I love chicken tenders, chicken fingers, chicken nuggets, popcorn chicken… Anything that involves chicken usually has my attention. I also love buffalo sauce and this recipe is a great one to have handy because these delicious chicken tenders are great as a meal with Olive Oil Oven Fries on the side or as a nibble at a party. You could even serve these on top of a salad or macaroni and cheese. They’d be delicious alongside something like mashed potatoes or could even work as a dinner party starter. There are a lot of ways to enjoy a recipe like this one.
Using buttermilk to marinate the chicken before cooking is no big secret… Restaurants have been doing it for years and it absolutely works, giving the most succulent, moist and tender chicken despite frying which can dry out white meat. There’s also a lot of flavour in there, especially mixed up with a few other ingredients. To be honest, I can’t get enough of these chicken tenders.
Buffalo sauce is a bit fiery, so if you want you can just serve it as a dip alongside in a dish. However if you’re brave enough, I think a little drizzle is perfect because you get some of it seeping into the chicken, but you also have dry crispy bits too… It’s the best of both worlds and it looks great! You could of course make your own, but I love Frank’s Redhot Buffalo Wings Sauce and it’s super convenient so I always use that.
Ingredients
- 284ml buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- Pinch of sea salt flakes
- 350g chicken mini fillets (chicken tenders)
- 250g panko breadcrumbs
- Sunflower or vegetable oil for frying
- Frank’s Redhot Buffalo Wings Sauce for drizzling (or buffalo sauce of your choice)
Method
- In a shallow dish or bowl mix together the buttermilk, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, dried parsley and sea salt with a wire whisk. Gently place the chicken strips into the bowl and turn them about to make sure each piece is coated in the buttermilk mixture. Pop into the fridge to marinate for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Pour enough oil to generously coat the bottom of a frying pan so it’s ready to go. When you’re ready to start frying chicken tenders (I usually coat and fry as I go), turn the heat on medium to medium-high.
- Pour half of the breadcrumbs into a shallow dish and take the chicken out of the fridge when it’s done marinating. Use tongs or a fork to lift a chicken strip out of the marinade and into the bread crumbs. Coat the chicken completely and when the oil is ready, gently shake off any excess crumbs and transfer to the hot oil. Repeat this with every chicken strip until they are all coated and being fried. Depending on the size of your frying pan you may need to fry them in batches. If the oil starts to look like it’s drying up you might need to top up as you go.
- Fry the chicken tenders until they are crispy, golden and cooked through. They might not all be the same size, so you might need to remove some from the pan before others. As they become done, remove them from the frying pan to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Serve hot, drizzled with buffalo sauce.
- Try serving these alongside a dipping dish of ranch or blue cheese dressing.
- Pairs well with Olive Oil Oven Fries
