Make restaurant-style chicken tenders at home with a light, crunchy coating and juicy, flavorful chicken inside. The secret to the crispiest fried chicken tenders is an inexpensive pantry ingredient you probably already have: cornstarch. Fry them until golden brown and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
If you're looking for a crowd-pleasing meal to make for the entire family, whip up a batch of these crispy chicken tenders and serve them with my crispy buttermilk onion rings and homemade ranch dressing!
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.
What Makes These Chicken Tenders So Crispy?
The secret to extra-crispy chicken tenders is using equal amounts of all-purpose flour and cornstarch in the coating. Flour gives the breading structure and flavor, while cornstarch creates a lighter, crunchier exterior that stays crisp after frying. Frying the chicken in small batches also helps maintain the oil temperature so the coating becomes golden and crisp instead of greasy.
Why I Like This Recipe
- Simple pantry ingredients. Aside from the chicken, this recipe uses inexpensive ingredients you may already have on hand, including flour, cornstarch, milk, an egg, pickle juice, and a few basic spices.
- Juicy and flavorful. Pickle juice tenderizes the chicken and adds flavor without making the finished tenders taste strongly like pickles.
- Extra crispy coating. A 50/50 blend of flour and cornstarch creates a light, crunchy coating that stays attached during frying.
- Perfect for dipping. Chicken tenders are the perfect shape for dipping in your favorite sauce. I even included my favorite homemade dipping sauce recipe!
- More affordable than takeout. With a family of seven, making restaurant-style chicken tenders at home is a huge money saver. I can feed our entire family for less than the cost of two restaurant combo meals.
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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
- Use Corn starch. A 50/50 ratio of cornstarch and flour creates a lighter, crispier coating than flour alone. Cornstarch is the pantry ingredient that gives these chicken tenders their restaurant-style crunch.
- Check the oil temperature: For the most reliable results, use a thermometer and keep the oil around 350°F. Without a thermometer, dip the end of a wooden spoon or bamboo skewer into the oil. A steady stream of small bubbles means the oil is hot enough to test one tender.
- Fry one test tender: Heat the oil to about 350°F, then fry one chicken tender before cooking the entire batch. If the coating browns too quickly, lower the heat and allow the oil to cool slightly. If the chicken absorbs oil without becoming crisp, allow the oil to heat again before adding more.
🥣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: Pickle juice helps tenderize the chicken and adds a subtle, tangy flavor. The finished chicken should not taste strongly like pickles.
- All-Purpose Flour and Cornstarch: A 50/50 mixture creates a light, crunchy coating. The flour gives the breading structure, while the cornstarch makes it extra crisp.
- 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: Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable, canola, or peanut oil.
- 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 3: Let the coated chicken tenders rest on the rack for 5–10 minutes while the oil heats. This gives the coating time to hydrate slightly and helps it adhere to the chicken during frying.
Top Tip
Dip and shake everything at once so you don't have to stop and wash your hands multiple times. It also makes the frying process quicker if all of the tenders are ready to go!
Step 4: Heat the oil in a deep skillet or fryer to 350°F. Line a platter with paper towels. Fry the chicken tenders in small batches for approximately 5–6 minutes, turning as needed, until the coating is golden brown and the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F. Do not overcrowd the pan, as this will lower the oil temperature and make the coating greasy rather than crisp.
Allow the oil to return to 350°F between batches.
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
You might think that a chicken tender is simply a chicken breast cut into strips, but it's actually a different piece altogether. A chicken tenderloin is a small strip of meat located on the chicken breast. True to their name, the tenderloin is more tender than the chicken breast. It also has more flavor. That being said, boneless skinless chicken breasts are packed with vitamins and are lean. They are more affordable than tenders, too.
You can leave the pickle juice out if you prefer, and the tenders will still be crispy and delicious. Pickle juice tenderizes and adds flavor.
This specific recipe was developed for deep frying. You can reheat the cooked tenders in an air fryer at 375°F for 3–5 minutes, but for cooking raw chicken tenders in an air fryer, I recommend using a recipe specifically developed with breadcrumbs or a coating designed for air frying.
If cooking several batches, keep them warm in a 200°F oven while you finish frying. Avoid covering them, since trapped steam will soften the coating.
The breading may fall off if the chicken is too wet, the coating does not have time to rest, or the tenders are moved too much while frying. Shake off excess marinade, coat each tender thoroughly, and let the coated chicken rest for 5–10 minutes before frying.
Fried chicken tenders are best served immediately, but you can bread the chicken a short time in advance and refrigerate it on a rack until you are ready to fry. For food safety, keep the raw chicken refrigerated and fry it the same day.
Reheat chicken tenders in an air fryer at 375°F for 3–5 minutes or in a 400°F oven for approximately 8–10 minutes, until hot and crisp. Avoid reheating them in the microwave, which can make the coating soft.
Vegetable, canola, and peanut oil all work well because they have neutral flavors and high smoke points. Use enough oil for the tenders to fry without touching the bottom of the pan excessively.
If you enjoyed this recipe, don't miss my growing collection of Copycat Recipes! From famous restaurant dishes and luxury hotel cookies to bakery favorites and nostalgic grocery store treats, there's something for everyone.
More Chicken Recipes to Make
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Crispiest Chicken Tenders Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. chicken tenders 16 tenders (or chicken breast cut into strips)
- oil for frying
Chicken Soak
- ¾ cup dill pickle juice
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 egg
Chicken Dip
- ¾ cup corn starch
- ¾ cup flour
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 ¼ teaspoon seasoning salt
- cayenne pepper pinch
Optional Dipping Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp. BBQ sauce
- splash Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon pickle juice
Instructions
- If making the optional dipping sauce, mix ingredients and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Stir before serving.
Chicken Tenders
- Mix pickle juice, milk and egg in a large bowl. Add chicken tenders and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Mix dry ingredients in a plastic bag.
- Place tenders in plastic bag, 6 at a time. Seal bag and shake.
- Remove tenders and place on a rack. Repeat with remaining tenders.
- Heat oil to 350-375 degrees.
- Fry tenders, 5 at a time, for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown.
- Place cooked tenders on a paper towel lined platter.
Norine Gross says
Brandy I just found you so happy to find another crafty person as well as cook! Glad to glad to meet
Brandy says
Hi Norine! Glad to meet you too! 🙂
aj says
YUM! Pickle juice!!! Such a great, easy replacement for complicated brine. I'm a little embarrassed I never thought of this. The instructions are also easy to understand. Thank you for the recipe!
- From another military family in yet another new house
Brandy says
You're welcome! And best wishes on settling into your new home!
Brandy says
This has been my go to method for frying chicken tenders for years. So good every time.
Anita L Polakowski says
This recipe was so easy and so very delicious.
Brandy says
Love hearing this Anita!
Kayce Rane says
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.
Brandy says
Kayce, this made my day! So glad your family enjoyed these!
Joyce says
I don't ever have dill pickle juice. What happens if it's omitted or is there anything you would recommend as a substitute?
Brandy says
You can just leave it out.