These Buffalo Chicken Tenders are oven baked yet super crispy and tossed in a creamy, spicy, and tangy sauce. It's so so good!
Ultra tender buffalo chicken tenders! The oven has a hard time penetrating through the thick breading, helping to cook the chicken more gently and evenly, and also the outer layer dries out, thus resulting in a firm and crisp texture.
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 just like the crispy baked chicken cutlets recipe.
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 this recipe works?
Using raw breadcrumbs can result in a chicken tender that is overcooked before the crumbs brown in color or results in an uneven browning. I found that toasting the panko first in butter, helps the crumbs bake up extra crisp and also get a beautiful deep golden perfection.
The nooks and crannies in the crisp coating increase the surface area, giving you more crunch and also more room for sauce.
Mayo adds a touch of creaminess and tames the heat in the buffalo sauce.
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.
- Breadcrumbs - Japanese-style panko breadcrumbs are my go-to in all breaded recipes, like in bang bang cauliflower, 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.
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?
- Snack - Serve 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 along with air fryer asparagus or air fryer green beans.
- Tacos - Make it into a chicken taco with chopped lettuce, avocado, ranch, and shredded cheddar cheese.
- Wrap - Make a chicken wrap using a large flour tortilla filled with ranch dressing, lettuce, carrot, avocado, and cheddar.
How to Store Leftovers?
These are best enjoyed as soon as they are tossed in the buffalo sauce. I like to freeze-baked tenders (without sauce). Air fry or bake until hot, toss in sauce, and serve right away.
How To Freeze?
Place cooled baked tenders (without sauce), into a large freezer-safe zip lock bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months.
To reheat: Reheat in the oven or in an air fryer (at 370 degrees) until crispy and warmed through. Avoid microwaving, as it will make them soggy. Make the sauce and toss it just before eating.
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.
- Air Fry instead - This recipe can be easily made in your air fryer (instructions included).
Recipe FAQs
The recipe temperature and timing should be adequate, but you can always use a thermometer to check the internal temperature (165 degrees).
You can, but make sure to thaw completely and pat dry thoroughly before using in the buffalo chicken tenders recipe.
Yes, place breaded strips into a preheated 400 degrees air fryer, 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.
No, chicken tenders and tenderloin are not the same things, although they are both cuts of chicken.
Chicken tenders are small, narrow pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breast, that are typically cut lengthwise from the underside of the chicken breast, and are known for their tender and juicy texture. They are also called fingers or strips.
On the other hand, tenderloin refers to a specific part of the chicken breast. It is a thin strip of meat that is attached to the underside of the breast and is very soft and tender when cooked.
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Buffalo Chicken Tenders
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.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (210°C) and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add all batter ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Add all chicken into the batter and toss until thoroughly combined.Pro tip: If your grocery store does not sell tenders, then simply cut a boneless, skinless breast into ⅔-inch strips.
- Working with one chicken tender at a time, remove from the batter, draining excess batter, coat both sides with breadcrumbs and place them 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 chicken reaches 165°F. (refer notes for air frying instructions)
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.
- Serve 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
- 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.
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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