Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders made from chicken breasts or tenderloins, seasoned in two layers (both base + coating), coated with cornflakes and breadcrumbs for an extra crunch, and drenched in a deliciously spicy, tangy buffalo sauce makes for the perfect meal addition. You won’t believe how flavor-packed these chicken tenders are! Gluten-free + Dairy-free options available. 

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There's never a bad time to serve chicken. And whether you prefer bone-in or boneless, teriyaki wings or buffalo, I have a feeling that you won't say no to the crispiest chicken tenders bathed in tangy and spicy buffalo sauce. These Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders are by far a show-stopper! Believe me!

Everyone is guaranteed to love these! Be sure to watch all recipes via IG Reels for a nice visual! This recipe can be as spicy as you like, but the texture is really the best part. The boneless chicken tenders stay juicy and moist on the inside, while cornflakes add the perfect amount of crunch to the outside. Everything is bound together in a sticky and smoky buffalo sauce for the perfect flavor-packed experience. All that's missing is your favorite dipping sauce----like this Vegan ranch Dressing/Sauce!

How to Make the Best Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Making these crispy tenders is a simple matter of seasoning your chicken and breading them in a cornflake-breadcrumbs crust before baking the tenders for crispness. Finish everything off with a spicy, tangy buffalo coating and serve them up!

Ingredients

Here's what you need to prepare these crispy buffalo tenders today:

• Chicken breasts. Choose organic whenever possible. Simply slice the chicken breasts the long way into medium-thick strips. If you don’t have chicken breasts, you can always use chicken tenderloins which are pre-cut.
• Herbs + seasonings. This adds great flavor to the chicken as a marinade. You'll need salt, black pepper, smoked paprika. garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil, parsley, and thyme.
• Buffalo sauce. I recommend using hot buffalo sauce, but if you prefer less heat, you can use medium or mild. I like organic sauce from The New Primal. 
• Corn flakes. Crush your cornflakes by placing them in a zip-top bag and crushing them with something heavy until you have a fine texture, but not a powder. 
• All-purpose flour. I use Bob's Red Mill organic flour. You can use gluten-free all-purpose flour to keep this recipe gluten-free. 
• Breadcrumbs. You can buy store-bought breadcrumbs or panko. Or see the notes below the recipe to easily make your own Seasoned Toasted Panko Bread Crumbs.
• Butter. I recommend unsalted. For a dairy-free option, sub with vegan butter.
• Almond milk. Or another plant-based milk (unsweetened). You can also use whole milk or heavy cream instead.
• Eggs. Acts as a great binder for the wet marinade when coating chicken. You can sub with honey dijon mustard or mayo or yogurt or omit completely if using heavy cream.
• Honey. You can substitute the honey with maple syrup or organic brown sugar if that's what you have on hand. 

Homemade Buffalo Sauce

To round out these crunchy chicken tenders, you definitely don't want to skimp on the buffalo sauce. The homemade buffalo sauce is made with:

• 4 Tbsps unsalted butter
• 1 cup Frank's hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Butter. You can use unsalted or salted butter.

Hot sauce. I recommend using Frank's hot sauce, but you can use your favorite!

Red pepper flakes. Just a bit will do for added spicy-ness. 

Worcestershire sauce. You can also substitute with soy sauce or white wine vinegar if you don't have this sauce on hand.

Tabasco. Just for an extra kick!

Tips for the Crispiest Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders

To make sure your Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders get as crispy as possible with the use of a “coating”, follow these simple tips:

• Make sure each chicken piece has plenty of space on the baking sheet. The airflow helps things crisp up.
• When using a baking sheet, add a wire rack atop the parchment paper so that chicken tenders can crisp up nicely on all sides without you having to do any "turning".
• Cook chicken tenders until completely crisp prior to adding sauce so that they have minimal liquid and avoid soggy-ness.
• After rinsing your chicken pieces, be sure to pat dry completely until they are as dry as possible before adding seasoning and marinade.

SHOP MY FAVORITE TOOLS FOR COOKING, ESPECIALLY FOR THESE CHICKEN TENDERS!

