Everyone has a favorite dish from their childhood. Mine is my mom’s fried chicken tenders. Growing up, my mom used to make fried chicken tenders every so often, and it’s one of the meals I looked forward to the most after school. (Except for her spaghetti and meatballs and her chili and her chicken corn soup…I guess there were a lot of meals I looked forward to!)
Tangy buttermilk, plenty of salt, and a little cayenne make these tenders crispy and flavorful.
The key is ensuring they are well-coated and that your heat is the right temperature. A drop of water will create a nice sizzle without too much popping. As my mom would say, grease in your eye is too hot.
My Mom’s Fried Chicken Tenders
Tangy buttermilk, plenty of salt, and a little cayenne make these tenders crispy and flavorful.
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Servings: 6
Calories: 572kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken tenders:
- 2 pounds chicken tenderloins (or boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips)
- ½ cup canola oil (for frying)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Horseradish-honey mustard:
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
Prepare the dredging station:
- In a bowl, combine 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon cayenne powder, and 1 teaspoon paprika.
- In a shallow dish, whisk the buttermilk with four eggs and half the spice mixture until smooth. In a gallon freezer bag, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour with the remaining spice mixture.
Heat the oil:
- Place a large skillet with the canola oil on the stove and heat on low as you dredge the tenders.
Dredge the chicken:
- Add all the chicken tenders to the buttermilk mixture and use tongs to evenly coat them. Add about 5 of the tenders to the storage bag with the flour and seal it. Shake the bag to evenly coat the tenders.
Fry the chicken tenders
- Turn the heat on the skillet to medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Add a drop of water to see if it sizzles. If it sizzles, begin frying the chicken. Add the chicken tenders, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for 6 to 7 minutes or until very golden brown on the bottom. Flip and continue frying for 6 to 7 minutes or until completely golden brown all over. See Note 1.
- As the chicken fries, continue dredging the remaining chicken tenders.
- Once the first batch is golden brown all over, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Continue frying the rest of the tenders in batches, adding a line of paper towels between each layer of tenders to soak up the excess grease. Keep warm.
Prepare the horseradish-honey mustard:
- In a saucepan, combine the Dijon mustard, horseradish, and honey. Turn the heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
To serve:
- Serve the chicken tenders with the horseradish-honey mustard. Enjoy!
Notes
Note 1: The first batch will take the longest since the oil doesn’t have a steady heat, and the first batch of chicken tenders will cause the heat to drop. The subsequent batches will go quickly. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the tenders from burning.
Nutrition
Calories: 572kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 28g | Sodium: 1160mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin C: 2mg
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