Buffalo Chicken Tenders are crispy and spicy nosh that make a super flavorful appetizer or light meal. On game day this great recipe is enjoyed by the whole family.
This easy recipe is simple to make with a classic buttermilk egg soak, a light sauté, and then finished with a bath in our spicy Buffalo wing sauce
We always serve these tenders with our creamy homemade Blue Cheese Dip Recipe
Warning: These Buffalo Chicken Tenders are addicting!
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Jump to RecipeWhat are Buffalo Tenders?
Funny name = great taste! They are a popular modern-day classic appetizer that uses buttermilk soaked extra crispy chicken tenders dredged in a zesty Buffalo sauce.
The sauce is super simple but really flavorful. (You can use the same sauce for Buffalo chicken wings too). By the way, the B in Buffalo is always capitalized because this sauce is named after the city of Buffalo, New York!
Ingredients for this Buffalo Chicken Tenders recipe
- Chicken Breasts Tenders – you can cut them into tender strips at home or purchase them already packaged as “tenders”
- Buttermilk – adds an amazing extra punch of flavor to the chicken tenderloins
- Egg – part of the light breading process to help them stick
- Bread Crumbs – we like Italian bread crumbs because they are already seasoned, but plain crumbs will work (just add 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning to the plain crumbs) Panko Bread Crumbs
- Canola Oil – for sautéing, but you could also use coconut oil
Ingredients for Spicy Buffalo Sauce
- Frank’s Original Hot Sauce – Use the original, after testing many brands, we think this is the best one
- Butter – we used salted butter but unsalted with work too
- Olive Oil – use a mid-range oil since we are adding spice. No need to use your best stuff.
How to make Buffalo Chicken Tenders from scratch?
We use a basic 3 step process:
Soak the tenders in buttermilk and egg, and chill. Coat in bread crumbs and lightly fry. And lastly, toss them in our homemade Buffalo sauce.
Steps 1 – Preparing the Boneless Chicken Tenders
- In a medium bowl beat egg, add buttermilk, and blend together.
- Add chicken tenders to the egg mixture. Chill and marinate for a minimum of 2 hours and up to 24 hours in an airtight container.
- Add breadcrumb mixture to a shallow dish or bowl. Coat each chicken tender on all sides, pressing in bread crumbs to cover the chicken pieces on all sides.
Step 2 – Cooking the Chicken Tenders
- In a large skillet or non-stick frying pan add canola oil. The oil should be about 1/4 inch deep. Bring to medium-high heat.
- Gently place coated chicken tenders in hot oil. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes. Turn and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until golden brown. The length of cooking time depends on the thickness of the chicken strips. Cook in batches so the pan is not crowded.
- Place cooked tenders on a plate covered with paper towels to drain while you finish cooking in batches.
- When the cooking is complete place chicken in a large bowl or resealable bag. These homemade chicken tenders can easily be cooked in an air fryer. Use a canola oil cooking spray for the air fryer basket and preheat at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Place each prepared piece of chicken into the air fryer basket. Cook at 400 degrees for 5-6 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the chicken pieces. Please note air fryer chicken tenders do not have the same crispy finish that the pan fried tenders provide./li>
Step 3 – Make Buffalo Sauce
- In a separate saucepan melt the butter over low heat.
- Once melted blend in the olive oil and Frank’s Hot Sauce.
- Mix the sauce thoroughly with a pastry brush until the mixture is blended and smooth.
- Pour warm hot tangy buffalo sauce over the cooked chicken tenders and toss in a shallow bowl, or use a pastry brush to coat the tenders with sauce. Be sure to coat thoroughly. This process is the some for both the pan fried and tender buffalo chicken tenders or the air fryer buffalo chicken tenders.
- Serve with Blue Cheese Dip and carrot and celery garnishes.
What is the difference between chicken tenders and strips?
The tenders are the outside cut of the chicken breast. It is the most tender cut of the breast. Strips are the remaining cuts of the breast and tend to be slightly less tender.
Tips for making Chicken Tenders crispy and spicy
- The secret to crispy chicken tenders is the buttermilk egg soak. At a minimum, we recommend 2 hours. However, you can marinate longer, even overnight.
- After soaking, coat each piece in the bread crumb mixture, patting the bread crumbs several times onto the chicken. These two steps together will make for great crispy buffalo chicken tenders.
- Lightly fry the chicken tenders on medium-high heat. Cooking for 3 – 4 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the chicken. Turn only once. This will keep the chicken tender and juicy.
What sides go well with Buffalo Chicken Tenders?
We always serve Chicken Tenders with our homemade Blue Cheese Dip. With just a few ingredients it is easy to make. You can make the dip ahead of time which allows the flavors to blend, and is a great time saver for parties. They are equally delicious with ourSouthwest Ranch Dressing which has a zippy chipotle flavor.
Try Buffalo Chicken Tenders with these additional side dishes.
- Blue Cheese Dip Recipe – always a hit
- Strawberry Spinach Salad – cool berries with zesty tenders makes this the perfect side salad for a great dinner
- Grilled Artichokes make it a more complete dinner
- Southwest Ranch Dressing – our other favorite dipping sauce
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Buffalo Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
Buffalo Sauce
- ¾ cup Frank's Original Hot Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Chicken Tenders
- 2 large chicken breasts, cut into large strips
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 whole egg
- 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
- canola oil ¼ inch in frying pan
Instructions
Cooking Tenders
- In a medium bowl beat egg, add buttermilk, and blend together.
- Add chicken tenders to the mixture. Chill and marinate for a minimum of 2 hours.
- Add Italian bread crumbs to a shallow bowl. Coat each Chicken Tenders on all sides, pressing bread crumbs to cover well.
- In a large non-stick frying pan add canola oil. The oil should be 1/4-inch deep. Bring to medium-high heat.
- Gently place coated chicken tenders in hot oil. Cook on each side for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown. The length of cooking time depends on the thickness of the chicken tenders. Cook in batches so the pan is not crowded.
- Place cooked tenders on a plate that is covered with paper towels to drain, while you finish cooking in batches.
- When cooking is complete place chicken in a large bowl or bag.
Making Buffalo Sauce
- In a separate saucepan melt the butter on low heat.
- Once melted add olive oil and Frank's Hot Sauce.
- Mix with a pastry brush until thoroughly blended and smooth.
- Pour warm sauce over the cooked chicken tenders and toss in bowl or bag or use pastry brush to coat tenders.
- Serve with Blue Cheese Dip and garnishes
Heather Johnson
made these tonight for dinner – delicious! i love spicy!
Andrea Metlika
Wow! I love that you use tenders and not wings. No bones. They look marvelous!
Jayne
Thanks! We love them this way too. Thanks for stopping by!
Anjali
This is the perfect recipe for feeding a crowd! Can’t wait to make it again for game day this weekend!
Marlynn
This is such a hit with everyone! The sauce is so easy yet so yummy and full of flavor.
Jamie
This is a favorite meal for us! We love the flavor of buffalo sauce, especially dipped into creamy blue cheese sauce!
Erica
OMG These. look amazing! Perfect for this weekend. 😋