Chicken Tenders

By Millie Peartree

Published July 10, 2025

  • Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
50 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes, plus 20 minutes’ marinating
Rating
5(174)
Comments
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These chicken tenders pack a punch, thanks to a generous helping of a savory homemade spice blend, revved up with Cajun seasoning. A spoonful of mustard in the marinade helps the spices adhere, serves as a tenderizer, and lends a slight tanginess. Adding a bit of that marinade to the flour mixture helps create a crust that fries up shaggy and crackly. For a crispy exterior and juicy interior with less oil, this recipe calls for pan-frying rather than deep frying. Pair these tenders with your favorite dipping sauces, and they’re sure to be a hit.

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 servings

FOR THE SPICE BLEND

  • 2 teaspoons onion powder

  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder

  • 2 teaspoons ground cayenne

  • 2 teaspoons black pepper

FOR THE CHICKEN

  • 1 egg

  • 1 tablespoon mustard (yellow, Dijon or honey mustard)

  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (homemade or store-bought), divided

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 cups frying oil (such as vegetable, canola or peanut)

  • 2 pounds chicken tenders

  • Dipping sauce, such as barbecue or honey mustard, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (3 to 4 servings)

81 grams carbs; 133 milligrams cholesterol; 842 calories; 15 grams monosaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 38 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 1188 milligrams sodium; 42 grams protein; 1 gram sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the spice blend: In a small bowl, whisk together onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne and black pepper.

  2. Step 2

    Marinate the chicken: Transfer 4 teaspoons of the spice blend to a large bowl and whisk in the egg, mustard, 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning and ¼ cup water. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature (or up to 24 hours in the fridge).

  3. Step 3

    When ready to cook, in a large resealable bag, mix together the flour, remaining spice blend and remaining 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning. Transfer about 3 tablespoons of the chicken marinade into the bag with the flour and shake to combine (this will create a shaggy crackly crust when the chicken is fried).

  4. Step 4

    Working with one piece at a time, remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, and dredge in the flour mixture, making sure the entire piece is coated. Transfer to a sheet of parchment and repeat with the remaining tenders.

  5. Step 5

    Add oil to a large cast-iron skillet. Heat the oil to 375 degrees over medium-high and set a wire rack over a large sheet pan. Working in batches, fry the chicken tenders, turning them over occasionally, until golden brown all over and cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Transfer the fried tenders to the wire rack. As you cook, keep track of the oil temperature, adjusting the heat to maintain it at about 350 degrees.

  6. Step 6

    Serve chicken tenders immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
174 user ratings
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Comments

LR

This looks yummy! My son is back from college and lives on the frozen ones (outside of our regular healthy meals!). I do wish NYT (all recipe sites really) would start including air fryer directions along side deep/pan frying ones. I google it myself a lot, but air fryers are so ubiquitous now, I feel like it would be a great addition!

JDR

@Sally I haven’t made this particular recipe, but I have made similar in an air fryer with great results. If you have an air fryer, spray it with a light coating of nonstick spray, pre-heat it and try cooking at 380°F turning chicken every 8-10 minutes until golden.

Sally

Has anyone tried baking instead of frying? I know it won’t be identical in texture but my family needs to avoid fried food.

RBCinNYC

This is a great recipe. I usually use buttermilk and was surprised to see water here. I ended up using half water and half buttermilk. Also different from my typical recipe was only a single dredge not a double. Usually, I do flour, wet mixture, then flour again. These fried up really crispy and were so delicious. The high amount of spices is worth it. Chicken tenders are such a great thing to make from scratch. I fry in avocado oil.

Amy

Marinated overnight, used less cayenne & Tony Chachare’s, very good!

Cynthia B

I made this for a finicky 15 year old eater in my family. She loved it. Nice to have a homemade tender recipe for the kiddos and adults too!

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