Crispy Fried Chicken Tenders
Truly crispy fried chicken tenders are a dinnertime staple you’re whole family will love. Get all my tips for making that crispy crust you crave, seasoning like a pro (and shortcuts if you don’t know how), and fry them up like “cast iron skillet” is your middle name.
Key Points for this Recipe
- Learning to fry is tricky at first. If you want to use an electric skillet to keep the heat even, you can do that. Otherwise cast iron will give you the most even heat.
- Expect that you may get the oil too hot and burn your chicken tenders or too cool and cause the breading to fall off. This happens as you’re learning. Adjust your heat up or down as needed.
- Make sure your flour is well seasoned. You can also just season the chicken directly. You’ll need more seasoning than you think you will for the flavor to carry over to the final product.
- Consider adding garlic powder, onion powder, or other seasonings to the flour. 1-2 teaspoons should do it, or to taste.
- Press the breading on your chicken tenders very firmly and let them sit 5 minutes before frying. This helps the breading really bond with the chicken.
- I like to use chicken breasts sliced in to strips as my “tenders” instead of actual tenders because of the tough tendon that runs through them.
- Refined coconut oil is excellent for frying if you don’t want to use vegetable oil.
How to store leftover chicken tenders
Store leftovers in the fridge in an air tight container for up to three days.
Seasoning options
Try these as cajun chicken or Nashville hot versions.
How to know if chicken tenders are done
Cook your tenders to an internal temperature of 165 f, and there should be no pink inside when you cut them open. You can use a meat thermometer to check the temperature if you are unsure.
Watch me make the full recipe on YouTube
Add a skillet of cornbread and you’ll be all set! You can learn how to make cornbread here if you don’t know how or get brave and learn how to fry bone-in buttermilk fried chicken.
Crispy Fried Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1-2 pounds chicken tenders or 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced into 1-inch thick strips
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Fill a 9-inch cast iron or standard skillet with about 2 inches of oil. Start heating it over medium-high heat while you bread the chicken. (Keep an eye on it!)
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and pepper.
- In another large bowl, beat the egg and water
- Dredge the chicken in the flour, coating well. Shake off excess flour and dip in the egg, the back in the flour.
- Set the chicken to the side to rest for about 5 minutes. (This helps the coating stick better)
- Check your oil temperature with a candy thermometer if necessary (you should be around 365-375 degrees) or drop in a little bit of flour–if it sizzles immediately, you can add one piece of chicken.
- If the chicken sizzles, add about 5 pieces at a time and cook until golden brown on that side–about 8 to 10 minutes or so.
- Turn, and repeat until all brown.
- Cook the rest of the chicken in batches.
- Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with a little more salt if needed.
It is a great recipe, the only thing different I would do is salt and pepper the chicken lightly before putting in to the flour mixture add some garlic and onion powder or season salt to the flour mixture to taste. Otherwise it’s a great recipe.
love it!! great basic. I did all the mentioned and 2 tbsp of corn starch for crunch.
After frying a large batch I freeze then refry for a hard crunch! yeah babe!!
Good basic recipe here with easy instruction. I left out a star (should have been 2 since the data is out now) because the recipe has vegetable oil aka seed oil called out for the fat. This should never be used for any human consumption period. Always call out beef tallow or duck fat for fried chicken. If you have something against eating animal whilst eating chicken lol, then use a fruit oil, Ghee or maybe Peanut on a rare occasion, but NEVER vegetable Oil! Haven’t we leaned this by now?
I’ve been off vegetable oil for several years! I’m with you on that! –Rachel
I have Olive oil, canola oil, andCoconut oil. Can I use any of these instead of Vegetable oil
I have struggled for so long trying to fry chicken at home. Thank you for sharing this recipe, it made it so simple and it is my go to recipe. Kids and husband love it. I use my deep fryer. I would like to try drumsticks, Will this recipe work for those as well?
Tasted so good
I tried the recipe and I had a lot of flour leftover. I added garlic and onion powder and they came out delicious. It does need more salt.
This is my go to recipe for my tenders. I follow this recipe completely just like recommended but I do add an extra tbsp of salt to the flour mixture and salt the tenders after they come out of the skillet. unhealthy I know but then again we’re already dirty cheating with the fried foods so why not lol
Frying can be okay if you avoid vegetable oils! I’m glad you enjoy them! –Rachel
I made this and my family couldnt get enough. (my family is me and my wife and three dogs) I added a teaspoon of chili powder and barbeque flavor seasoning and I would make this every night if I had it my way. Long story short, it got me out of the dog house and back in the house after over feeding our new fish and causing the poor guy to swim upside down.
Absolutely perfect recipe! Thank you very much for posting it. I’ve never fried chicken like that before and your tips help me to nail it. My family loved it!!
I also added a quarter teaspoon of onion powder to give it some more flavor and my family enjoyed it.