Crispiest Chicken Tenders Recipe

If you've ever found yourself intimidated by making fried chicken, homemade crispy chicken tenders are a great place to start. Chicken tenders fry up quicker and cook much more evenly than drumsticks. I've tried many different methods over the years and came up with one that my family goes nuts over, using a secret ingredient that you probably have in your pantry.

Why I Like This Recipe

• Basic ingredients. Obviously, you'll need chicken, but the other ingredients are inexpensive and basic. A blend of your favorite spices, a few ingredients for dipping, and a coating to make the best chicken tenders. All things you probably already have on hand.
• Flavorful. I use pickle juice in my dipping mixture. It isn't overpowering at all and gives the tenders a wonderful flavor.
• Perfect for dipping. Chicken tenders are the perfect shape for dipping in your favorite sauce. I even included my favorite homemade dipping sauce recipe!
• Affordable. With a family of 7, being able to make restaurant-style chicken tenders at home is a huge money saver. I can feed our entire family for less than the price of two combo meals.

What People Are Saying

I’ve made fried chicken tenders a thousand times for my family…. And they’ve always been …."good"…..but this recipe really is a winner. The ratio of cornstarch and flour and seasonings is great, but the real kicker is the pickle juice in the marinade. It perfectly tenderized and flavored the chicken, resulting in next level tenderness and texture. This is a keeper! Thanks Brandy. ---Kayce

I just made this chicken tender recipe, and it is literally the best fried chicken I have ever made! Very tender and crispy fried. Great flavor, I can't say enough about how happy I am to have found it! Thank you so much for sharing, I will be using this one from now on! ---Amanda

These are good! I forgot to take a picture, but they turned out nicely- golden brown with a medium amount of breading. I also used only a quarter cup of pickle juice because others said they tasted too strongly like pickles. They did not taste like pickles, they were nicely seasoned. They were also crispy. I used less corn starch because I didn’t have that much, and replaced it with flour. I made the sauce recommended with it, which my husband and I both liked with some added hot sauce. ---H (Pinterest comment)

Tips and Tricks

1. Use Corn starch. The key ingredient in making the CRISPIEST fried chicken is corn starch. I've been making fried chicken using cornstarch for years, and every time I branch out and try a recipe that doesn't call for cornstarch, I am disappointed. The coating just isn't the same! A simple 50/50 ratio of corn starch and flour works great, and it is something that you probably already have in your pantry. Many view corn starch​ as only an ingredient for baking or making sauces, and it works great for those uses. I use it in my bakery style sugar cookies.
2. A trick for testing your oil for frying. If you don't have a thermometer (I use an electric thermometer, but a candy thermometer works too), you can test the oil by dipping a bamboo skewer into the oil. Make sure it touches the bottom of the pan. If you immediately see bubbles coming up against the skewer, the oil is ready.
3. Test fry one tender before doing an entire batch. Once the oil temperature reaches 350-375 degrees, do a test batch with one chicken tender. The tenders shouldn't brown immediately. If they do, the oil is too hot. Lower the oil and wait a few minutes before testing another chicken strip.

🥣Recipe Ingredients

• Chicken Breast Tenders: I've made this recipe using chicken tenders or sliced up chicken breasts, and they both come out delicious. I prefer tenders, but chicken breasts work great too.
• Pickle Juice: Sounds crazy, but trust me! Pickle juice tenderizes the meat and gives it great flavor.
• All-purpose flour and Corn Starch: These two ingredients make up the crunchy coating on the chicken tenders. They give it a light texture, but lots of crispiness, and the coating won't fall off during the frying process. Promise.
• Spices: I use a combination of garlic powder, paprika, seasoning salt (Johnny's is my go-to), and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
• Oil for Frying: Vegetable oil is a solid choice, but peanut oil or canola oil also works well for deep frying.
• Dipping Sauce: If you'd like to make my dipping sauce, you'll need mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, and more pickle juice!

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

👩‍🍳 How To Make The Crispiest Chicken Tenders

Step 1: Soak the chicken tenders in pickle juice, milk, and an egg for 30 minutes. When the chicken has about 5 minutes of soaking time left, mix the dry ingredients. Corn starch, flour, seasoned salt, paprika, garlic powder, and a bit of cayenne pepper.

Step 2: Place everything in a plastic bag and dip 6 tenders at a time. Seal the bag, give it a good shake, and transfer the chicken tenders to a rack. Repeat until all of the tenders have been dipped and shaken.

Step 4: Heat oil in a skillet or deep fryer to 350-375 degrees. Line a platter with paper towels. Fry tenders in small batches for 5-6 minutes. Tenders should be golden, and the internal temperature should be 165 degrees.

Step 5: Once the chicken is done, remove it and place it on a platter with paper towels to drain.

This recipe makes 16-18 crispy fried chicken tenders, so you can easily fry all of them in 3-4 batches.

Fried Chicken Tenders FAQs

More Chicken Recipes to Make

MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💛 Please leave a STAR rating and COMMENT below! Post it to Facebook or Pinterest to easily share with friends!