These cajun fried chicken tenders are the bomb! They pack a flavorful punch and are perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a crowd-pleasing snack.

Like all the best deep fryer recipes, these Cajun chicken strips turn humble ingredients into something delicious. Don’t forget to serve with a side of ranch, and you’ll have everyone coming back for seconds.

hand dipping one fried tender into ranch

Cajun Fried Chicken Tenders

Perfectly seasoned, tender pieces of chicken fried golden brown. A dinner recipe that everyone will actually love.

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 25

marinating 4

Total Time 4 55

Serving Size servings

Equipment

Deep fryer
2 Large bowls

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch strips then cut in half lengthwise)
1 quart oil for frying (peanut recommended)

For the marinade

1 ½ cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons salt (if using salt-free Cajun seasoning)
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (without added salt)
2 tablespoons honey

For breading the chicken

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt (if using salt-free Cajun seasoning)
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

Instructions

Marinate the chicken. Combine the buttermilk, Cajun seasoning, salt, and honey in a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken strips, making sure they are fully submerged in the marinade. Cover the bowl and let it marinate for 1 hour at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
Bread the chicken. Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 365°F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and Cajun seasoning. Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing any excess buttermilk to drip off. Working in batches, coat each piece thoroughly in the seasoned flour.
Fry the chicken. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with paper towels and placing a wire cooling rack on top. Carefully place the chicken strips into the hot oil, frying in a single layer for about 6 minutes or until they reach a medium golden brown and are fully cooked through. Transfer the fried tenders to the cooling rack to drain any excess oil while you cook the remaining batches.
Serve. Serve the chicken tenders immediately, or keep them warm in a 200°F oven until ready to serve. They pair perfectly with ranch dressing or your favorite dipping sauce.

Notes

For an even coating on the chicken, use a baking dish for the marinade and a large bowl for the breading. You can easily fit a baking dish in the fridge, which is a bonus.

After marinating, pat the chicken strips dry with a paper towel before coating them in flour. This helps the breading stick better and gives you a crispy crust.

If your Cajun seasoning has salt, cut down or skip the salt in the marinade and breading. I’d suggest not adding salt to the breading at all. Taste the tenders after frying and add salt while they’re still hot if needed.

For an extra kick, sprinkle some Cajun seasoning or salt on the chicken tenders as soon as they are out of the fryer. The seasoning will stick better while the tenders are hot.

More Tips:

Maintaining the oil at the right temperature (around 365°F) is important for crispy chicken. If the oil is too hot, the outside will burn before the inside is cooked; if it’s too cool, the chicken will absorb too much oil and become greasy.

You can also fry these in a skillet with a 1/2 inch of oil, but you’ll need to flip them halfway through.

Fry the chicken in batches, giving each piece plenty of space. Overcrowding lowers the oil temperature and can lead to soggy tenders instead of that perfect golden crunch.

If you’re frying in batches and need to keep the first ones warm, place them on a wire rack in a 200°F oven. This keeps them crispy, unlike placing them directly on a plate, which can make them soggy.

Serving Suggestions

Serve these chicken tenders with coleslaw, cucumber salad, French fries, cornbread, macaroni and cheese, and a side of ranch dipping sauce.

Key Ingredients and Tools

For successful chicken tenders, it’s important to have these key tools and ingredients on hand:

Cajun seasoning: This spice blend gives the chicken its distinctive flavor, so it’s important to use a high-quality one. If you can’t find it, you can either make your own mix with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper or adjust the salt in the recipe as an alternative.
Buttermilk: Buttermilk helps tenderize the chicken and ensures that the breading sticks. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a substitute by mixing regular milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar and letting it sit for a few minutes.
Peanut oil: This oil is great for frying because of its high smoke point and neutral flavor. If you can’t find it or prefer a different option, vegetable oil or canola oil are good substitutes.
Deep fryer or Dutch oven: These are ideal for maintaining the right oil temperature and frying the chicken evenly. If you don’t have either, a heavy-bottomed pot will work, but you’ll need to keep a close eye on the oil temperature.

Having these items ready is essential for achieving the best flavor and texture in your chicken tenders, so it’s important to be prepared before you start cooking!

Storage Instructions

To keep your chicken tenders fresh:

Store the cooked chicken tenders in a sealed container and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days.

When reheating, pop them in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes until they get crispy again.

Cooked chicken tenders don’t freeze well as the coating can become soggy when reheated. However, if you want to prepare them in advance, you can freeze the uncooked, breaded chicken tenders in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag and store them for up to 3 months.

When ready to cook, fry them straight from frozen, and add a couple of extra minutes to the cooking time.

I hope you enjoy making these Cajun Fried Chicken Tenders as much as I do. They’re simple, flavorful, and perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a quick weeknight dinner or a weekend treat. Give them a try, and let me know how they turn out—I’d love to hear your thoughts or any twists you add to the recipe.

Crispy Fried Cajun Chicken Tenders: A Southern Favorite at Home