Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders
Savor the flavor of Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and bursting with garlic and parmesan!
Servings: 8 chicken tenders
Calories: 513kcal
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
- 1 cup (245 g) buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Breading
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 cups (216 g) plain panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup (100 g) parmesan cheese, finely grated
- vegetable oil, for frying
Garlic Butter
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons parsley, chopped
Instructions
Chicken
- In a large bowl, combine chicken, buttermilk, salt, and pepper, making sure the chicken is completely covered. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator to marinate for 3 hours, up to overnight.
Breading
- When ready, transfer the chicken to the counter to come to room temperature while you prepare the breading. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- On a shallow plate, add the flour, cornstarch, salt, and garlic powder. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- On a separate shallow plate, add eggs and water. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- On a third shallow plate, add the panko and parmesan. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- One at a time, remove a piece of chicken from the buttermilk mixture. Dredge it first in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, and finally the panko mixture, carefully pressing the panko mixture onto each tender. Place on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.
- To a large pot over medium-low heat, add 2 inches of oil. Heat until the oil reaches a temperature of 350°F.*
- Working in batches, add 3-4 pieces of chicken to the pot and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. The chicken should be crispy and golden brown.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken tenders from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the excess oil. Repeat with the remaining chicken, making sure the oil is hot enough for each batch. (The oil temperature may go down after cooking each batch of chicken.)
Garlic Butter
- To a small saucepan over low heat, add butter, garlic, and salt. Once the butter has melted, remove the saucepan from heat. Stir in the parsley.
- Transfer the chicken tenders to a serving platter and drizzle the garlic butter over the cooked chicken tenders. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
Air Fryer Instructions:
- Follow the instructions up to the point of adding the chicken to the oil.
- Instead of adding to the oil, place the coated chicken tenders into the basket of your air fryer. (Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to work in batches.)
- Cook for 8 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time. Cooking times may vary, depending on the size of the tenders.
- Drizzle garlic butter over the cooked chicken tenders.
Nutrition
Serving: 1chicken tender with garlic butter | Calories: 513kcal