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.
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!
Great Janet! Frying takes a lot of practice so good job with your electric skillet. That helps a ton. So glad you tackled it! –Rachel
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.
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
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.
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
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 ??‍♀️
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.
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.
Good girl Lynn. Frying takes practice but it sounds like you got it right! Way to go. –Rachel
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!
That’s right Jessica! Way to go! I’m always here to help you be successful. 🙂 So glad you all enjoyed it. –Rachel
Great recipe my family loved it. Not one single piece was left over
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.
These were sooooooooooooo good thank you for the recipe
Can i make this with olive oil instead?
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