Chicken Tenders and Fries

5 from 1 vote

Make these finger-licking good, homemade chicken tenders and fries! The battered fried tenders are served with crispy fries and are easy to make.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 666kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

Baking sheet
Large cast-iron skillet or high-sided frying pan
2 Large Bowls
Tongs

Ingredients

Fries:

1 ½ lbs potatoes all-purpose, 650 g, Note 1
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon black ground pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon sweet paprika powder use hot for a bit of heat

Chicken tenders:

2 lbs chicken tenders 900 g Note 2
1 ½ cup flour 180 g
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil for frying or as much as needed, 250 ml, Note 3

Instructions

Fries:

Preheat the oven to 450°F/ 230°C and brush the baking sheet with oil.
Cut the fries: Peel and wash the potatoes, then cut them into slices (about ¼ inches/ ½ cm).
1 ½ lbs potatoes / 650 g
Soak potatoes in a large bowl filled with hot tap water for 10 minutes. Drain and dry them well with kitchen towels.
Season potatoes: Dry the bowl and return the potatoes to it. Toss them with the oil and then with the spices.
2 tablespoons olive oil + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon black ground pepper + 1 teaspoon garlic powder + ½ teaspoon onion powder + ½ teaspoon sweet paprika powder
Bake fries: Transfer the seasoned potatoes to a well-oiled baking sheet (Note 4). Bake them in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Flip and bake them for another 5 to 10 minutes or until they are crispy and nicely browned around the edges.

Chicken tenders:

Flour mixture: Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
1 ½ cup flour / 180 g + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper + 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder + ½ teaspoon garlic powder + ½ teaspoon onion powder
Beat the eggs in another large bowl.
2 eggs
Batter chicken tenders: Dredge the chicken tenders through the flour mixture and pat them gently to remove the excess. Transfer them to the bowl with the eggs and toss to coat them all over. Lift them with tongs, let them drip the excess into the bowl, and return them to the bowl containing the flour mixture. Toss them again to coat them with flour.
2 lbs chicken tenders / 900 g
Let them rest for 5 minutes or the time it takes the oil to get hot; this will help the batter stick to the meat.
Heat the oil: Heat 2 inches/ 5 cm of oil in a large high-sided frying pan; the oil should be hot but not smoking and reach a temperature of 365-375°F/ 185-190°C.
1 cup vegetable oil / 250 ml or as much as needed
Fry chicken tenders in batches: Carefully, using tongs, place 5-6 of the tenders in the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry them for a total time of 8-10 minutes, flipping a couple of times in between to prevent them from getting too brown on one side.
Let the fried chicken pieces drain on paper towels to remove the excess fat. Fry the next batch.
Check that they are cooked through; the easiest way to do that is to cut one fried tender in the middle; the meat should be white.

Notes

Type of potato: I used all-purpose or semi-waxy potatoes, which are between starchy and waxy. A good potato for this recipe is Yukon Gold.
Oil: The amount you need also depends on the pan size; you should have about 2 inches/ 5 cm of oil in the pan.
Chicken tenders are also known as chicken tenderloin or strips. You can use chicken breast, too; just cut it into strips about as long and as wide as a tenderloin.
Parchment paper: You can bake the fries on parchment paper, but I still recommend lightly brushing the paper with oil before adding the potatoes.
The nutrition calculation is just an approximation and doesn't consider the oil needed for frying the chicken.

Nutrition