Buffalo Chicken Tenders With Ranch Dipping Sauce
Ditch the restaurant and enjoy delicious Buffalo Chicken Tenders at home. These are the perfect appetizer or main course to serve with simple sides, like fries or tater tots. Homemade Ranch Dressing makes the perfect dipping sauce too. Add this easy chicken recipe to your weekly meal plan.
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Do you love spicy, crunchy chicken? If so, learn how to make these easy and delicious Buffalo Chicken Tenders from scratch. Rather than buying them at a restaurant, make them from scratch using fresh ingredients, preparing incredible chicken for you and your loved ones to enjoy.
Serve these as an appetizer or enjoy them as the main entree with a few sides for lunch or dinner. You can also dip them in a flavorful ranch dip that will blow you away.
How To Make Buffalo Chicken Tenders at Home
- It doesn’t require too much effort to prepare these tasty Buffalo Chicken Tenders.
- You can eat them as is or add them to a roll to make a sandwich with them!
- These chicken tenders are perfect for lunch, dinner, or even an appetizer before your meal.
Ingredients To Make Buffalo Chicken Tenders
- Boneless Chicken Tenders
- Buttermilk
- Flour
- Cornstarch
- Cajun Seasoning
- Oregano, Onion Powder, Paprika
Which type of chicken will I need for this recipe?
You can use about 8-10 chicken tenders for this recipe. If you don’t have tenders, you’ll need two large chicken breasts that you can cut into strip-like pieces.
What kind of seasonings will I need?
While you’ll need to add quite a few seasonings to your flour mixture, this will give your Buffalo Chicken Tenders the perfect flavor. Some of the seasonings needed include garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper. These are standard spices that most people already have in their pantry!
Why do I need buttermilk?
Placing your chicken in buttermilk gives it more flavor. It improves the texture of the chicken tenders while making them even juicier and flavorful. So, if you don’t have buttermilk at home, don’t worry. You can make it by combining a bit of lemon juice or vinegar with whole milk.
Which oil should I use when frying these tenders?
You can use vegetable oil when frying your chicken. If you don’t have vegetable oil, it’s fine to use corn oil or canola oil, depending on what you have and prefer.
Can I Use An Air Fryer to make Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders?
Absolutely! Using an air fryer is a healthy alternative to deep frying. I love to make air fryer buffalo chicken tenders because they turn out crispy just as if they are deep fried. But of course, they are a little healthier because there is no deep-frying involved.
Follow the simple breading steps in the recipe but cook the Buffalo Chicken Tenders in the air fryer instead of the hot oil. Every air fryer is different, but they can be cooked for 15-20 or until crispy. Remove when cooked through and toss in the homemade Buffalo Sauce.
Kitchen Essentials Needed To Make Homemade Breaded Chicken Strips
- Large Pot or Deep Fryer
- Air Fryer (optional)
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- Baking Rack
What should I serve with the Buffalo Chicken Tenders?
Serve these breaded chicken tenders with some of your favorite sides. Some people like serving these tenders with celery sticks and a side of homemade ranch dipping sauce that cuts the heat and adds more flavor to the meat! Of course, you can also prepare fries, tater tots, vegetables, and other impressive sides to go with your chicken.
How To Make Homemade Ranch Dressing
I LOVE ranch dressing – on EVERYTHING. Homemade ranch dressing is so easy to make at home and tastes much better than the bottled variety. All you need is some mayonaise, sour cream and buttermilk as the base. Then, just mix in some seasonings and fresh herbs. This easy ranch dip recipe is so easy and delicious!
How do I store the leftovers?
If you have leftovers after preparing and eating these tasty Buffalo Chicken Tenders, place them in an airtight food storage container and put them in the fridge. You can store them in the fridge for up to four days.
When you need to reheat them and want them to still taste as crispy as they did when you first made them, pop them in the oven for a few minutes or place them in the air fryer to reheat.
More Easy Weeknight Meal Ideas
- Nashville Hot Chicken
- Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
- Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan Soup
- Pizza Rolls
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
Buffalo Chicken Tenders
Wondering what to make for dinner this evening? Your family will love this delicious Buffalo Chicken Tenders recipe.
Ingredients
- 8-10 chicken tenders or 2 large chicken breasts cut into strips
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon adobo or Cajun seasonings
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon Paprika
- 1 tablespoon Cayenne
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Wet ingredients
- 1 cup whole fat buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup Buffalo sauce
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- Ranch Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Buffalo Chicken Tenders
- Whisk all dry ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl.
- Whisk egg, buttermilk, 1/2 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp garlic in a separate bowl.
- Set up a wire rack to use as a drying station.
- Coat chicken in buttermilk mixture. Then dredge in flour. Repeat.
- Let chicken rest on wire rack for 10 mins. (Helps coating adhere to chicken and not fall off while frying.
- Heat vegetable oil.
- Fry in medium heat for 4-5 mins on each side until golden brown and crispy.
- Drain excess oil.
Buffalo Sauce
Melt butter and add to a large mixing bowl. Stir in buffalo sauce and vinegar. Add chicken tenders and toss to coat.
Ranch Dressing
- Whisk all ingredients in a bowl.
- Chill for 2 hours and store in airtight container.
