OK, first things first. You have to make a batch of the Chicken Scratch seasoning that I make these chicken tenders with. I promise you will love it. If it ever had feathers on it, I put Chicken Scratch on it. Period. I posted a few recipes below that also use the Chicken Scratch... ya know, to try to lure you in to making some :)
I don’t fry often because deep-frying anything is time consuming, expensive, fattening and messy but the great thing about these chicken tenders is that you’re really just pan-frying them. You just use enough oil to cook the tenders on each side - you don’t have to submerge them in the oil. Chicken tenders are great for this cooking method because they’re light enough that they won’t sink to the bottom of the pan and burn and they are small enough to cook quickly.
Pan-Fried Chicken Tenders
1 pound chicken tenderloins
2 tablespoons Chicken Scratch, divided (recipe below)
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup hot sauce
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
Vegetable oil
Season chicken with 1 tablespoon Chicken Scratch; set aside.
Whisk egg, milk and hot sauce in a shallow bowl; set aside.
Combine remaining 1 tablespoon Chicken Scratch, flour, black pepper and dry mustard in a shallow bowl; set aside.
Working in batches, dip seasoned chicken in egg wash then toss to coat in flour mixture. Place chicken on a cooling rack or plate lined with wax paper and refrigerate until ready to use. Allowing them to rest a bit will help the breading stick to the chicken tenders.
Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet until temperature reaches 335-340 degrees. Fry the chicken until golden brown and crispy, turning once (about 5 minutes) then drain on cooling rack or paper towels.
Serve with honey mustard or your favorite dipping sauce. P.S.... I have it on good authority that Chick-fil-A Sauce is just honey mustard with a little barbeque sauce mixed in.
Chicken Scratch
This is a seasoning mix I came up with years ago that I use each and every time I cook chicken. For more recipes using Chicken Scratch, click here.
3 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon white pepper
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper*
1 tablespoon onion powder
Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. I keep mine in a large used spice container that still has its shaker top for easy use. Season chicken or other poultry LIBERALLY with mix (this is made with less than 25% salt so you can rock it out!)
*if you prefer a Southwest vibe, use chili powder instead
UPDATE! This recipe was "Pintested" by Pintesting and received 4.5 out of 5 pins! Read the review here 😜
PRINTABLE RECIPE
YUM! I just put chicken tenders in fridge for supper. NOW I know what to do with them. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThat chicken scratch seasoning looks awesome! I might have to do this!
ReplyDeleteAs a person who respects ALL life, I find this quite disgusting and completely unnecessary. I didn't used to, but when one discovers the truth about what happens to these animals before they make it to our plates, it's a whole different ballgame.
ReplyDeleteWe have chicken farms all around us here in the country. We also have a processing plant in the next town. I'm used to seeing the chickens shipped in and out. I also have several friends that have farms that raise free range... The choice of where to buy is up to the individual. Most people aren't aware of where there food comes from... Chickens definitely do not grow on trees... But what I want to know is what is "quite disgusting and completely unnecessary" about her recipe??? If it's just a case of not eating chicken... don't click on a chicken recipe, and you'll be much happier. If it's a case of free range or mass production, how do you know what kind of chicken she uses??? If it's a case of the "ALL life" issue, what the heck do you eat? Everything has a quality of literal life... even nuts and berries. If you yank a plant out the ground, does it not die??? Hmmmmm! Lynn Elliott Vining
DeleteEating another living being. It's not necessary. Animals value their lives every bit as much as you value yours. I am a 100% vegan and I don't feel deprived of anything--taste, texture, eye appeal, you name it. I am also much healthier for having made the switch. Google "free range chickens" or "factory farming" to get an education as to what it really means. I used to buy all "cage free" chicken eggs thinking I was doing a good thing. Then I got educated and quit eating eggs altogether. www.earthlings.com is a good place to start. Of course, I realize that not all chickens that are slaughtered live in such horrific conditions prior to their slaughter. But nevertheless, my comments stand. There is no such thing as "humane killing." If you think there is, then would you consider trading place with the chicken, or do you value your life too much? And please, spare the rhetoric about nuts and berries. Plants do NOT have the breath of life in them (i.e., souls).
DeleteOh shut up and get off the girl's recipe! For heaven's sake why did you CLICK ON IT if we're so disgusting! Geez!
DeleteJayne, out of curiosity what do you wear? In particular what kind of shoes do you wear? Being 100% vegan I imagine you never wear tennis shoes since they are made in part with leather, which of course some "disgusting" person"slaughtered" an animal to get that leather. Surely you would not wear a wool coat since, a poor animal was sheered for the hair and that animal is humiliated somewhere for having no hair. All I can say is bless your heart. What did you expect to find on a blog devoted to primarily "southern cooking"? If you are looking for some freakish 100% vegan garbage....try the west coast, cause you ain't gonna find it here. :)
DeleteI can see why you are shown as "Anonymous". Why would you ever look at a chicken recipe if you don't eat it? Would suggest you take your plastic shoes and clothing (and ignorant comments) someplace else.
