My Juicy "Fried" Chicken Tenders

Southerners always soak their chicken in buttermilk before dipping it in flour and deep frying it – that is what I learned on my live call in show on the food network. I thought it was a just a Southern thing, I didn’t realize it was a science thing. I knew that dairy was a tenderizer in baked goods, now I have learned it plays the same role for chicken.  Buttermilk is not just a tenderizer, it also adds a tangy taste.

The Ultimate Tenderizer

So one day when I bought a package of chicken tenders, I thought I would try marinating them in buttermilk.

Chicken Tenders

I covered the chicken with buttermilk, added several hefty pinches of salt (to turn it into a brine/marinade), some chipotle hot sauce and a couple of smashed garlic cloves

The Flavorings

and let the tenders marinate in the fridge for several hours. Then I dipped the chicken in a mixture of panko and seasoned bread crumbs

Breadcrumb Medley

and sauteed them in olive oil in a large skillet until they were golden on both sides and just cooked through. The tenders were amazingly tender and juicy. A squeeze of lemon was all the chicken needed as a garnish.

This is now a very popular dish in my house. It has become part of the weekly line up.