These Buffalo Chicken Tenders, baked in the oven or air-fried, achieve crispy perfection and are then coated in a homemade buffalo sauce that is creamy and spicy with a hint of sweetness. They’re absolutely irresistible!
The buffalo chicken tenders are crispy and crunchy without the hassle of deep frying, and much, much healthier than store-bought ones. You are going to fall in love with this recipe and make it again and again.
My secret to ultra tender buffalo chicken tenders? The thick panko breading forms a sort of seal, allowing the chicken to cook more gently and evenly, while the outer layer becomes firm and crispy.
What are chicken tenders? Also known as tenderloins, they are little strips of meat that are attached to the underside of each breast. Sometimes, it can be hard to find it in your local store.
Here is a simple hack to cut tenders from boneless breasts - Cut a boneless, skinless breast, lengthwise into ⅔-inch thick strips, against the grain and you’re left with essentially chicken-tender-sized pieces of white meat.
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Why you'll love it?
- Perfect game-day snack made in the air fryer or oven
- Crispy coating with tender, juicy meat
- No deep frying
- Oven baked or cooked in air fryer
- Healthier recipe
- Irresistible buffalo sauce that’s creamy, spicy, tangy, buttery, and subtly sweet.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Chicken tenders - If your store doesn’t sell tenders, you can make your own from boneless, skinless breasts by slicing a breast lengthwise into ⅔-inch thick strips.
- Hot Sauce - Franks RedHot is tangy, a little sweet, and has just the right amount of spiciness for the buffalo chicken tenders.
- Breadcrumbs - Japanese-style panko breadcrumbs are my go-to in all breaded recipes, for its light yet shattering crisp texture.
- Mayonnaise - Adds a touch of creaminess and reduces the spiciness.
- Egg - It helps everything to bind together.
- Flour - To thicken the batter.
- Milk - Makes it rich and flavorful.
- Lemon juice - Use freshly squeezed lemon juice or white vinegar.
How to make it?
You can find the full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
1 & 2. Melt butter in a small white skillet. Add panko breadcrumbs and toast over low to medium heat, until it is deep golden in color and crisp.
3 & 4. Add egg, flour, milk, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, cayenne, paprika, and black pepper in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
5 & 6. Add all chicken tenders into the batter and toss until thoroughly combined.
Tip: Blot dry! Make sure to blot dry your tenders using paper towels to ensure there's no moisture. If there's any moisture on the tenders, the breading might peel off or the batter will have a hard time clinging on to the meat.
Pro tip: If your grocery store does not sell tenders, then simply cut a boneless, skinless breast into ⅔-inch strips.
7 & 8. Working with one tender at a time, remove from the batter, drain excess batter, coat both sides with breadcrumbs, and place on the greased baking sheet. Spray the tops with a coating of non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 16 to 17 minutes, until cooked through or the chicken reaches 165°F.
Air frying instructions
- Prepare tenderloins according to the recipe.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Place breaded strips into the basket in a single layer without overlapping, spray a coating non-stick cooking spray, and air fry for 10 to 13 minutes or until cooked through.
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9 & 10. Whisk Franks RedHot sauce, melted butter, sugar (or honey), and red pepper flakes until combined. Add mayonnaise and whisk until smooth.
Tip: I find the mayo mixes in more smoothly when added later.
11 & 10. Serve buffalo chicken tenders just before serving, coat each tenderloin in the sauce on both sides, and serve immediately.
How To Serve?
While the panko coating is crispy, it can soften when mixed with the sauce. For the best texture, prepare the chicken tenders and sauce separately, then toss them together just before serving.
- Snack - Serve the buffalo chicken tenders with celery and carrot sticks with ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping for your next game-day snack.
- Dinner - Make a family favorite weeknight dinner.
- Tacos - Make it into a buffalo chicken taco with chopped lettuce, avocado, ranch, and shredded cheddar cheese.
- Wrap - Make a buffalo chicken wrap using a large flour tortilla filled with ranch dressing, lettuce, carrot, avocado, and cheddar.
How to make ahead?
You can bake or air-fry the buffalo chicken tenders and freeze them for up to 2 months. Prepare the sauce ahead of time (without the mayo) and refrigerate it for up to 2 days.
To serve, re-crisp the frozen tenders in a 370 degree oven or air fryer, warm the sauce, then stir in the mayo. Toss everything together just before serving. Refer to more details in the air fryer chicken tenders recipe post.
Helpful Tips
- Coat just before eating - Wait until the last minute to coat the buffalo chicken tenders in sauce to maintain the crispness.
- Best Buffalo Sauce - The best one to reach for is Frank’s RedHot!
- Fully cook - For safety, poultry needs to be cooked to at least 160°F - 165°F or 74°C. Using an instant-read thermometer is the easiest way to check the temperature.
- Adjust spiciness - You can increase cayenne and red pepper flakes based on your desired heat level.
- Sweetener - Use white sugar, honey, or brown sugar.
Recipe FAQs
The recipe temperature and timing should be adequate, but you can always use a thermometer to check the internal temperature (165 degrees).
No, chicken tenders and tenderloins are distinct cuts of chicken, though both come from the breast.
Chicken tenders are small, narrow strips of boneless, skinless chicken breast, often cut lengthwise. They're known for their tender, juicy texture and are also called fingers or strips.
Tenderloins, however, are a specific part of the chicken breast— a thin, delicate strip of meat located along the underside of the breast. When cooked, they are exceptionally soft and tender.
More spicy buffalo recipes
Buffalo Chicken Tenders
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins, patted dry
Batter
- 1 egg
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
Buffalo sauce
- 1 cup Franks RedHot sauce
- 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter not hot
- 2 teaspoons sugar or honey
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add panko and stir constantly until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
- Add all batter ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Add all chicken into the batter and toss until thoroughly combined.
- Working with one chicken tender at a time, remove from the batter, draining excess batter, coat both sides with breadcrumbs and place them on a plate.
To bake in oven
- Preheat oven to 400°F (210°C) and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place prepared chicken tenders, spray the tops with a coating of non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 16 to 17 minutes or until cooked through.
To air fry
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Place prepared chicken tenders into the basket in a single layer without overlapping, spray a coating non-stick cooking spray, and air fry for 10 to 13 minutes or until cooked through.
Make sauce
- Whisk Franks RedHot sauce, melted butter, sugar or honey and red pepper flakes until combined. Add mayonnaise and whisk until smooth.Tip: I find the mayo mixes in more smoothly when added later.
- Just before serving, coat each tenderloin in the sauce on both sides and serve immediately.Pro tip: Toss in sauce just before eating, so it maintains the crisp texture.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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