Spicy Chicken Tenders

Crispy, juicy Spicy Chicken Tenders with a Southern kick and just the right amount of heat. Perfect for dipping, sharing, and family suppers!

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword spicy-chicken-tenders, spicy-chicken-tenders-recipe

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings servings (may vary)

Calories 239kcal

Ingredients

3 lbs chicken tenders OR chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups buttermilk divided use
2 Tbsp hot sauce plus 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp garlic powder or granulated garlic
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper adjust to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 large egg
4-6 cups peanut oil or vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together 1 cup buttermilk, hot sauce and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
*You can use a large Ziploc bag for easy clean-up.
Add the chicken tenders to the bowl and stir to coat with the buttermilk mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Prepare: In a shallow bowl or on a plate use a whisk to sift the flour, seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper and cumin.
In a separate shallow bowl whisk together 1 cup buttermilk, egg and 1 teaspoon hot sauce.
Remove chicken tenders from the marinade, discard marinade. Roll in the flour mixture, coating it on all sides pressing to adhere.
Shake off any excess flour and dip into the egg mixture, coating both sides. Let excess drip off then coat in flour mixture a second time.
Repeat process with all of the chicken tenders. Transfer to a sheet pan fitted with a wire rack. Chill uncovered for 1 hour to set the breading.
Fry: Heat the oil to 350°-360°F in a deep pot or dutch oven. Cook the chicken tenders in batches for 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness, until golden brown and cooked through. Adjust the cooking time according to size.
Remove to a paper towel lined platter or tray to drain. Season immediately with additional seasoned salt.
*If frying in batches you can place onto a pan and into the oven on low heat (200°F) to keep warm.
Rest for 5 minutes, then serve with your favorite dipping sauces, on rolls with dill pickles and mayonnaise, on salads or wraps.

Notes

Chicken - You can make your own chicken tenders using boneless skinless chicken breasts if your local grocery store doesn't stock them. Depending the size of the chicken pieces, cut lengthwise into two or three pieces then proceed with the recipe.
Spice - If you would like a milder version, simply decrease the amount of hot sauce and cayenne pepper.
Oil - Preferably in peanut oil but canola oil or vegetable oil will work. Skip the olive oil for this recipe.
Monitor the Oil Temperature - Heat the oil on medium-high heat then adjust while your frying the chicken as needed. If the oil temp drops too low, the chicken will absorb more oil. If the oil is too hot, the chicken will brown more quickly potentially not cooking the chicken properly.
Chilling Allows the Breading to Set - After breading, if you’ll take the time to pop them into the fridge to rest for an hour or so it will allow the breading to cling more evenly to the chicken pieces.
Serving Options - Serve this recipe on its own or make it a hot sandwich with dinner rolls or kaiser rolls, add to a crisp salad, make wraps or serve as an appetizer with variety of dipping sauces.

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