Here, I’ve curated a list of cooking + baking essentials that I use to achieve my favorite baked goods or cooked meals, especially with these Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders. Everything from my fave baking sheet, skillet, mixing bowls, cooking thongs, cooking utensils, and more. SEE THEM HERE!

How to Make Homemade Breadcrumbs

To make your own breadcrumbs, simply grind 1-2 cups of cubed bread into a food processor until finely chopped. Place crumbs onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread out evenly.

Bake for 5-6 minutes in the oven set at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring occasionally. Once brown + crisp, remove from oven and let cool. Continue recipe steps and store remaining breadcrumbs in a tightly sealed container.

How Long to Bake Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders

The baking time will vary depending on your oven. Check the chicken tenders after 25-30 minutes, to make sure they’re nice and crunchy but not burning. If necessary, pop the chicken tenders under the broiler for 5 to 10 minutes for an extra crispy crust.

Baked Chicken Tenders versus Air-Fried

Of course, both methods of making these Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders is effective. However, if you’re wondering whether you’d be able to also make these chicken tenders in an air-fryer—-then yes! Absolutely!

Simply do all steps the same and cook them in your air-fryer for the amount of time needed (somewhere between 10-15 minutes I believe). Once crisp, just toss them in the warmed buffalo sauce mixture and wallah.

As you know, this recipe is for baked chicken tenders and honestly, they’re just as crispy as using them in the airy-fryer (especially when you use a wire rack), so the choice is yours!

How to Serve Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders

You can eat these Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders hot out of the oven dipped in your favorite creamy sauce. I like In-N-Out Sauce, ranch, dairy-free creamy lime dressing, or my creamy avocado dressing. 

You can also top a fresh salad with Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders or wrap them into a tortilla for a sandwich, stuff them into a taco shell or even chop them up and make a cheesy Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders pizza. Whatever the decision----you'll love it! Of course, as I’ve stated before, these spicy chicken tenders can be incorporated in the following foods:

• Pizza
• Sandwiches
• With pasta
• Tacos
• with Rice or noodles
• with Fries or wedges
• Atop mashed potatoes
• and so much more.

Make-Ahead Chicken Tenders

You can store baked buffalo chicken tenders in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Or, if you want to plan ahead, you can assemble the buffalo sauce and crushed cornflake mixture up to two days ahead of time. Keep the buffalo sauce in an airtight container in the fridge and the corn flakes in an airtight container at room temperature. Then bread and bake the chicken tenders just before serving. 

Are Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders Dairy-Free or Gluten-Free?

Yes---that's an option! To ensure that these chicken tenders are GF-friendly, ensure that you use GF breadcrumbs, flour, as well as GF-friendly buffalo sauce, if using store-bought. To make this recipe dairy-free, be sure to use plant-based milk for "batter" and vegan-friendly buffalo sauce. Also, sub butter with vegan butter for cooking sauce.

How to Store Leftovers

These spicy chicken tenders are best the day they’re made, since they’re so crispy. However, place any leftover ingredients in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

More Appetizer Recipes

If you're into these sticky and spicy honey buffalo chicken tenders, you'll love these other popular appetizer recipes:

• Classic Oven Baked Buffalo Wings
• Orange Chicken Wings
• Southern Hot Honey Cauliflower Bites
• Asparagus + Mozzarella Puff Pastry with Herb Honey
• Jamaican Spicy 'Pepper' Shrimp
• Crispiest Seasoned French Fries
• Everything Bagel Cauliflower Bites
• Healthy Green Goddess Salad Dip 
• Everything Brussels Sprouts + Mozzarella Hand Pies
• Vegan Blueberry Crostinis

MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?

If you choose to make these Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders or any other recipe from us, be sure to tag us on Instagram at #Orchidsandsweettea so that we can share the love, rate, comment below, + share!

Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders

March 1, 2021 •

By Shanika

5 from 7 votes

Make these Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders for an easy spruce up to your weeknight or weekend meal.

