Crispiest Chicken Tenders Recipe

Plate lined with paper towels and crispy chicken tenders.

4.04 from 184 votes

Crispiest Chicken Tenders Recipe

Make restaurant style chicken tenders at home! Can you guess what secret ingredient I use to make the CRISPIEST fried chicken tenders? You probably already have a container of it in your pantry!

Prep Time40

Cook Time6

Total Time46

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: chicken tenders

Calories: 159kcal

Author: Brandy Nelson

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.

Video

Notes

Tip: If you don't have a thermometer, 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. Drop the temperature from medium high to medium and 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 tender.

Nutrition