How to fry chicken tenders
Deep-fry chicken tenders in oil at 375°F (190°C) for about 2–3 min per side (a few pieces at a time), until no longer pink inside. Treat the time as a starting point and confirm with a food thermometer. Poultry: 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part, away from bone.
- Oil temperature
- 375°F (190°C)
- Method
- Deep fry
- Starting time
- 2–3 min per sidea few pieces at a time
- Piece size
- chicken tenderloins
- Done when
- no longer pink inside
- Safe internal temp
- 165°F (74°C)
Numbers from Taste of Home: Fried Chicken Tenders · safe temperature from the FoodSafety.gov chart. Celsius values are rounded.
Getting it right
- Use a heavy, deep pot or a countertop fryer and fill it no higher than its safe fill line. The oil rises when food goes in.
- Clip a frying thermometer to the pot and bring the oil to 375°F (190°C). Keep the sensor in the oil, off the base of the pot.
- Pat the food dry before any coating. Water on the surface spits in hot oil and steams the crust soft.
- Lower a small batch in, away from you. The temperature will drop; adjust the burner so it climbs back toward the target.
- Lift out with a skimmer onto a rack over a tray, salt while hot, and let the oil recover before the next batch.
- Lift a piece out and check its thickest part with an instant-read thermometer before serving. Poultry: 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part, away from bone.
Why the temperature matters: oil that is too cool lets the coating soak up fat before it sets, so the outside goes heavy and pale. Oil that is too hot browns the outside before the middle is ready. The thermometer is how you hold the window between the two.