Everyone has those days.
When you’re sick of work, really not feeling that final paper that’s due in two days, or you’re just plain old bored of your same old routine.
Well I recently had such a day, and what should one do on such a day?
Make some chicken tenders. But some limp, “oven-baked” chicken tenders aren’t going to soothe your sorrows. You need some DOUBLE-DIPPED BUTTERMILK FRIED Chicken Tenders.
Nay, you need double-dipped buttermilk KOREAN fried chicken tenders. And…what’s that? Gochujang dipping sauce, you say? Don’t mind if I do.
Now, before you lampoon me for clogging your arteries and corrupting your diets, I ask you, is there anything more therapeutic than being transported back to simpler times? You would walk into a restaurant with your family and not even have to glance at the children’s menu before knowing that you wanted the chicken fingers and French fries. Your culinary choices weren’t hampered by diets or whether or not the latest gastropub you picked for lunch is just trendy enough. Your biggest concern during mealtimes was just why you could never seem to locate a green crayon to properly draw a flower on the paper-lined table-top of your favorite chicken finger-slinging restaurant.
So I say have a chicken tender, gosh darnit! These Korean fried chicken tenders are double-dipped in buttermilk and flour for an extra crunchy coating. Korean chili powder rounds out the flavors, adding a delightful spice. And the gochujang dipping sauce? It’s pretty awesome, too.
Recipe Instructions
First, place the chicken tenders in a medium sized bowl. Pour enough buttermilk into the bowl to submerge the chicken. Add the soy sauce and dijon mustard. Stir thoroughly and let sit for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, combine the flour, Korean chili powder, salt, and pepper.
Heat the oil over medium high heat. When a chopstick dipped into the oil sizzles, you’re ready to start frying.
Dredge each chicken tender in the flour mixture, coating thoroughly. Then dip the chicken tender back into the buttermilk. Dredge in the flour mixture a second time, and gently place into the hot oil.
Fry until the chicken is golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet.
Repeat the double-dipping/dredging and frying with the remaining pieces of chicken. When you’re done frying the chicken, combine the gochujang paste, soy sauce, honey/agave, sesame oil, and dijon mustard for the dipping sauce.
Serve these Korean fried chicken tenders immediately–maybe alongside some French fries if you’re having yourself an extra little splurge!
Korean Fried Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
For the tenders:
- 2 chicken breasts (cut into 15 tenders)
- Buttermilk (enough to coat the chicken)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 3 tablespoons Korean chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Vegetable oil (enough to fill a small, deep pot for frying)
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons gochujang paste
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey (or agave)
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
Instructions
- First, place the chicken tenders in a medium sized bowl. Pour enough buttermilk into the bowl to submerge the chicken. Add the soy sauce and dijon mustard. Stir thoroughly and let sit for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, combine the flour, Korean chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Heat the oil over medium high heat. When a chopstick dipped into the oil sizzles, you're ready to start frying.
- Dredge each chicken tender in the flour mixture, coating thoroughly. Then dip the chicken tender back into the buttermilk. Dredge in the flour mixture a second time, and gently place into the hot oil. Fry until the chicken is golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet.
- Repeat the double-dipping/dredging and frying with the remaining pieces of chicken. When you're done frying the chicken, combine the gochujang, soy sauce, agave, sesame oil, and dijon mustard for the dipping sauce. Serve immediately--maybe alongside some French fries if you're having yourself an extra little splurge!
nutrition facts
Just made these! What can I say… AMAZING!!! Super crunchy lumpy spicy coating surrounding delectably juicy tender chicken. And really quite easy to throw together – I actually had all the makings for this recipe on hand and was looking for something new and different to do with the Bell & Evans chicken tenders in my fridge. My husband, kids and I devoured these for our Sunday lunch with some frozen edamame that I dressed up with a sprinkling of Japanese spices, salt and sesame oil. Super satisfying. Thank you for this great recipe.
