Baking

Buffalo Chicken Tenders (So Crispy, So Saucy, So Gone)

3 min

Whisk the buffalo sauce into the melted butter before the tenders come out of the oven, because hot chicken grabs sauce in a way cold chicken never will. These bake on a wire rack at 425, which keeps the underside as crisp as the top instead of going soggy where it sits. The buttermilk soak does double duty: it tenderizes and it gives the flour something to cling to. I save the saucing for the very last second, right before the dressing hits the plate.

By Nora Calloway

A little backstory

Buffalo sauce traces back to the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, where the story goes that Teressa Bellissimo threw together a hot-sauce-and-butter coating for wings as a late-night snack in 1964. The wings came first; tenders are the boneless, weeknight cousin that borrows the same butter-and-Frank's mix. The two-part sauce is the through-line, and it's why a splash of melted butter matters as much as the heat.

Buffalo wings are great. But buffalo chicken tenders? Even better. All the spicy, buttery, tangy goodness, none of the messy bone-picking.

These tenders come out ultra-crispy (even baked, not fried). Toss them in classic Frank’s + butter sauce, then serve with ranch or blue cheese. Game day, dinner night, or just a hungry Tuesday—these deliver.

Serves 4.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1 1

Marinate (Quick Version)

Toss chicken tenders in buttermilk. Let sit for 10 minutes (or up to 2 hours in the fridge).

2 2

Coat and Crisp

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment and place a wire rack on top.

Mix flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish.

Remove chicken from buttermilk, letting excess drip off. Dredge in flour mixture, pressing firmly.

Place on the wire rack. Spray or brush lightly with oil.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and cooked through (internal temp 165°F).

3 3

Sauce It Up

Whisk buffalo sauce and melted butter together in a large bowl.

Toss the hot chicken tenders in the sauce until fully coated.

4 4

Serve Immediately

Plate with ranch or blue cheese. Celery sticks optional but encouraged.

Summary

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 18 minutes | Total Time: 28 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Difficulty: Easy

Storage Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in an air fryer or oven at 375°F for 5-7 minutes to bring back the crisp. (Microwave will make them sad and soggy.)

Make ahead? Bread the tenders and refrigerate (uncooked) for up to 6 hours. Bake when ready.

The Ingredients

Everything you need.

Prep

10 minutes

Cook

18 minutes

Total

28 minutes

Yield

4 servings

Ingredients

1½ lbs (675g) chicken tenders (or boneless breasts cut into strips)
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup buffalo sauce (like Frank’s RedHot)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Ranch or blue cheese dressing, for dipping

Instructions

1
Marinate (Quick Version). Marinate (Quick Version). Toss chicken tenders in buttermilk. Let sit for 10 minutes (or up to 2 hours in the fridge). 2 2
2
Coat and Crisp. Coat and Crisp. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment and place a wire rack on top. Mix flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Remove chicken from buttermilk, letting excess drip off. Dredge in flour mixture, pressing firmly. Place on the wire rack. Spray or brush lightly with oil. Bake for 15-18 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and cooked through (internal temp 165°F). 3 3
3
Sauce It Up. Sauce It Up. Whisk buffalo sauce and melted butter together in a large bowl. Toss the hot chicken tenders in the sauce until fully coated. 4 4
4
Serve Immediately. Serve Immediately. Plate with ranch or blue cheese. Celery sticks optional but encouraged

Swaps & Substitutions

Buttermilk → stir 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar into 1 cup milk and let it sit 5 minutes; works dairy-free with unsweetened soy or almond milk
Unsalted butter → salted butter is fine; just cut the ½ teaspoon salt in the flour to a pinch
All-purpose flour → a 1:1 gluten-free blend or fine cornstarch-and-rice-flour mix crisps up well, maybe a touch crunchier
Frank's RedHot → any cayenne-based hot sauce; thicker sauces like Sriracha need a little extra butter to stay pourable
Chicken tenders → boneless breasts cut into strips, or boneless thighs for juicier meat and a couple minutes more in the oven
Ranch or blue cheese → plain yogurt thinned with a little milk and lemon makes a quick cooling dip

Questions & Answers

Can I fry these instead of baking?

Yes. Skip the rack and oil spray, and fry the dredged tenders in 350°F oil for 4 to 5 minutes until golden and 165°F inside. Sauce them the same way, straight out of the oil.

Why did my coating slide off?

Usually the chicken went into the flour too wet, or got moved around before it set. Let the buttermilk drip off, press the flour on firmly, and don't flip until the underside has had its first 8 minutes to crisp.

How do I make them less spicy?

Shift the ratio toward butter. Use ⅓ cup buffalo sauce to 5 tablespoons butter, or stir a spoonful of honey into the mix to round off the heat.

Can I prep these ahead?

Dredge and bake them, but hold the sauce. Keep the plain baked tenders in the fridge up to 2 days, reheat at 400°F until crisp, then toss in fresh warm sauce so they don't sit and soften.

How do I know they're done?

Pull them at 165°F on an instant-read thermometer in the thickest tender. Visually they should be deep golden with no pink at the center, around the 15 to 18 minute mark.

Buffalo Chicken Tenders (So Crispy, So Saucy, So Gone)