Two homemade chicken tenders on a bamboo tray with a round white dish of ketchup all on a grey placemat on a wooden surface (with logo overlay)

Homemade Chicken Tenders

Easily make homemade chicken tenders by breading the chicken with a few seasonings and frying to golden perfection in 15 minutes.

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I’ve mentioned before that chicken is a favorite in our house. Sometimes we do really elaborate chicken meals (such as Chicken and Dumplings). Other times, I want something quick and easy.

The boys love when we buy frozen chicken tenders, but those get expensive. And, I like having control over exactly what goes into our food.

So, we set out to make our own homemade chicken tenders. We made plain and spicy chicken tenders. Justin prefers them to be spicy. For his, we just added some red hot seasoning into the flour mixture.

We have many recipes that include breading the chicken, but then we go on to do other things with it. This recipe is breading the chicken and frying. That’s it. Very simple, but delicious!

Homemade Chicken Tenders Step by Step

Ingredients

  • 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 lb chicken tenderloins
Ingredients for Homemade Chicken Tenders

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.

Whisk the flour in a shallow bowl with the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, pepper, and salt. If you are making spicy chicken tenders, add the red hot seasoning with the other seasonings.

Flour and seasonings with a wire whisk in a stainless steel bowl on a wooden surface

In another bowl, beat the eggs. Place the bread crumbs in a third bowl. Coat the chicken by dredging in the flour mixture, then the eggs, then the breadcrumbs, then back to the eggs, and finally in the bread crumbs again.

Breaded chicken tenders on a white sqaure plate on a wooden surface

Fry in the prepared oil for at least 3-5 minutes on each side, making sure the chicken is cooked through. Place the chicken strips on a wire rack to let the excess oil drain. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce. The boys like to dip theirs in ketchup. I like ranch dressing. Justin likes blue cheese dressing with his chicken tenders.

Two homemade chicken tenders on a bamboo tray with a round white dish of ketchup all on a grey placemat on a wooden surface (vertical)

Leftovers

Store any leftover homemade chicken tenders in a container in the refrigerator. To reheat, bake for about 10-15 minutes at 350F, until the chicken is warm through.

Recipe

Originally Published On: October 16, 2020

Last Updated On: September 15, 2023

Two homemade chicken tenders on a bamboo tray with a round white dish of ketchup all on a grey placemat on a wooden surface

Homemade Chicken Tenders

Easily make homemade chicken tenders by breading the chicken with a few seasonings and frying to golden perfection in 15 minutes.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course:
Main Dish
Cuisine:
American
Keyword:
chicken
|
chicken tenders
|
fried
Dietary Needs:
Dairy-Free
|
Nut-Free
Meat:
Chicken/Turkey
Cooking Method:
One-Pan Meals
Servings: 4
5 from 2 votes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 lb chicken tenderloins

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat
  • Whisk the flour in a shallow bowl with the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, pepper, and salt
  • In another bowl, beat the eggs
  • Place the bread crumbs in a third bowl
  • Coat the chicken by dredging in the flour mixture, then the eggs, then the breadcrumbs, then back to the eggs, and finally in the bread crumbs again
  • Fry in the prepared oil for at least 3-5 minutes on each side, making sure the chicken is cooked through
  • Place the chicken strips on a wire rack to let the excess oil drain
  • Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce

Notes

Nutrition calculated assuming about 10% retention of cooking oil.
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Nutrition Facts
Homemade Chicken Tenders
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 483 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 11g55%
Cholesterol 154mg51%
Sodium 653mg27%
Potassium 559mg16%
Carbohydrates 45g15%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 34g68%
Vitamin A 436IU9%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 72mg7%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

24 thoughts on “Homemade Chicken Tenders”

  1. My family loves chicken tenders…such a delicious meal and makes for great leftovers too! These look perfectly crispy!

  2. We love making our own chicken tenders but it’s quite an art to get them perfectly crispy, these look super tasty x

  3. I am such a big fan of chicken tenders. I’ve never made homemade chicken tenders before, but I’m definitely going to have to try this out.

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