Crispy Fried Buttermilk Chicken Tenders are savory, juicy, and tender on the inside and crispy-crunchy on the outside. They are made with buttermilk, Argo® Corn Starch, some all-purpose flour, and seasoned with smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, black pepper, kosher salt onion powder, and garlic powder then deep fried in a vegetable-based oil. Try these delicious chicken tenders out for your family!

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Crispy Fried Buttermilk Chicken Tenders

Hi, everyone!

This is the stuff that Crispy Fried Buttermilk Chicken Tender dreams are made of!

They are so crisp on the outside right after being deep-fried and juicy-tender on the inside.

When I make this recipe, I have no trouble getting the family to come running to the table.

These Crispy Fried Buttermilk Chicken Tenders are definitely a crowd-pleaser.

In this recipe, I share all my secrets to make the crispiest, Crispy Fried Buttermilk Chicken Tenders!

Argo® Corn Starch

The Secret Ingredient

Argo® Corn Starch is used to thicken sauces, gravies and pie filling, but did you know you can use it to make the crispiest baked chicken tenders with an airy texture?

In this recipe, we add it to a mixture to dredge the chicken in before deep frying it on the stovetop in oil.

About Argo® Corn Starch

Common benefits of corn starch:

• naturally gluten-free
• great for thickening sauces and gravies
• the binding agent in baked goods (like the "glue" that holds desserts together)
• helpful in crisping meats and veggies quickly especially in Asian-cooking (for example, flash-fried)

Ingredients for Crispy Fried Buttermilk Chicken Tenders

• ¼ cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup Argo® Corn Starch
• oil for deep frying (2 inches or enough to submerge the chicken tenders)
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon green smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Helpful Kitchen Tools for Crispy Fried Buttermilk Chicken Tenders

• 12" cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, for deep frying on the stovetop
• tongs
• measuring spoons and cups
• spoon
• large mixing bowl
• rack to fit in the baking sheet for cooling the chicken tenders after deep frying
• rimmed baking sheet
• wire whisk
• 2-cup wet measure

Web Story

Just look at that light and airy texture of these chicken tenders!

If you try this Crispy Fried Buttermilk Chicken Tenders recipe and love it, please give the recipe a rating below in the recipe card and let us know in the comments at the end of the post!

Thank you for reading and following along!

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Crispy Fried Buttermilk Chicken Tenders

Yield: 1 pound chicken tenders

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 6 minutes

Additional Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes

Crispy Fried Buttermilk Chicken Tenders are savory, juicy, and tender on the inside and crispy-crunchy on the outside. They are made with buttermilk, Argo® Corn Starch, some all-purpose flour, and seasoned with smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, black pepper, kosher salt onion powder, and garlic powder then deep fried in a vegetable-based oil. Try these delicious chicken tenders out for your family!

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Ingredients

• ¼ cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup Argo® Corn Starch
• vegetable-based oil for deep frying, I use corn oil (2 inches or enough to submerge the chicken tenders)
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon green smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Instructions

1. Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Add corn oil to a 12" cast iron skillet or Dutch oven on the stovetop under hot temperature.
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, smoked paprika, black pepper, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and whisk to combine.
4. In a 2-cup wet measure, add buttermilk, dissolve ¼ cornstarch in the buttermilk, add egg, stir to combine.
5. Add the spice-flour mixture to the buttermilk-cornstarch mixture and stir to combine. Add a new mixture to a large mixing bowl.
6. Pat dry the chicken tenders with paper towels if needed. Add the chicken tenders to the batter and using a spoon, stir to combine until tenders are fully coated.
7. After the oil is brought to hot temperature, using tongs, add the chicken tenders coated in the batter to the hot oil. Cook 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.
8. When they are done, cool on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
9. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and sprinkle with fresh herbs to garnish, if you wish.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 145Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 588mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 3g

Please note that the Calculated Nutrition is an estimate at best.

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Sara Maniez

Owner at Life's Little Sweets

Sara is an architectural designer turned work-at-home Mom. She lives in New Jersey by way of New England and New York, with her husband and 3 kids under 8. She loves design, being creative, and spending time with family and friends. She loves checking out local businesses and eats and being apart of the local farm to table community.

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