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

Serves: 4 servings

Units:

US Customary|Metric

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Ingredients

CHICKEN TENDERS:

• 2 lbs. organic chicken breast, cut into strips (They should be cut length-wise; You can always use tenderloins, if desired.)
• 2 tsps sea salt, divided
• 2 tsps black pepper, divided
• 2 tsps smoked paprika, divided
• 2 tsps garlic powder, divided
• 2 tsps onion powder, divided
• 2 tsps dried parsley, divided
• 2 tsps dried thyme, divided
• 2 tsps dried oregano, divided
• 2 tsps dried basil, divided
• ¼ cup buffalo sauce, organic (You can use store-bought or homemade----See Post for info!)
• 2 large organic eggs, beaten
• ¼ cup Almond milk, unsweetened (You can use whole milk, if preferred)
• ½ cup organic all-purpose flour
• 2 cups organic cornflakes, crushed
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (You can make your own Seasoned Toasted Panko Bread Crumbs)

SAUCE:

• 2 cups buffalo sauce, organic
• 2 Tbsps unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsps raw honey, organic

Instructions

TO MAKE THE CHICKEN TENDERS:

• Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and prep a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and a wire rack (this helps both sides to crisp up nicely).
• In a large bowl, add the chicken strips, buffalo sauce, and 1 teaspoon of EACH: sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, thyme, oregano, basil, and dried parsley, along with Buffalo sauce, tossing everything together until well coated. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes so that everything marinates. NOTE: It's always best to marinate overnight in the fridge.
• In the bowl of the beaten egg, add the milk and whisk together until combined.

TO MAKE THE BREADED COATING:

• In a separate large bowl, add the crushed corn flakes, breadcrumbs, and remaining 1 teaspoon of seasonings together and stir until combined.
• In a separate bowl, add the flour.
• Now, dip one chicken strip (tender) into the flour followed by the egg mixture (shaking off any excess) and then add it into the breadcrumb coating mixture-----tossing it around until strip is well coated. Then lay the chicken strip (tender) side by side onto the baking sheet (about an inch apart). Repeat until all chicken tenders are coated.
• Lightly brush or spray tops of chicken with olive oil or cooking spray and bake them for 30-35 minutes or until chicken has fully cooked through.

TO MAKE THE SAUCE:

• In a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter and let it melt. Next, add the buffalo sauce and honey, stirring until combined. Bring to a slight boil and reduce the heat to lower for a nice simmer. Add in the baked chicken tenders and toss them in the sauce until fully coated. Remove from heat.
• To serve, enjoy chicken tenders with your favorite condiment or dipping sauce. Tenders can also be served atop a salad, sandwich, taco, pizza, etc.
• Bon Appetit!

Tips & Tricks

• STORAGE: Place any leftover ingredients in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
• MAKE AHEAD: All ingredients can be made and individually stored as meal prep (up to 2 days prior) and assembled when ready to serve. Be sure to store crushed corn flakes + seasoning mixture in a nicely sealed zip loc bag, kept at room temp. 
• CHICKEN: If you don’t have chicken breasts, you can always use chicken tenderloins which are already pre-cut into strips.
• HONEY: You can always substitute honey with maple syrup or organic brown sugar.
• HOMEMADE BREADCRUMBS: To make your own breadcrumbs, simply grind 1-2 cups of cubed bread into a food processor until finely chopped. Place crumbs onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread out evenly. Bake for 5-6 minutes in the oven set at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring occasionally. Once brown + crisp, remove from oven and let cool. Continue recipe steps and store remaining breadcrumbs in a tightly sealed container. 
• GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: To ensure that these chicken tenders are GF-friendly, ensure that you use GF breadcrumbs, flour, as well as GF-friendly buffalo sauce, if using store-bought.
• EGG SUBSTITUTE: If you'd prefer not to use eggs for "egg wash", you can always substitute with dijon mustard or mayonnaise. 
• DAIRY-FREE OPTION: To make this recipe dairy-free, be sure to use plant-based milk for "batter" and vegan-friendly buffalo sauce. Also, sub butter with vegan butter for cooking sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 1623mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 867IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 3mg

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Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders.

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