Crispy Chicken Tenders

Here’s a recipe for Crispy Chicken Tenders 🍗✨ — golden, crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside.

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🐔 Crispy Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs chicken tenders (or chicken breasts cut into strips)

• 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice as a substitute)

• 1 tsp hot sauce (optional, for flavor)

Breading:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup breadcrumbs (panko = extra crunch)

• ½ cup cornstarch

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp onion powder

• ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp black pepper

For Frying:

• Oil for frying (vegetable, canola, or peanut oil)

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Instructions

1. Marinate Chicken:

   • In a bowl, mix buttermilk and hot sauce.

   • Add chicken tenders, cover, and refrigerate 30 minutes (up to overnight).

2. Prepare Breading:

   • In a shallow dish, mix flour, breadcrumbs, cornstarch, and all seasonings.

3. Coat the Chicken:

   • Remove chicken from marinade (let excess drip off).

   • Dredge in breading mixture, pressing to coat well.

   • For extra crispy tenders: dip again in buttermilk, then coat in breading a second time.

4. Fry:

   • Heat oil to 350°F (175°C).

   • Fry chicken in batches 4–6 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through (165°F internal temp).

   • Place on paper towels or wire rack to drain.

5. Serve:

   • Best with honey mustard, ranch, or spicy dipping sauce.

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✨ Variations:

• Oven-Baked: Bake on a greased baking sheet at 425°F (220°C) for 18–20 minutes, flipping halfway.

• Air Fryer: Spray tenders with oil and cook at 400°F (200°C) for 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway.

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Would you like me to also give you a copycat restaurant-style version (like Raising Cane’s or KFC tenders)?