Description
Crispy buttermilk fried chicken tenders bring Southern comfort right to your kitchen, promising golden-brown perfection with each delectable bite. Seasoned, marinated, and fried to crunchy excellence, you’ll savor this irresistible dish that elevates home cooking to delicious new heights.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 2 pounds (907 grams) chicken tenderloins
Marinade Ingredients:
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) buttermilk
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 0.25 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 0.25 teaspoons garlic powder
- 0.25 teaspoons paprika
Breading and Seasoning Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 heaping teaspoon salt
- 0.75 teaspoons black pepper
- 0.75 teaspoons garlic powder
- 0.75 teaspoons paprika
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
Frying Ingredient:
- 0.75 cups (177 milliliters) vegetable oil
Instructions
- Infuse chicken tenderloins with a zesty buttermilk marinade by combining all ingredients in a sealed bag. Massage thoroughly to ensure even coating. Refrigerate for 4-24 hours to develop rich, deep flavors.
- Create a dynamic breading mixture by whisking dry ingredients together. Incorporate buttermilk to generate a textured, crumbly coating that promises extraordinary crispiness.
- Carefully remove marinated chicken from refrigerated mixture, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Meticulously coat each tenderloin in breading, pressing firmly to guarantee maximum adherence.
- Prepare a deep pot with vegetable oil, heating to precisely 350°F. Test oil temperature by dropping a bread cube, which should immediately sizzle upon contact.
- Gently lower breaded tenders into hot oil, cooking in small batches to maintain optimal temperature. Fry each side for 3-4 minutes until achieving a gorgeous golden-brown exterior.
- Transfer crispy tenders onto a paper towel-lined surface to absorb excess oil. Allow them to rest briefly, which helps retain internal moisture while maintaining exterior crunchiness.
- Repeat frying process, carefully monitoring oil temperature to ensure consistent, perfectly cooked chicken tenders with a tantalizingly crisp crust.
Notes
- Marinate longer for deeper flavor by soaking chicken in buttermilk overnight, which helps tenderize and infuse more seasoning into the meat.
- Create extra crispiness by adding cornstarch or cornmeal to the flour mixture, ensuring a crunchy exterior that stays crisp even after cooling.
- Control oil temperature precisely using a digital thermometer to prevent burning and guarantee evenly cooked, golden-brown chicken tenders.
- Adapt recipe for gluten-sensitive diets by substituting all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour blend or almond flour, maintaining similar texture and taste.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg