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    Home > Appetizers, Starters & Party Food

    Crispy Chicken Tenders with Garlic Chilli Dip

    Published: Jul 28, 2017 · Modified: Sep 7, 2018 by Nicky Corbishley

    Go to Recipe Go to Video Print Recipe

    Crispy Chicken Tenders with Garlic Chilli Dip! My technique for chicken that's juicy on the inside, crunchy on the outside and packed with flavour!Crispy Chicken Tenders in a blue bowl sprinkled with herbs

    I worked in a fried chicken shop for 5 years when I was at high school and college, so I know my crispy chicken tenders!

    Back then, most of the chicken was chopped in store on a bandsaw, but sometimes, when the cut stuff was running low, we had to get the cleaver out.

    Yep, a 15-year old, with a cleaver, trying not to cut any fingers off.

    A Crispy Chicken Tender being dipped into garlic chilli mayo

    We also had a massive old pressure cooker, a burger grill that literally spat out flames (those burgers tasted amazing though) and more than a few interesting/scary customers. Especially when I was:

    A: Working on my own - which was quite often during my year before university!
    and
    B: Serving the worse-for-wear customers in the early hours of the morning - when the nightclubs had chucked out.

    It's safe to say that job was a confidence builder! And whilst I vowed at the time that I wouldn't work in a fast food shop again, I managed to fall into a job at Wimpy during the first couple of my Uni years!
    No fried chicken there though!

    So, coming back to the chicken....

    Crispy Chicken Tenders in a blue bowl with Garlic Chilli Dip in the background
    In those days, the chicken was simply coated in a special blend of spices and flour (I don't have the secret recipe - it came ready-mixed in great big sacks), and then fried. Simple and delicious!

    I use my own special blend of spices with these crispy chicken tenders, and after a fair bit of tasting and experimentation, I think I've got it spot on, or even better. I also use this coating recipe in my crispy chicken burger and Chinese crispy chicken!

    Lewis tell me it's the best chicken he's ever tasted. Whilst Gracey is too busy stuffing her face with second and third helpings to actually say anything.

    Because I'm using chicken breast pieces - rather than chicken on the bone (which is naturally more juicy and tender) - I marinate the chicken in a simple mixture of buttermilk, salt, pepper and garlic salt for at least an hour first. Trust me, this makes ALL the difference!

    Go heavy on the coating, then fry until beautifully golden. I use our deep fryer for this, but I am experimenting with an oven-baked version, so I'll update you when I've perfected that recipe.

    Perfect crispy chicken, with a hint of chilli spice (leave it out if you don't like it spicy, it still tastes amazing!).

    The Crispy Chicken Tenders with Garlic Chilli Dip Recipe:

    Crispy Chicken Tenders with Garlic Chilli Dip! My technique for chicken that's juicy on the inside, crunchy on the outside and packed with flavour!

    Crispy Chicken Tenders with Garlic Chilli Dip

    By: Nicky Corbishley
    Crispy Chicken Tenders with Garlic Chilli Dip! My technique for chicken that's juicy on the inside, crunchy on the outside and packed with flavour!
    5 from 4 votes
    Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine American, British
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 471 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 4 chicken breasts - sliced into long, thick strips
    • 240 ml 1 cup buttermilk
    • ½ tsp salt
    • ¼ tsp white pepper
    • ¼ tsp garlic salt

    Crispy Coating:

    • 180 g 1 ½ cups plain (all-purpose) flour
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp ground black pepper
    • ½ tsp garlic salt
    • ½ tsp celery salt
    • 1 tsp dried thyme
    • 1 tsp paprika
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1 tsp chilli flakes
    • vegetable oil for frying

    Dip:

    • 3 tbsp buttermilk
    • 2 tbsp sour cream
    • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • Juice of half a lime
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • ¼ tsp black pepper
    • 1 small garlic clove peeled and crushed
    • 1 tsp sriracha

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Place the chicken in a bowl. Add the buttermilk, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Mix together, cover and place in the fridge to marinade for at least 1 hour (up to over night)
    • Preheat the oven to a low heat (to keep cooked chicken warm). Heat a large pan of vegetable oil (or preheat your deep fat fryer) until hot (you can test by dropping a small cube of bread in there, if it rises immediately to the top and starts to bubble rapidly, it’s hot enough). You’ll need at least 1 litre (4 cups) of oil.
    • Mix together the crispy coating ingredients in a small bowl. Take the chicken out of the fridge. Lift a piece from the buttermilk and allow the excess to drip off. Dredge the chicken in the crispy coating mixture – ensuring it’s fully covered. Place on a tray and repeat until all of the chicken is coated.
    • Once the oil is hot enough, add in 5 or 6 of the chicken tenders. You can add more or less depending on the size of your pan, just be sure not to overcrowd the chicken. Cook for 3-5 minutes until golden brown and cooked in the middle. You can check this by cutting open a piece of chicken, if it’s no longer pink in the middle, it’s cooked.
    • Place on a tray in the oven to keep warm whilst you cook the rest of the chicken.
    • Mix together the dip ingredients and serve with the crispy chicken.

    Video

    ✎ Notes

    Nutritional Information is per serving.
    This info is approximate, as all of the flour may not be used up in coating the chicken (I've counted all of the flour as part of the nutritional info though). Also, I've included 1 tbsp of oil per serving to account for the oil that is absorbed during deep drying (this is an *approximate* amount, the chicken may absorb more or less).

    Nutrition

    Calories: 471kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 36gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 1448mgPotassium: 753mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 445IUVitamin C: 2.6mgCalcium: 110mgIron: 2.4mg
    Keywords Any Time Of the year, appetizer, better than takeout, Comfort Food, Game Day
    Tried this recipe?Mention @KitchenSanctuary or tag #KitchenSanctuary on Instagram!

    Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

    Read More

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Baltisraul says

      May 27, 2023 at 12:03 pm

      5 stars
      If you want more crispy, use powered salt when making your coating. It works for all things fried. I make up a supply and keep on hand. Place table salt in a blender, not a food processor, and grind it up fine. You can also put it in a coffee grinder too. I actually use both methods to get it as fine as possible.

      Reply
    2. Phoebe says

      August 09, 2021 at 7:18 am

      5 stars
      I had never made fried chicken before and decided to try this recipe. It is my favourite thing I’ve learned to cook in a while. The batter/coating is so good, it’s like having takeout at home.

      Reply
    3. Dean Lindsay says

      March 10, 2021 at 7:59 am

      Hi Nicky,

      Love love love the Chanel. As a “50 something” I remember as a young boy, my mum always doing a chicken Kiev with braised celery and Crocket potatoes. (Can’t remember what sauce but it was always a once a week dinner)

      Trouble is mum never really cooked from scratch so my recollection is that it was always a bought item on the Kiev front. (2 chicken breasts in a pack as I remember). Is this a dish you could put a spin on and show how to cook from scratch while keeping it succulent as well as home made. I would love to recreate it.

      Reply
    4. Conor says

      March 09, 2021 at 9:42 pm

      Hi, is there an oven-baked version of this recipe?

      Reply
      • Nicky Corbishley says

        March 11, 2021 at 10:17 am

        Yes - you can use the oven-baked tenders from this recipe: https://www.kitchensanctuary.com/crispy-chicken-strips-chimichurri-dip/

        Reply
    5. Chris says

      September 07, 2018 at 11:35 am

      5 stars
      The Coating on these is unbelievable!. Genuinely one of my food cravings and i have many 🙂

      Reply
    6. KC says

      April 25, 2018 at 3:31 pm

      5 stars
      Tried these over the weekend, I was looking after my grandchildren for the weekend. Needless to say I am now voted the best Grandma ever, thanks to this fab recipe.

      Reply

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    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

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