Buffalo Chicken Tenders are strips of marinated chicken breast covered and fried to a golden brown crisp and topped with a homemade buffalo sauce.
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into vertical strips
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
3 cups of buttermilk
1/4 cup buffalo sauce
Chicken coating
4 cups of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups of breaded panko
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon of water
2 cups of buffalo sauce
oil, for frying
Instructions
Chicken Marinade
Season the chicken strips with salt and pepper and add them to a large bowl.
Cover the chicken strips with the buttermilk and buffalo sauce. The chicken should be completely submerged.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator. Allow chicken to cool and marinate for a minimum of 3 hours, up to 48 hours.
Chicken Covers
Transfer the marinated chicken to the counter so that it is at room temperature while you prepare the next steps.
Place a large baking sheet and line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl combine the flour, cornstarch and salt.
Remove two cups of the flour mixture and place it in a second large bowl. To this bowl, add the panko. Stir to combine.
In a third medium bowl, add the eggs and water. Beat to combine.
One at a time, remove a piece of chicken from the buttermilk mixture. Beat them first into the flour mixture, then into the egg mixture and finally into the panko mixture. Place in the parchment lined panko. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
Fry the chicken pieces
Add about 2 inches of oil to a large pot and heat over medium-low heat.
While oil is heating, add buffalo sauce to a large bowl. Set aside.
Continue heating over medium-low heat until oil reaches 350°F on a caramel thermometer. Or, if you drop a piece of dough into the oil, it should sizzle when ready.
Working in batches, add 3-4 pieces of chicken to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Chicken should be crisp and golden brown.
Remove chicken from oil and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.
Once drained, transfer chicken to bowl of buffalo sauce. Stir to cover and transfer to a serving plate.
Repeat with remaining chicken.
Serve with blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping.