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My Mom's Fried Chicken Tenders_Hero

My Mom's Fried Chicken Tenders

My mom's fried chicken tenders are ultra crispy and flavorful and juicy. Just as long as you don't fuss over them too much.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 572kcal

Equipment

  • Skillet
  • Ziplock bag

Ingredients

Chicken Tenders:

  • 2 pounds chicken tenders or, boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
  • ½ cup canola oil for frying
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne powder more or less to taste
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • Flaky Sea Salt for serving

Horseradish-Honey Mustard

  • ¼ cup spicy brown mustard
  • 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Set up your Frying Station:

  • Make the spice mixture. In a bowl, combine the salt, pepper, cayenne powder, and paprika.
  • In a shallow dish, whisk the buttermilk and four eggs. Add half the spice mixture and continue whisking until smooth. In a gallon freezer bag, combine flour with the remaining spice mixture.

Heat up 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 Tenders:

  • Add all the chicken tenders to the buttermilk and egg mixture and use tongs to evenly coat all of them. Add about 5 of the tenders to the freezer bag with the flour and seal it. Shake the bag around to evenly coat the tenders with the flour.

Fry the Chicken Tenders:

  • Turn the heat up to medium-high for a few minutes. Add a tiny 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 6-7 minutes or until very golden brown on the bottom. Flip and continue frying another 6-7 minutes or until completely golden brown all over. Note: the first batch will take the longest since your oil isn't super hot yet. The rest will go quickly. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the tenders from burning.
  • 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. After each batch, sprinkle a bit of flaky sea salt on top of the finished tenders if desired. Keep warm.

Prepare the Horseradish-Honey Mustard:

  • In a saucepan, combine the horseradish, honey, and mustard and cook over low heat until well combined and thickened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to one or two small bowls.

To Serve:

  • Serve the chicken tenders with the horseradish-honey mustard. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 572kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 28g | Sodium: 1160mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin C: 2mg
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