For the Crispy Chicken Tenders:

For the Dry Breading Mixture:

For the Wet Batter (Slurry):

How to Make Crispy Chicken Tenders:

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  First, prepare your chicken. Cut each chicken breast into 4-6 evenly sized strips for optimal cooking. In two separate shallow bowls, prepare your dry breading mixture and your wet batter. Whisk together all dry breading ingredients in one bowl until well combined. In the second bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, salt, water, and eggs for the wet batter until smooth.
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  For the ultimate crispiness, follow the three-step breading process. First, thoroughly dredge each piece of chicken in the dry breading mixture, ensuring it’s fully coated. Next, dip the breaded chicken into the wet batter, allowing any excess to drip off. Finally, return the chicken to the dry breading for a second coating. Gently shake off any excess flour to prevent clumps, and repeat this process with all remaining chicken pieces.
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  In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the soybean oil (or your preferred frying oil) to 350°F (175°C). It’s crucial to maintain this temperature for consistently crispy chicken. Carefully fry the chicken tenders in small batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, which can lower the oil temperature and result in soggy chicken. Fry each batch for approximately 6 minutes, or until the chicken is beautifully golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature should reach 165°F/74°C). Once cooked, transfer the crispy tenders to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain any excess oil. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!

• Quick-Meat Tenderizer: For exceptionally tender chicken breasts, you can pre-marinate the chicken strips. Let them sit in a solution of 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar for just 10 minutes. Afterwards, rinse the chicken thoroughly under cold water and pat completely dry with paper towels before proceeding with the breading steps. This dramatically reduces marinating time compared to traditional buttermilk soaks.
• Flavor Boost: For an extra layer of flavor and heat, consider adding a tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce directly to the cornstarch slurry. This infuses a subtle kick into every bite.
• Wing Sauce Lover? After frying, feel free to toss your freshly made crispy chicken tenders in your favorite wing sauce! They make fantastic homemade boneless wings.
• To Make-Ahead & Keep Crispy: If you’re preparing multiple batches or serving later, keep the fried tenders warm in an oven preheated to 250°F (120°C). This low heat helps them maintain their crispiness without drying out. If coating with wing sauce, toss just before serving.
• Achieving Perfect Breading: If your breading appears too flat after the first coating, don’t hesitate to give it an additional dip in the wet slurry and then back into the dry flour mixture. This ensures a thicker, more textured crust.

Nutrition per serving

Absolutely, buttermilk is a well-known and effective meat tenderizer thanks to its natural acidity and creamy culture. The lactic acid in buttermilk helps to break down tough protein fibers, resulting in a more tender and juicy piece of chicken. While many recipes swear by it, for this particular crispy chicken recipe, I opted for a quicker and equally effective method: a baking soda and vinegar solution. Soaking chicken in baking soda and vinegar can tenderize the meat in as little as 10 minutes, significantly faster than the typical 20+ minutes required for a buttermilk soak. This is ideal when you’re short on time but still want incredibly tender chicken. However, if you prefer the classic buttermilk flavor, you can certainly use it for the initial soak. Just keep in mind that the cornstarch slurry is still highly recommended in this recipe, as it plays a crucial role in achieving that unparalleled crispiness that buttermilk alone cannot provide.

KFC is globally celebrated for its uniquely delicious fried chicken, and its iconic “11 herbs and spices” are famously guarded secrets. While the exact blend remains confidential, understanding the general profile of spices used in popular fried chicken recipes can help you create a similar flavor at home. KFC’s official ingredient and nutrition guide (which you can often find linked on their website, such as here) provides a detailed list of ingredients in their products. This document outlines common components like flour, salt, various spices, MSG, leavening agents, and sometimes garlic powder and sugar. Although the precise proportions are unknown to the public, our recipe aims to capture that familiar, comforting flavor profile using readily available spices without MSG, proving that you can achieve exceptional taste right in your own kitchen.

Recreating KFC’s distinctive chicken at home is a popular culinary challenge! According to their operational procedures, all KFC restaurants pride themselves on hand-breading their chicken. The chicken arrives at each location, often pre-marinated or injected with a water and salt solution for tenderness and flavor. Employees then use a pre-packaged “secret flour blend” to coat the chicken. The process typically involves a “wet, dredge, and pat” technique: the chicken is moistened, dredged thoroughly in the proprietary flour mixture, and then patted to ensure maximum adherence before being pressure-cooked in oil. While our homemade recipe doesn’t use pressure cooking, it mimics the key breading steps and focuses on fresh ingredients and a unique spice blend (including our secret brown sugar addition) to deliver a remarkably similar, if not superior, flavor and texture that is truly from scratch and free from hydrogenated oils or commercial additives.

