Homemade Chicken Tenders: Boldly seasoned & incredibly crispy!

Skip the fast food line and make these homemade chicken tenders instead! Full of robust flavor & breaded with the crispiest ever coating!

As you may already know, my youngest LOVES when I make homemade junk food for our dinners. And these homemade chicken tenders are certainly no exception!

Margherita pizza, pretzel dogs, and poutine are definitely up there too!

So these chicken fingers went over really big with both kids actually. They could smell them cooking and it brought them right in!

They cooked up juicy and so full of bold flavor, thanks to a quick brine and a unique blend of herbs and spices. And a 2-step breading process gives them the most incredibly craggy, crispy crust!

I really think you’re going to love this fried chicken tenders recipe!

Table of Contents

Jump to Recipe

Here’s Why You’ll Love This

• You don’t have to leave the house to get it.
• It’s so much cheaper than ordering in!
• Nothing beats the flavor or texture when it’s straight out of the pan!
• The flavor is so killer, thanks to a unique blend of herbs and spices.
• That crispy coating is everything! See how craggly and crunchy that breading comes out?

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Chicken Tenderloins: These can be found in the refrigerated poultry section of your regular grocery store. Easy-peasy, they’re already cut to the perfect shape and size.
• Hot Sauce: You are going to brine the chicken in a marinade of hot sauce, water, and salt, flavoring it subtly and making it super-moist and juicy!
• Water: Tepid, cool, or warm water will work just fine.
• Salt: I like kosher salt best because it’s cheap, easy to find, and the flavor is pure thanks to no bitter-tasting additives like iodine.
• Flour: All-purpose flour gives structure both to the batter and the breading.
• Eggs: Create a nice thick consistency to the batter.
• Sparkling Water: To thin the batter to the right consistency. Fizzy water makes the coating extra-light, but if you don’t have it tap water works just fine too.
• Seasonings: A combination of white pepper, onion powder, paprika, dry mustard, black pepper, garlic powder, and ground thyme gives these chicken fingers a flavor that’ll give Popeye’s and KFC a run for their money!

In Photos: How to Make Chicken Tenders

Step 1: Brine the Chicken

Place the chicken tenderloins in a large bowl or zip-top bag and add the hot sauce, water, and salt. Then toss everything around to get it all mixed and coated.

Allow the chicken to brine for at least an hour, or overnight.

Step 2: Prep the Batter

Flour, salt, and garlic powder go into a bowl. Whisk them together, then add the eggs.

Whisk in the eggs, dribbling in sparkling water as you go, until you have a mixture that’s the consistency of thin pancake batter.

Step 3: Prep the Seasoned Flour

Place the flour, salt, and seasonings in a big bowl, then stir them together until well-combined.

Now here comes the best idea ever! You’ll thank me for this. Dribble a little bit of the batter into the flour and stir it around. It will create a texture similar to damp sand. This will give your fried chicken tenders the most incredibly craggly crust!

Step 4: Dredge the Chicken

Coat each brined chicken tenderloin first in the batter, then in the seasoned flour.

Step 5: Fry the Chicken Tenders

Gently drop the breaded chicken fingers into hot oil and allow them to cook, turning as needed, until golden brown, crisp, and no longer pink in the center.

Helpful Tips and Tricks

• If the chicken looks a little white after brining, don’t worry- that’s just the acid “cooking” it.
• To prevent the coating from falling off the chicken, bring everything up to room temp before cooking.
• If you have any leftover brine, batter, or seasoned flour you should discard it. It’s not safe to re-use.
• Watch the temp of the oil as you cook, it will fluctuate as the chicken gets added.
• Know the chicken is fully cooked by using a digital thermometer. Or, cut a thin slice towards the center to see if it still looks pink inside.
• Cool completely, then arrange the fried chicken fingers on a tray in an even layer. Freeze solid, then transfer to a zip-top freezer bag. They can be reheated in a warm oven or air-fryer.
• Dip ’em in homemade barbecue sauce or the honey mustard recipe found on my pigs in a blanket post!

More Chicken Recipes