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Chicken tenders

Homemade Chicken Tenders Recipe

Martin
Chicken tenders, adapted from a recipe at Butter With a Side of Bread.
4 from 1 vote
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Course dinner, lunch, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine American

Equipment

Ingredients
  

For the chicken and marinade:

  • 12 chicken tenders or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each sliced into about 3 strips
  • 1 ½ C buttermilk
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 ½ tsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp Frank's Red Hot or other hot sauce
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper

For the breading:

  • ¾ C panko breadcrumbs
  • ¾ C regular breadcrumbs
  • ¾ C all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ Tbsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp granulated garlic
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 4 C shortening or high-smoke point oil

Instructions
 

  • Mix the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl by whisking together. 
  • Add the chicken to the marinade, mix to coat all the meat, and allow to marinate for 20–40 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make the breading by combining all the breading ingredients in a wide bowl or shallow dish. 
  • Also meanwhile, start preheating the oil in a large, heavy pot. Set up your ChefAlarm probe using the pot clip and set the high-temp alarm for
    365°F
    (185°C) and the low-temp alarm for
    345°C
    (174°C). 
  • Bread the strips one at a time by taking them from the marinade, dripping off the excess, and placing them in the bowl with the breading. Turn and cover them with the breading and set aside. 
  • Once the strips are breaded and the oil is hot, start cooking. Place 3–5 strips in the oil at a time and cook, watching the oil temperature and adjusting the heat accordingly, for about 3–5 minutes.
  • As they start to brown, check their internal temperature with your Thermapen ONE, looking for a lowest temperature no lower than
    158°F
    (70°C).
  • As the strips finish cooking, remove them to a paper towel-lined cooking sheet to drain. 
  • Cook the next batch, allowing the oil temperature to recoup before adding more strips. Repeat until all the tenders are cooked. 
  • Serve!
Keyword chicken tenders, fried food