DeleteDavecooker
being vegan is a choice, one that you have made. that does not give you the right to sanctimoniously condescend to anyone else that has not made that same choice. doing so is one of the reasons so many people look down on vegans and consider them idiotic. while i'm sure you are in fact quite intelligent, commenting about the cruelty of eating chickens on a page for a chicken recipe doesn't exactly do the appearance of your intelligence any favors. also, to say that plants do not have the breathe of life and do not have souls is an opinion, just as believing that chickens have souls is an opinion, to which you have a right, but that right stops when it comes to forcing, guilting, or hoisting it upon others. i believe the earth is a living thing, and that without things such as trees and grass there would be no animals, or people around to have souls. you owe your very existence to plants, especially as a vegan. speaking so lightly of their importance does your intelligence no favors either. if you want to make a difference and get people to stop eating meat, therefore cutting down on the contribution to keeping the cruel practices of the food animal industry thriving, the first step is to present yourself with intelligence. people respect intelligence. people do not respect condescension, rudeness, guilting, blaming, or any other of a number of tactics typically reserved for politicians. figure out how to be a vegan without denigrating those around you and you be much more successful. until then, people will continue to dismiss anything you say as the paranoid rantings of an idiot, and rightly so.
DeleteNo one is making you eat or cook this. If you choose to not eat meat that is your own business. Do NOT judge others for the choices they choose to make. Didn't your mammas raise you better. Dear lord.
DeleteNo one is making you eat or cook this. If you choose to not eat meat that is your own business. Do NOT judge others for the choices they choose to make. Didn't your mammas raise you better. Dear lord.
Deletea 1/4 cup of hot sauce sounds like a fair amount.
ReplyDeletedoes it make it quite spicy?
and could I just take that out of the recipe without it making it taste off?
You can certainly make it without the hot sauce but I promise it's not too spicy :)
DeleteI made the Chicken Scratch and the Fried Chicken Tenders tonight. The seasoning was just perfect...not too spicy but not bland, either. The tenders cooked up as pretty as the picture used on this recipe. They were delicious! The breading cooked up light and tender. It wasn't heavy at all. This is my go-to Chicken Tender recipe from now on! Thanks for sharing it, Mandy!
ReplyDeleteHi, I followed your recipe more or less and the results were fantastic! The chicken's interior was nice and moist and the exterior was crunchy and satisfying. I loved the spicy kick which accompanied the 1 TBSP of cayenne pepper. I passed on the copious amounts of chicken scratch (which I did not make correctly due to not having all the types of spices) and they turned out just fine with salt/pepper/cayenne and some cajun seasoning I had on hand :)
ReplyDeleteThanks a bunch!
-John
Holy cow this recipe is amazing.
ReplyDeleteLove the chicken scratch seasoning. Another Chick-Fil-A taste trick is to soak your tenders or fillets in pickle juice for at least an hour before breading. This really adds a wonderful twist!
ReplyDeletePickle juice for brining...gotta try this. Thanks for sharing this!
DeleteKosher or regular table salt? Looking forward to trying this recipe - Thank You for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteGonna try this recipe tonight and see how it goes!
ReplyDeleteWill this work without the egg???? My daughter has a food allergy.
ReplyDeleteHi Jessica when I run out of eggs I often use flaxseed for any recipes calling for eggs. I found it on the back of the bag. I've used in corn bread and it was not bad at all. I'm not sure the conversion right off hand but you should be able to find it no problem!
DeleteChick-fil-a sauce is a mixture of honey mustard, barbeque, and ranch!
ReplyDeleteThis recipe looks great, thanks for posting! I dip chicken tenders and most everything else in Comeback dressing, a Mississippi staple. I'll be making these.
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to tell you that I LOVE the chicken scratch seasoning. I use it in my crockpot on chicken and pork. Makes them so good!! I've tried many of your recipes and you're one of my favorite recipe sites! :)
ReplyDeleteThis was pretty good I must say. I didn't have the luxury of time to let the breading stick to the chicken--I just waited 30 minutes and left the chicken at room temperature before pan frying. I lost just some pieces of breading during the frying time, but I'm impressed with how much stayed stuck to the chicken. Very juicy and flavorful. However, I am not a fan of tabasco and if I were to repeat this I'd either leave it out completely or mix in significantly less hot sauce. My toddlers couldn't handle the heat :( That chicken scratch seasoning though....it's ON POINT! Thanks for sharing <3
ReplyDelete