Thank you, Alli! I’m so glad your family enjoyed it :)
These are fantastic! The double dipping and dredging makes a gorgeous crispy, spicy coating and keeps the chicken inside super moist and tender – I’ll definitely do that again! In my fryer, 2 mins at 180C was about perfect. Gochujang paste was new to me, and I loved the sweet/salt/chilli/mustard flavour in the sauce – garlic aioli also worked pretty well. Definitely making these again.
Thanks, Nicki! I’m so glad you liked it.
This recipe is bad. I attempted it and the coating is abysmal. It falls right off the chicken. It makes no sense. And the sauce recipe is way too small!
Hi Paige, I’m sorry the recipe didn’t work out for you! Hopefully you enjoy some of our other chicken recipes. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
It ain’t the recipe that’s bad if you don’t know how to keep batter on your chicken. Back to cooking 101 it is for you.
I wish you did a youtube version. I can’t seem to achieve the textured coating like your pictures. Mine is smooth and doesn’t brown evenly like yours. When i dredge the chicken in flour followed by buttermilk, it seemed to make it super thick.
Hi Ling, the point of the dredge is to be messy so you get lots of crunchy nooks and crannies. Don’t be afraid to make things messy and to turn the chicken over and press the flour and buttermilk in with your fingers! Thick is what I was going for because I love the crunchy coating almost more than the chicken itself!
Is it fine to use boneless chicken thighs? I prefer dark meat over white.
Absolutely!
I made the Peruvian chicken that you’ve recently posted and it was incredible! It makes me want to visit Peru to try their other food. What really made that dish was the mind blowing green sauce – absolutely incredible! However, that green sauce recipe made way more than was needed to flavor the chicken. I’ve been brewing over what to do with the remaining and thankfully your chicken tenders came to the rescue. Might I dare say, the green sauce is even better than the korean dipping sauce? Peruvian chicken tenders FTW! :) Much thanks! You guys are the best!
Hi Peter, my sister’s Peruvian chicken was soooo gooooood. Nom. And that green sauce…don’t get me started. I may have to make some + these chicken tenders soon!!! Thanks for stopping by and sharing :)
Hi there!
Very interested with this recipe, the fried chicken’s picture looks so delicious!
But I got 1 major problem with ingredients, I can’t find Buttermilk in my country as it’s not a common ingredients :(
Do you have any ideas for buttermilk substitutes?
Cheers!
Hi Ea, you can make a substitute for buttermilk by mixing 1 cup of milk with 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice, then letting it sit for 10 min. If you go this route I would use whole milk, to give that richer flavor! Good luck!
Ah I see, so with Buttermilk the chicken will taste sourish? and is it okay if I just use milk only to marinade the chicken?
Thanks Kaitlin :)
Hi Ea, that buttermilk does not add any sour taste, only delicious richness. I’m honestly not sure how it would turn out if you only used milk. The buttermilk is quite thick. But I’m not opposed to trying things at least once!
I’ve used a mix of yogurt and milk to marinate chicken tenders before and that works as a substitute for buttermilk pretty well. You could also use that as a sub for buttermilk in pancake recipes too.
Can’t wait to make this.I don’t have korean chilli powder, would it be possible to substitute it with something else, cayenne perhaps?
Hi Ayesha, yes, you can definitely sub with cayenne! Hope you enjoy them!
This recipe is awesome!! My chicken turns out really nice and golden brown. Only one problem for me is somehow when I eat the chicken is a bit limp, not very crispy. Do you have this problem? Could it be I didn’t fry the chicken longer? Great recipe tho :)
Hi Susan, Hmmm… the chicken should be fried for a decently long time at a high enough heat to make sure the flour really has time to harden. I will say that upon refrigerating, they do go quite limp and sad, but reheating them in a toaster oven or regular oven did the trick for us. Hope that helps!
Chicken was awesome best fried chicken I’ve ever tasted! Thanks for the recipe
Thanks, Zacc! Glad you enjoyed it