Buttermilk Marinated Chicken Tenders?

[Andy M.]

I'd skip the oven and just fry the tenders in hot oil in the pan. put 1/4" of oil in the pan, get it hot at med high and cook until golden brown. Tenders are so thin, they will cook in a minute or two.

If you're not sure how long to cook them, take one out and cut it in half to see if it's done.

 

[corazon]

Have you made them yet? I'm curious as to how they turned out and what you decided to do with how you made them.

 

[Mylegsbig]

I made them and while they were delicious, i think they could be tweaked quite a bit. i fried them in like 1/4 inch of almond oil, and i had them in buttermilk, then put them in flour. then egg wash, then the panko crumbs. I fried for like 1 minute on each side, then put them in 400 degree oven for like 7 minutes

they came out with a cool crust on top, but no bottom, they were very soggy. I don't know why. I had them baking in a pan with foil on it.

Next time, im going to only fry them in the oil.

how can i make them crispier? was it sitting in the oven that ruined the crust?

 

[corazon]

they came out with a cool crust on top, but no bottom, they were very soggy. I don't know why. I had them baking in a pan with foil on it.

Next time, im going to only fry them in the oil.

how can i make them crispier? was it sitting in the oven that ruined the crust?

I think you're right about the oven ruining the crisp crust. That has happened to me before with breaded chicken that I finished in the oven. Soggy bottom but crispy top.

 

[jennyema]

Question one: why fry in almond oil? You pay $$ for the taste which is destroyed by the heat of frying.

I make these all the time. Made a huge batch on Sunday.

IMO you don't need to fry then bake. I'd do one or the other. I usually do the other.

I brine them first (similar to buttermilking them).

Then I dredge in seasoned flour. Dip in seasoned egg wash and then coat with crushed melba toast crumbs that I have seasoned.

I coat a baking sheet with maybe 2T of peanut oil, lay the tenders on it, spritz the top of the chicken with oil (in a pinch I use PAM, though I don't care for the propellants).

Put in 425-50 oven for about 25 minutes. NO FOIL -- that'll make them soggy because they will steam.

Sometimes I turn them halfway through sometimes I don't. I have also oiled each side of the tenders and baked on a wire rack over the baking sheet. This is supposed to make them crispier, but I'm not certain if that works.

When I don't turn them sometimes the bottom is a bit less crispy than the top. But the high heat i use pretty much guarantees crispiness.

My family special requests these. I made about 5 dozen tenders the last time so they could freeze them.

Make sure you season the egg wash and the panko.

 

[marmalady]

Another thing you can do if you're going to bake them rather than fry them, is to place a cooling rack inside a cookie sheet, coat it with cooking spray, then put the chicken pieces on that. Guarantee the crust will get crispy all 'round!

 

[pckouris]

Put the moisture on the chicken first; then the flour; then what ever.
But the first should be the seasoning(s) and the "moisture" so things stick! Then (flour or whatever) and the bread crumbs (outside coatings. Could be coconut and lots of other things also) last.
Moisture first and then whatever and leave the bread crumbs for last.
Deep frying is the best way. 375 with a fryer and basket.
But you can do it in a deep pan also.
Oils: Sunflower is the best. Peanut next. Others fall in line.

 

[Mylegsbig]

Used almond oil because i dunno, i thought they would taste better than just vegetable oil..

Say i put some oil in the pan, not quite a deep fry, as i would have turn them halfway through the cooking. Like a pan fry. They are normal sized chicken tenders you see in the butcher.

About how many minutes should i cook them each side on MEDIUM HIGH? Maybe 3 minutes on each side?

 

[jennyema]

I'd suggest using peanut oil or some other vegetable oil with a high smoke point but is cheaper than almond oil. Almond oil's taste is really nice but delicate -- you can't really taste it in something fried. It's used more in uncooked preparations like salad dressings.

The key to pan frying is to make sure the oil is hot enough -- but not too hot, so don't go by "medium high," try a thermometer to make sure the oil is around 375.

The timing depends on the size of the pieces of chicken. The thinner they are the less time you'll need to cook them. Really thin pieces may only need a minute on each side.

You might try a little experiment "oven frying" few pieces at the same time you pan fry the other pieces and see which ones you like better. And which way is easier. Just crank the oven up and start the oven-cooked ones first.

Big -- I love your great attitude toward cooking. Someday you'll probablyhave your own show!

 

[Mylegsbig]

thanks for all of the wonderful advice

can i get an accurate gauge of how hot the oil is on just a pan fry?( in other words will there be enough oil in there)

i need to buy a thermometer ASAP.

 

[Andy M.]

For frying in a fry pan, you need enough oil for the food to be approximately half submerged. Keep in mind that, as you add food, the oil level rises. So if the food is 1" thick you don't have to start with 1/2" of oil.

When you think the oil is ready, drop a small bit of bread crumbs into the oil. It should start bubbling right away. If it does, you can start adding the tenders.

Don't crowd the pan. When the bottom is the right color, turn them over. When the second side is the right color, take them out. With tenders, this shouldn't take more than a minute or two on each side. They should be done at that point. Cut one open to be sure.