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–+ servings
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5 from 2 votes

Crispy Deep Fried Chicken Tenders

Breaded and deep chicken tenders come out perfectly crispy and browned every time for a dinner your kids will love.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: deep fried chicken tenders, how to make chicken tenders in deep fryer, southern chicken fingers
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 391kcal
Author: Katie

Equipment

  • Electric deep fryer
  • Tongs
  • Baking Sheet
  • Paper Towels (to absorb excess oil)
  • 2 mixing bowls
  • Whisk
  • Fryer basket

Ingredients

  • 4 large chicken breasts (cut into strips)
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • 1 quart peanut oil for frying

Instructions

  • Preheat the fryer.  Preheat the oil in your deep fryer to 365°F. Then, line a baking sheet or large plate with paper towels to drain the chicken after frying.
  • Set up the breading station.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until smooth. Then, mix the flour, panko bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and seasoned salt in a large bowl.
  • Bread the chicken.  Dip each chicken strip into the egg/milk mixture, making sure it's fully coated. Then, dredge the chicken in the panko/flour mixture, pressing lightly to make sure the breading sticks well. Work in small batches to avoid overcrowding, which helps prevent the chicken from sticking together.
  • Fry the chicken.  Place the breaded chicken strips in a single layer in the fryer basket. Then, lower the basket gently into the hot oil and fry for 5 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and fully cooked. Once done, carefully lift the basket and transfer the chicken to the paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
  • Serve immediately.  Serve the tenders hot with your favorite dipping sauces for the best texture and flavor.

Notes

Start with chicken from the fridge because it sticks to the coating better and gets crispy in hot oil.  Don’t use frozen chicken, though.
Before putting the chicken in the coating, dry it off with paper towels.  This makes sure the coating sticks and ends up crispy.
When you’ve coated the chicken in flour, tap off any extra.  Too much flour can mess up the oil and make the coating patchy.
If you want a crispy coating, dip the chicken pieces in the egg and then the flour or breadcrumb mix twice.  This gives it a crunchier outside.
Let the chicken sit for a bit after coating it but before frying.  This helps the coating stay on during frying.
After frying, put the chicken on paper towels to soak up extra oil.  This keeps them crispy.
Feel free to change the spices in the coating to what you like.  Just be careful with the salt.  You can always add more after frying if you need to.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5pound | Calories: 391kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 152mg | Sodium: 1049mg | Potassium: 655mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 141IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 3mg