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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. 

a plate of fried chicken tenders on a paper towel

I’m not going to lie or sugar coat this. If you haven’t ever fried anything, you’ll more than likely mess this up.

Because there’s some sort of rule that says that if you don’t get your first cast iron skillet by the age of 5, you won’t be able to hack it as an adult. No–frying takes practice. Lots of it.

Sometimes you’ll burn things, sometimes you’ll cook it too low and all the breading will fall off. Sometimes it will be golden on the outside and raw in the middle.

You just can’t give up. If you need to, use an electric skillet where you can set the heat or a fryer for safety. Please don’t burn your house down.

Don’t walk away from it. Don’t do laundry. Don’t take a nap. (I know a friend who has!)

My crispy fried chicken tenders don’t have any buttermilk listed, but if you want to wet yours in some before you drop them in the first round of flour, you can do that. I just didn’t here because I get the best crust with egg and flour.

No matter what–once you get the hang of this, you can FRY ANYTHING.

You can make your family the most unhealthy ones on the block. I mean–think about it: donuts, pickles, Twinkies, funnel cakes. Oh man. Funnel cakes. I’m just looking out for your best interests here.

I am your enabler.

Tips for the best crispy fried chicken tenders

-Make sure your flour is well seasoned. If you aren’t confident  in that area, I’ve given you measurements for salt and pepper in the recipe.

-Use a good skillet that controls heat well. Of course I’m going to recommend cast iron.

-Press the breading on your chicken tenders really firmly, then let them sit for a couple of minutes before you fry them. This makes the breading soft of gooey and it crisps up even better.

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.

a plate of fried chicken tenders on a paper towel

Crispy Fried Chicken Tenders

Crispy fried chicken is a great addition to your dinnertime table and tenders are a quick and easy way to do it. 
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 5
Author Rachel Ballard

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 499kcal
Tried this recipe?Tag us on Instagram @feastandfarm and hashtag it #feastandfarm
Course Main Course
Cuisine American

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428 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    My family loved this. I don’t have a lot of experience with frying, so I was happy I have an electric skillet. I was able to set the oil at the right temp.; I know how important that is. The tenders turned out moist on the inside and crispy on the outside. Success! Yeah me! And Thank you!

  2. Hi Rachel, Going to try this with rice bran oil with a smoke point of 450F. The recipe looks delicious. I’ve never been able to get those ridges you have in your photo. My fried anything looks rather flat, but hopefully your technique will add them.

    1. Those ridges come from putting on a good coating of the egg and flour. Good luck Nabil! If it doesn’t go as planned the first time, try again. Frying takes practice. –Rachel

  3. A five star rating for one side i failed on the other but still really moist. I dont cook a lot anymore as my kids are grown and they usually cook for me. I would try again but in a skillet with the temperature controlled. I was warned about the first time failing. But its ok i will try again.

    1. Yes Diane, frying is a practiced skill. 🙂 I take it you didn’t fry much in your younger years. Down here in the south we are practically born with a skillet in our hands and learn early. It’s okay–don’t give up and try again when you get ready. –Rachel

  4. I’m making this tonight. I don’t have a cast iron skillet or a skillet I can adjust temp on…I do have one of the gold non stick skillets though, will that still work? Also, I’ve only ever made fried chicken once (bone in) and it wasn’t the greatest lol ??‍♀️

    1. Ehhh…maybe Brittney. Those skillets are super thin and they are pretty small usually so that means you’ll have that oil pretty hot for longer to get all the chicken done and the flour that falls to the bottom may burn. It’s a risk, but give it a try. When you can, get yourself one good skillet. They are really worth it. And don’t worry about the bad experiences in the past. Bone in chicken is like the holy grail of frying. It takes a lot of skill and practice even for seasoned cooks to pull off. This will be much easier. Write me back and let me know how it turns out! Just follow my instructions. You can do it.

  5. 5 stars
    This turned out great! My chicken was tender on the inside and crisp on the outside. I checked the temp of my oil before frying.

  6. 5 stars
    My first time making fried chicken in my cast iron and it was delicious. Who says you can’t do it when it’s a new thing? Thanks for all the helpful tips. My family loved it!

  7. I used vegetable shortening to fry these and they were AMAZING, I also added a little bit of garlic powder to the flour mixture to add some extra flavor, made these with some country gravy to dip and I was HOOKED!! highly recommend.

    1. Nope Sky, sorry. Olive oil isn’t a frying oil. You’ll set your house on fire long before it ever gets to the proper frying temperature. If you’d like to use an oil besides vegetable, get refined coconut oil. It will hold up to frying, is healthier for your body and won’t taste like coconut. –Rachel

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About the Author

Rachel Ballard, RN, BSN brings more than 20 years of professional nursing expertise to Feast and Farm. With a love for nutrient dense foods that support wellness, she works to distill complex health information and current trends into recipes that fuel the best version of yourself. Read more about Rachel here.