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A plate of buffalo chicken tenders served with celery and dipping sauce.
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Buffalo Chicken Tenders Recipe

Buffalo Chicken Tenders are crispy fried chicken strips soaked in buttermilk, double dredged for extra crunch, then tossed in buffalo sauce.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time14 minutes
Total Time44 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Author: Kristyn Merkley

Ingredients

  • vegetable oil, ¾ - 1 inch deep in frying pan
  • 2 pounds chicken breast, cut into strips
  • 1½ cups buttermilk
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons garlic salt, with parsley flakes
  • dash pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 eggs
  • Buffalo sauce

Instructions

  • Add chicken strips to a bowl of buttermilk. Let sit in buttermilk for about 20 minutes.
  • Heat oil on medium-high heat in a pan (about 350°F).
  • While oil is heating, mix flour, garlic salt, a dash of pepper, and baking powder in another bowl.
  • Add beaten eggs to a third bowl.
  • Take chicken strips out of the buttermilk bowl and then place into the flour mixture, shaking off any excess flour, then into the egg mix, and then back into the flour mix shaking off any excess flour and gently patting down the breading so that every piece sticks to the egg layer.
  • Fry chicken pieces in oil for 7-9 minutes on each side (or until golden brown). The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165°F.
  • Place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
  • In a medium skillet, heat up buffalo sauce until warmed through. Lightly toss the tenders in the sauce and place onto a wire rack to let sauce drain.
  • Serve warm with ranch.

Notes

Recipe Tips.
  • Let excess buttermilk drip off before dredging so the coating does not get gummy.
  • Keep the oil around 350°F so the tenders cook through without burning the coating.
  • Fry in batches so the oil temperature stays steady and the chicken stays crisp.
  • Toss lightly in warmed buffalo sauce, you want them coated, not soaked.
  • For extra crisp tenders, let them rest on a wire rack for a minute before saucing.
Store. Refrigerate leftover tenders in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store sauce separately if possible to keep them crisp.
Reheat in the oven at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes or air fry at 375°F for 5 to 7 minutes until hot and crispy, then toss with warmed sauce. 
Freeze. Freeze cooked, unsauced tenders on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat until crisp, then toss in warmed buffalo sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 431kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 185mg | Sodium: 1046mg | Potassium: 744mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 263IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 3mg