Crispy Golden Chicken Tenders (Printer-Friendly)

Crispy breaded chicken strips with buttermilk marinade and panko coating, perfect for dipping.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.1 lb chicken breast fillets, cut into strips

→ Marinade

02 - ½ cup buttermilk
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
05 - ½ teaspoon garlic powder
06 - ½ teaspoon paprika

→ Breading

07 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
08 - 1 teaspoon salt
09 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
10 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 2 large eggs
12 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

→ For Frying

13 - Vegetable oil, for deep frying

→ To Serve

14 - Barbecue sauce
15 - Honey-mustard sauce

# How To Make It:

01 - Whisk together buttermilk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika in a bowl. Add chicken strips and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or refrigerate up to 2 hours for enhanced tenderness.
02 - Arrange three shallow bowls: first with flour mixed with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika; second with beaten eggs; third with panko breadcrumbs.
03 - Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Dredge each strip in flour mixture, dip in egg, then press into panko breadcrumbs to coat evenly.
04 - Pour 2 inches of vegetable oil into a deep skillet and heat to 350°F.
05 - Cook chicken tenders in batches for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on wire rack or paper towels.
06 - Plate immediately while hot, accompanied by barbecue and honey-mustard dipping sauces.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • That shatteringly crispy exterior gives way to impossibly juicy chicken inside every single time
  • The buttermilk marinade is what restaurant kitchens use to keep tenders from drying out
  • These disappear faster than you can fry them, so you might want to double the batch
02 -
  • Overcrowding the pan drops the oil temperature dramatically, leading to soggy, greasy chicken instead of crispy perfection
  • Letting the chicken rest on a wire rack keeps them crispy on all sides, while paper towels can make the bottoms steam and soften
03 -
  • Pat the chicken strips dry before marinating so the buttermilk can actually penetrate instead of sliding off surface moisture
  • Use one hand for wet ingredients and one for dry to keep your fingers from becoming a breaded mess
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