seasoning dredge. Rub the seasoning dredge together with your hands to form craggily bits throughout the mixture.
- Dredge the seasoned chicken tenders in the wet batter, and let any excess drip off. Then add them into the seasoning flour and use your hands to pack the dredge into the chicken. Shake off any excess loose breading and add them to a foil lined baking tray.
- In a large heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven, heat neutral oil to 325°F. Fry the chicken tenders in batches at 325°F for 4 minutes (I did 2 batches for 1.5 lbs of chicken), using a thermometer to ensure the oil temperature does not drop below 300°F. Remove the chicken to a wire rack to drain. Repeat until all the chicken tenders are fried.
- Use a mesh skimmer to remove any loose dredge from the oil. Heat the oil to 375°F and fry the chicken tenders a second time for 2 minutes. Remove to the wire rack and let cool. Serve with dipping sauce and enjoy!
Notes
-
- Technically, chicken breasts and tenderloins (commonly called Chicken Tenders) are not the same thing. The tenderloin is a muscle underneath the breast – the butcher will usually cut it off and sell it separately.
-
- Tenderloins are more tender than breasts (hence the name!)
-
- If you can’t find or don’t have Chicken Tenders, you can slice breasts into long strips.
-
- For the best dredging, make sure to let any excess wet batter drip off before dredging the chicken in the seasoning flour.
-
- Pack in the dredge so the chicken is evenly coated (no bald spots!)
-
- Shake off any excess loose breading before placing on the lined tray
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I almost never leave recipe reviews but this recipe is perfection. It produced the platonic ideal of a chicken finger. Never before have I had a crispier or perfectly seasoned chicken finger, with no need for an overnight buttermilk soak. Kids said they were better than grandma’s. Thank you, CJ!
May be worth noting I used rice flour in place of the potato starch. I assume it didn’t change the outcome too much though.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Jacqueline!
These are by far the BEST chicken tenders I have ever made. Every recipe claims to be “the best” but this one truly lives up to that claim!!! My teenager swore Island’s made the best chicken tenders – until today. Today she proclaimed “omg mom – these are better than Islands!!” Truly, there is no higher compliment than that! Thank you for this insanely delicious recipe!!
WOW Trish thank you so much for your kind words! I’m beyond thrilled your daughter loved them too! – Chris
Absolutely the best chicken tenders I have ever made. The tenders are bursting with flavor and it has the perfect crunch.
Terry – thank you so much for the kind words! I was really proud of this recipe so I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Prob one of the best recipe so far!
Thank you Astrid! 🙂