Crispy baked buffalo chicken tenders
- Carbohydrate 113.559741339688 g
- Cholesterol 449.2035746 mg
- Fat 55.3425921776229 g
- Fiber 5.25769017167063 g
- Protein 126.877971203862 g
- Saturated Fat 9.47408318080521 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (810g)
- Sodium 6642.6896262239 mg
- Sugar 108.302051168017 g
- Trans Fat 4.3634029293509 g
- Calories 1503 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat your oven to 400°. Begin heating 1.5 TBSP of the oil in a large frying pan set over medium-high heat. Line up three separate bowls and fill them in this order- first with the flour, second with the egg mixture, and third with the bread crumbs combined with steak seasoning.
- Begin by dredging each tenderloin first in the flour (you only need a light dusting- shake off excess), then dip into the egg bath, then dredge in the bread crumb mixture-pressing to coat the tenderloin well. Place each prepared tenderloin on a large plate.
- Place half of the chicken tenderloins in the hot, oiled pan all at the same time, spacing them evenly. You don’t want to overcrowd your pan. Cook for about 4 minutes, without moving them, so that they develop a nice crispy crust on one side.
- Flip and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
- Place the chicken on a wire rack set atop a roasting pan. Place in the oven and cook at 400 for about 5-7 minutes, just so that the chicken can cook through.
- When the chicken tenders are cooked through, remove them from the oven and fill a shallow bowl with the hot sauce. Dip each tender into the hot sauce, just to quickly coat. Set the pieces back on the wire rack until you’re done coating all the chicken. Serve with blue cheese dressing and crunchy celery sticks.
How do you keep breading from turning to mush when frying and baking chicken? Texture relies entirely on moisture control and correct pan temperatures. Maintaining crispness requires managing starch, fat, and heat across every stage of the cooking process.
- Shake off excess flour before the egg wash; heavy flour creates a barrier that causes the breadcrumbs to slide off during frying.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat before adding the chicken, ensuring the pan is hot enough to instantly set the protein rather than steaming it.
- Leave the chicken undisturbed for four minutes in the pan to develop a rigid crust before flipping.
- Transfer the browned pieces to a wire rack set over a roasting pan inside the 400 degree oven, allowing air circulation underneath so the bottom crust stays crisp instead of steaming against a solid sheet pan.
Pairing the finished tenders with cooling blue cheese dressing and crisp celery provides a necessary temperature and fat contrast to the sharp acidity of the hot sauce. Acidity cuts through richness while raw vegetables supply a sharp crunch.
