Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders (Printable)

Tender chicken marinated in tangy buttermilk and fried crispy with a seasoned flour coating.

# Ingredient List:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.5 pounds chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips

→ Marinade

02 - 1 cup buttermilk
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
05 - 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 0.5 teaspoon onion powder
07 - 0.5 teaspoon paprika
08 - 0.25 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

→ Coating

09 - 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
10 - 1 teaspoon salt
11 - 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 1 teaspoon paprika
13 - 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
14 - 0.5 teaspoon onion powder
15 - 0.5 teaspoon baking powder

→ For Frying

16 - Vegetable oil, for deep frying

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Add chicken tenders and turn to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
02 - In a shallow dish, mix all-purpose flour, salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and baking powder until evenly blended.
03 - Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Dredge each piece in the seasoned flour mixture, pressing to adhere. Place coated tenders on a plate.
04 - Pour vegetable oil to 2 inches depth in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Heat oil to 350°F (175°C).
05 - Fry chicken in batches without overcrowding, cooking each side for 3 to 4 minutes until golden and cooked through with an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
06 - Drain fried tenders on a wire rack or paper towels. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The buttermilk marinade keeps the chicken incredibly juicy inside while the double-seasoned coating delivers serious flavor in every bite.
  • It's faster than most fried chicken recipes because you're working with tenders, not whole pieces, so dinner comes together in under three hours of mostly hands-off time.
  • You can prep the marinade the night before and just fry when you're hungry, which means this is deceptively easy for how impressive it tastes.
02 -
  • The oil temperature is absolutely non-negotiable; too cold and your coating absorbs oil and tastes greasy, too hot and the outside burns before the inside finishes cooking through.
  • Double-dipping changes everything—after that first flour coating, dipping back into the buttermilk and coating again in flour creates a shatteringly crisp crust that's almost impossible to achieve any other way.
  • The baking powder in the flour is what separates these tenders from dense fried breading; those tiny bubbles created during frying are what give you that light, crispy texture.
03 -
  • If your oil temperature drops noticeably between batches, give it a minute to recover before adding more chicken, otherwise you'll end up with soggy breading.
  • The double-dip method (buttermilk, flour, buttermilk, flour again) creates a visibly thicker, crunchier crust that's worth the extra two minutes of effort.
Go Back