Appetizers and Party Food Recipes

Chicken Tenders

4 servings (4 tenders per serving)

These Chicken Tenders can truly be called a fried success! It is incredibly easy to make this comfort and fried food, and it will be really hard to find somebody who does not like it. The only disadvantage to this meal is that you will never have enough! In this detailed recipe, I will show you exactly how to take simple chicken breasts and transform them into golden, crispy perfection using a heavily spiced milk marinade, a well-seasoned breading made of all-purpose flour, and the absolute magic of deep frying. By carefully managing your hot frying oil and double-coating the tender strips perfectly through a custom egg wash mix, you will easily achieve a restaurant-quality crunch right in your own kitchen. We will also ensure perfectly cooked, juicy poultry by checking that the meat reaches the minimum recommended safe serving temperature using a trusty food thermometer. Serve these crispy delights up with a homemade Mediterranean aioli or your favorite sides for an unforgettable feast! Read More

☆☆☆☆☆0x(write a review)👁340x

Tom the ChefPublished: 7.21.2026

Appetizers and Party Food Recipes

40 min.

70 min. +

2/5

430 calories Per Serving (of 4) Read More

Before You Start

Let’s talk about important parts of the recipe before you start…

Jump to Recipe

Welcome to My Easy Recipe for Chicken Tenders

Hello everyone, it is Tom the Chef here, and I am so excited to share my absolute favorite way to prepare Chicken Tenders right in your own kitchen! If you are craving the ultimate comfort and fried food, this recipe is a guaranteed fried success that will leave your family asking for more. We start by preparing beautiful chicken breasts, meticulously cutting them into perfect tender strips, and letting them soak in a richly spiced milk and freshly grated garlic marinade. Then, we create an incredibly crispy exterior using a seasoned blend of all-purpose flour and an egg wash mix. The real secret to that perfect crunch is mastering the deep frying process. By keeping your frying oil at exactly 350°F and utilizing a food thermometer to verify the minimum recommended safe serving temperature of 165°F, you will get juicy, perfectly cooked meat every single time. I personally love pairing these with Mediterranean aioli for dipping. Let us get started on making the absolute best fried chicken you have ever had!

1. Creating the Perfect Spiced Milk Marinade for Chicken Tenders

The very first step to making these incredible Chicken Tenders is building a flavorful foundation with our marinade. I always grab a medium mixing bowl and combine 1 cup of milk with 2 cloves of peeled and grated garlic. To this, I add exactly half of our total spice blend to infuse the meat from the inside out: half a teaspoon of ground paprika, half a teaspoon of chili powder, half a teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper, half a teaspoon of ground black pepper, and half a teaspoon of salt. I whisk this all together thoroughly for about one to two minutes until it is fully incorporated. This spiced milk bath is absolutely essential for our comfort and fried food because it gently tenderizes the poultry while deeply infusing it with immense flavor before it ever touches the all-purpose flour or the hot frying oil.

2. Preparing and Portioning the Chicken Breasts

Proper meat preparation is a regular and crucial step for any cook making Chicken Tenders. I start by making sure that my one and a half pounds of skinless and boneless chicken breasts are properly rinsed under cold water, and I carefully remove any unwanted parts using my chef’s knife. Next, I cut each of the chicken breasts lengthwise into perfectly sized tender strips. You should aim to get about five to six pieces from each breast. Once they are portioned, I place all the tender strips into the medium mixing bowl with the prepared marinade. I stir everything gently with a silicone spatula until all the pieces are completely covered. Then, I cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, though I must say leaving it overnight yields the most amazing flavor for deep frying!

3. Mixing the Seasoned All-Purpose Flour

While the meat is marinating in the fridge, I like to prepare the dry coating that will give our Chicken Tenders their signature thick crunch. In a separate large mixing bowl, I place 3 cups of all-purpose flour. To ensure every single bite of our comfort and fried food is boldly flavorful, I add the remaining half of our spices into this bowl: half a teaspoon of ground paprika, half a teaspoon of chili powder, half a teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper, half a teaspoon of ground black pepper, and half a teaspoon of salt. I also add 1 tablespoon of baking powder, which is a fantastic trick that helps create a beautiful, airy texture when it hits the hot frying oil. I thoroughly stir this dry mixture with a french whisk for about one to two minutes until fully incorporated. (If you want to add a dash of dried oregano to the flour, you can do so, but please remember that this is a modification that is not part of the recipe!)

4. The Meticulous Egg Wash Mix and Breading Process

The breading process is where the magic truly happens for our Chicken Tenders! To create very even results, I prefer to complete each step with all the tender strips before moving to the next, working with each piece one by one using tongs. Never grab multiple pieces at one time! First, I place the pieces from the marinade into the all-purpose flour mixture, letting the liquid drip off for a couple of seconds. I make sure they are not directly touching and cover them using my hands, shaking the bowl to improve the coating. Next, I create an egg wash mix by adding 2 large eggs into the leftover marinade bowl and whisking until incorporated. Using tongs, I dip the floured pieces into the egg wash mix, and then place them back into the flour mixture, ensuring again they do not touch. I shake the bowl well. From this point on, because the coating is extremely fragile, I touch the meat only with my hands—no tongs! I gently shake off the excess flour and place them on a baking sheet, making sure they are not touching before deep frying.

