Tenders & Wings Recipe

Prepare and marinate

Trim chicken breasts of excess fat and slice into 1"-wide tenders (about 8–10 pieces). In a bowl whisk together eggs, buttermilk, hot sauce (if using), 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Add chicken tenders, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours to tenderize and flavor.

Before breading, remove tenders from marinade and allow excess to drip off into the bowl. Reserve the marinade for a thinner batter-dip if desired (not recommended for reuse without boiling).

Mix dry breading

In a shallow wide bowl or rimmed baking sheet combine the flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, dried oregano, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Whisk thoroughly so the cornstarch is evenly distributed; this helps produce a crisp crust.

Dredge and double-coat (for extra crisp)

Working one at a time, dredge each marinated tender in the flour mixture, pressing firmly so the flour adheres. Shake off excess, then dip briefly back into the buttermilk/egg mixture and return for a second coating of the flour mix. Place on a wire rack while you heat the oil. For a single coat, skip the second dip.

Prep wings for crispness

Pat wings very dry with paper towels. Toss wings in a large bowl with 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper until evenly coated. The baking powder helps dry the skin and promotes browning and crisping.

Optional pre-bake (recommended for extra-crispy wings)

Arrange wings on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 425°F (220°C) oven for 20–25 minutes, turning once, until they begin to render fat and the skin tightens. This step reduces total fry time and yields crisper skin.

Heat oil

Pour oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer. Heat over medium-high until a thermometer reads 350°F (175°C). Maintain temperature between 325–350°F for frying.

Fry tenders

Fry breaded tenders in batches, do not overcrowd the pot. Cook 3–5 minutes per batch until golden brown and internal temperature of the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C). Drain on a wire rack set over a sheet pan or on paper towels. If wings were pre-baked, they will only need about 2–3 minutes to finish and crisp in the hot oil; if not pre-baked, fry wings 8–10 minutes turning once until deep golden and crisp and internal temp 165°F.

For both tenders and wings, hold cooked pieces on a warm oven-safe rack at 200°F (95°C) while finishing remaining batches to keep crisp without overcooking.

Sauce the wings (optional)

If making buffalo-style wings, place hot fried wings into a large bowl and toss with warmed hot wing sauce until evenly coated. For naked/crispy style, leave unsauced and serve sauces on the side.

Serve

Arrange tenders and wings on a platter. Sprinkle chopped parsley over tenders, add lemon wedges and small bowls of ranch/blue cheese and honey mustard for dipping. Serve immediately while hot and crisp.