Effective seasoning is paramount to truly delicious fried chicken. Drawing inspiration from fast-food giants like KFC, who list ingredients like rice starch, onion powder, dehydrated chicken broth, and leavening in their chicken breast strips, we can identify common flavor enhancers. Their breading often includes flour, salt, spices, MSG, garlic powder, and sometimes turmeric and annatto for color and flavor. For homemade crispy chicken tenders, a robust and balanced spice blend is essential. Key spices you should always consider include onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and paprika for a foundational savory flavor. For an added kick and depth, cayenne pepper is highly recommended. You can also experiment with chicken bouillon powder for an extra layer of umami. A small pinch of turmeric can also contribute a lovely golden hue and subtle earthy notes. The goal is to create a well-rounded flavor profile that penetrates the breading and complements the chicken, ensuring every bite is rich and satisfying.

Crispy chicken tenders are a canvas for delicious dipping sauces! The right sauce can elevate your meal from great to extraordinary. Here are some classic and popular choices that pair wonderfully with homemade fried chicken:

• Classic Ketchup: A timeless favorite, offering a tangy and sweet contrast.
• Honey Mustard: The perfect balance of sweet, savory, and a little bit of tang.
• Golden BBQ Sauce: A vibrant and zesty option that adds a bright flavor.
• Creamy Ranch: A cool, herbaceous, and savory dip that’s universally loved.
• Tangy Blue Cheese: For those who appreciate a sharp, pungent, and creamy counterpoint.
• Spicy Buffalo Sauce: Adds a fiery kick and rich, buttery flavor.
• Homemade Chick-Fil-A Sauce: A cult favorite, offering a unique blend of BBQ, honey mustard, and ranch.
• Garlic Aioli: A rich and savory garlic mayonnaise for a gourmet touch.
• Sweet Chili Sauce: For a delightful sweet and spicy Asian-inspired flavor.

It’s important to remember that crispy chicken tenders and boneless chicken wings are essentially the same delicious concept, just served with different intentions! These homemade tenders are perfect for tossing in your favorite wing sauces, transforming them into finger-licking’ good boneless wings. Here’s an extensive list of incredible wing sauces to coat your chicken tenders:

• Classic Buffalo Sauce: The quintessential wing flavor, hot and tangy.
• Golden BBQ Sauce: A sweet and savory BBQ sauce with a mustardy tang.
• Sweet Honey BBQ: A milder, sweeter take on traditional BBQ, great for all ages.
• Our signature Chick-Fil-A Sauce: Unique, creamy, and irresistibly flavorful.
• Traditional BBQ Sauce: A smoky, sweet, and tangy crowd-pleaser.
• Savory Teriyaki Sauce: Japanese-inspired, sweet, and umami-rich.
• Zesty Honey Mustard: A versatile classic that balances sweet and savory.
• Spicy Jamaican Jerk: For a bold, aromatic, and spicy Caribbean kick.
• Sweet Onion BBQ: A sweeter, more mellow BBQ option with onion notes.
• Hot Garlic Sauce: A pungent and spicy combination for garlic lovers.
• Smoky Chipotle BBQ: Infused with the smoky heat of chipotle peppers.
• Sweet Chili Sauce: A delightful balance of sweet and mild heat.
• Srirachayaki (Sriracha Teriyaki): A fusion of spicy Sriracha and sweet Teriyaki.
• Fruity Mango Habanero: A tropical, sweet, and fiery combination.
• Parmesan Garlic: Rich, cheesy, and garlicky for an Italian-American twist.

Don’t be afraid to mix and match or create your own signature blend!

Cornstarch is a game-changer when it comes to achieving truly crispy breaded or battered chicken, and it’s a staple in many Asian deep-fried recipes for a reason! Its primary role is to reduce the gluten development in flour, which can make breading tough. When combined with flour, cornstarch creates a lighter, airier, and more delicate coating that fries up incredibly crisp. Furthermore, cornstarch absorbs moisture very effectively, helping to draw out surface moisture from the chicken and prevent a soggy crust. When fried, this dry, starchy coating becomes exceptionally crunchy, forming a perfect golden shell around your juicy chicken. It’s the secret weapon for that satisfying crunch you crave in restaurant-style fried chicken.

While this particular recipe is specifically formulated for frying in oil to achieve its signature extra-crispy, restaurant-style texture due to the cornstarch and wet batter combination, you can certainly make delicious oven-baked chicken tenders. However, for baking, the breading method needs to be adjusted significantly to ensure crispiness without deep-frying. Recipes for oven-baked chicken often rely on different coating ingredients like cornflake crumbs, Panko bread crumbs (known for their extra-crispy texture), or even regular bread crumbs, often mixed with a bit of oil or butter for browning. These alternative breadings help achieve a crispy exterior when baked. If you’re looking for a fantastic oven-baked version, I highly recommend checking out this recipe for Crispy Oven Chicken Tenderloins by Spend with Pennies, which utilizes a blend of cornflake and Panko crumbs for superior crunch.

Historically, KFC has used a variety of oils for frying their chicken, and their choice has evolved over time. For many years, and still in some regions, KFC has been known to use partially hydrogenated soybean oil for frying their chicken strips and other menu items. Partially hydrogenated oils contribute to the crispiness and flavor profile, but due to health concerns regarding trans fats, many food establishments are moving away from them. It’s always a good idea to check the most current ingredient information provided by KFC or consult their official nutrition and allergen guides for the most up-to-date details on the oils they use in your specific location.