5. Mastering Deep Frying and Reaching the Safe Temperature

Now it is finally time for deep frying! I set my deep fryer or pot with a thermometer to preheat the frying oil exactly to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Working in two or more batches based on the size of the fryer, I carefully place the heavily breaded Chicken Tenders into the hot frying oil one by one. I let them fry immersed in the oil for about 4 to 5 minutes until a nice golden color is reached—turning the pieces is not necessary! The most important part of cooking poultry is ensuring safety, so I always check with a food thermometer probe to make sure the meat has reached the USDA minimum recommended safe serving temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Once done, I remove them to a cooling rack to let the excessive oil drip off for about a minute. Then, I sprinkle them with freshly ground salt and serve them hot, perhaps with some creamy Mediterranean aioli, fries, or as an unforgettable sandwich!

Buy me a coffee

Chicken Tenders

4 servings (4 tenders per serving)Tom the ChefPublished: 7.21.2026 ☆☆☆☆☆0x(write a review)👁340x

40 min.

70 min. +

2/5

🖨Print

Ingredients:

Click any ingredient to learn more

Main ingredients:

1 1/2 LB PCS of chicken breasts - skinless and boneless (about 3 PIECES)

1 cup of milk

2 cloves of garlic - peeled and grated (or pressed)

1 TSP of ground paprika

1 TSP of chili powder (seasoning)

1 TSP of ground cayenne pepper - ground

1 TSP of pepper - ground

1 TSP of salt

1 TBSP of baking powder

3 cups of all-purpose flour

2 egg

Final touch:

salt - ideally freshly ground

Optional recommended sauces (choose one, combination or skip):

Mediterranean aioli (store-bought or recipe here)

(store-bought or recipe here)

ketchup (store-bought or recipe here)

mayonnaise

Tools:

Click any tool to learn more

1x Medium Mixing Bowl (3 – 4 QT)

1x Small Hand Grater or Garlic Press

1x French Whisk

1x Silicone Spatula

1x Plastic Wrap

1x Large Mixing Bowl (8 QT +)

1x Tongs

1x Baking Sheet

1x Deep Fryer or Pot and Thermometer

1x Food Thermometer (probe)

1x Cooling Rack or Paper Towels

Nutrition per 1 Serving:(recipe split into 4 servings)

Estimated

Calories 430 Protein 15.3 g Fat 5.8 g Saturated fat 2.1 g Carbohydrate 78.8 g Sugars 3.7 g Fiber 3.9 g Sodium 495 mg Cholesterol 99 mg

Estimated. Worked out from the ingredients above using the United States Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central reference data. An estimate, not a measurement — brands, sizes and how much of a marinade actually ends up on the plate all move it.

Directions:

1.Marinade:

1.1.

Place these ingredients into a medium mixing bowl:

1 cup of milk

2 cloves of garlic – grated

½ TSP of paprika (½ of total amount)

½ TSP of chili powder (½ of total amount)

½ TSP of ground cayenne powder (½ of total amount)

½ TSP of ground black pepper (½ of total amount)

½ TSP of salt

Whisk together until incorporated (about 1 – 2 minutes).

2.Meat Preparation:

2.1.

Make sure that the chicken breasts are properly rinsed under cold water and the unwanted parts are removed.

2.2.

Cut each chicken breast into tender strips (cut lengthwise to reach about 5 – 6 pieces from each breast).

2.3.

Place all tender strips into a medium mixing bowl with the marinade and stir with a spatula until all tenders are covered.

2.4.

Cover with a plastic wrap and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or preferably overnight).

3.Preheat Frying Oil:

3.1.

Please read the the directions about deep frying below before proceeding.

3.2.

Set to preheat your oil at 350°F.

4.Flour Mixture:

4.1.

Place into the other large mixing bowl:

3 cups of all-purpose flour

½ TSP of paprika (other ½ of total amount)

½ TSP of chili powder (other ½ of total amount)

½ TSP of ground cayenne powder (other ½ of total amount)

½ TSP of ground black pepper (other ½ of total amount)

½ TSP of salt

1 TBSP of baking powder

Thoroughly stir with a whisk until fully incorporated (about 1 – 2 minutes).

5.Bread the Meat:

Important:

To create very even results, I prefer to complete each of the following steps with all tenders before moving to other steps.
However, I always complete each step working with each tender one by one.
Never grab multiple tenders at one time.

5.1.

Using tongs, place all tenders from the marinade into the flour mixture (let each drip the liquid off for a couple of seconds).

Notes:

Make sure that they are not directly touching each other in the mixture: cover each piece in the flour mixture with your hands.
When all pieces are in the mixture, shake the bowl to improve the coating.

5.2.

Create an egg wash mix by adding into the bowl with the marinade that was left after you took the chicken out:

2 large eggs

Whisk until fully incorporated (about 1 – 2 minutes).

5.3.

Place all tenders into the egg wash mix using tongs.

5.4.

Place all tenders back into the flour mixture using tongs (let each drip the liquid off for a couple of seconds).

Important:

Make sure that they are not directly touching (the same process as in step 5.1).
When all pieces are in the mixture, shake the bowl well to improve coating.

5.5.

From now on, touch the tenders only with your hands (no tongs) since the coating is fragile. Gently shake off the excess flour from the mixture and place each tender on a baking sheet.

Important:

Make sure that they are not touching.