Homemade Fried Sourdough Chicken Tenders Recipe

Ever miss the kid’s menu? Relive the good ole days with this Sourdough Chicken Tenders recipe. Crunchy batter made with sourdough discard and fried until golden brown. These chicken tenders are packed with flavor and juicy every time! Dunk into your favorite dipping sauce for a meal that won’t disappoint.

Sourdough bakers looking to use up some leftover discard typically reach for a recipe card of a sweet treat like sourdough crepes or an apple pie with a sourdough pie crust. These are always delicious and a great way to use up discard, but I encourage you to put a pause on sweets and think savory with me – Fried Chicken Tenders made with sourdough discard!

This fried sourdough chicken tenders recipe is the perfect comfort food. Using sourdough discard gives this batter a ton of flavor that only sourdough can give.

It doesn’t lack in crunch either. These juicy chicken tenders are fried until golden brown to achieve that crispy crust. Delicious on their own or dunked into your favorite dipping sauce for a burst of additional flavor.

Since I made this sourdough chicken tender recipe for my family, my husband has been coming up with all sorts of other foods to be dipped and fried. The sourdough batter is that good! Up next is fried pickles. Yum!

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

Delicious:

I mean, isn’t anything fried automatically delicious? Fried cheese curds, pickles, Oreos, even? But believe me when I tell you, this sourdough discard batter is so flavorful and crispy. It’s all you want and more for a fried chicken tender.

Quick to make:

What I love most about this recipe is the batter is mixed and the chicken is dipped all in one bowl! Forget about pulling out a shallow bowl for dredging and a pie plate for dipping the chicken. We’re talking 15-20 minutes until you have a delicious appetizer, lunch, or dinner that the whole family will love!

No food waste: 

If you are like me, I am always looking for new sourdough discard recipes to try. Typically I use my sourdough discard to make sweet treats, like Sourdough Banana Bars or Sourdough Blueberry Buckle. But when I’m craving something savory, these sourdough chicken tenders are an excellent way to use up some sourdough discard.

Ingredients:

Chicken – Chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts cut into 1/2-1-inch chicken strips work perfectly for this recipe. Cut them into bite-sized pieces and fry them as popcorn chicken, as well!

Sourdough Starter – Though this isn’t a long-fermentation recipe, using sourdough discard will still give you some benefits from the fermentation. I used discard that was only 48 hours old. For a more robust sourdough tang flavor, you can use older discard. 

All-Purpose Flour

Milk 

Seasonings – Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Parsley, Cayenne, Salt, Black Pepper

Oil: You’ll want to use a neutral-tasting oil to fry with a high smoke point, like vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil. Refrain from using olive oil because it has a lower heating temperature that isn’t suitable for frying.

Supplies:

Large Bowl

Cast Iron or Dutch Oven – I recently purchased a Lodge cast iron – super impressed with the quality. I also use their Dutch Oven for frying, soups, and baking my everyday sourdough bread!

Candy Thermometer

Kitchen Tongs

Meat Thermometer

Cooling rack

How to Make Sourdough Chicken Tenders:

About 30 minutes before frying, remove the chicken from the fridge and bring to room temperature. This helps the chicken to cook evenly when fried. 

Add 2 cups of neutral oil into a cast iron pan or Dutch Oven. Canola oil, vegetable oil, or peanut oil are all good choices. Bring to medium-high heat. You want to fry your sourdough chicken tenders around 315 – 350 degrees f.

Pro-tip: Check to see if the oil is ready by placing the bottom of a wooden spoon in the hot oil. If you see tiny bubbles around the spoon, it is ready to fry!

Make the Batter:

In a large bowl, add the flour, milk, sourdough discard, and seasonings and whisk together until smooth. Set to the side.

Dip the Chicken:

If you are using chicken breast instead of chicken tenders, slice into 1/2 – 1 inch thick pieces. Cut the chicken pieces too thick, the chicken won’t cook through and the batter will burn. Cut the chicken pieces too thin, the chicken will dry out.

Pro Tip – When using chicken breasts, cut your slices against the grain. This will tear easier when you take a bite and make for a more juicy chicken tender.

Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. This helps the batter to stick to the chicken. 

With kitchen tongs, dip the chicken into the batter. Shake off any excess batter and place into the hot oil. Repeat with the remaining chicken. It is best to not overcrowd the pan, so you will need to cook the sourdough chicken tenders in small batches. 

Fry and Serve:

Cook the chicken on the first side until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes) and flip to the other side. Continue to cook the chicken until it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees and the batter is golden brown. 

Using kitchen tongs, remove the chicken from the pan and place it on a paper towel to remove any excess oil.

How to Serve Sourdough Chicken Tenders:

Sourdough chicken tenders are the perfect appetizer for any game day or summer bbq. Or serve with a fresh green salad, green beans, and come crispy potato fries to round out the meal.

Don’t be surprised if your family and guests are asking for a second round. The crunch and flavor of these sourdough chicken tenders are just that good. Don’t forget to serve them with your favorite dipping sauces. I’ve included a list below with all of my family favorites. 

Dipping Sauces:

• Ranch (my all-time favorite and a great choice)
• BBQ
• Ketchup
• Honey Mustard
• Maple syrup (for chicken and waffles!)
• Chick-Fil-A Sauce
• Garlic Aioli
• Bang Bang Sauce
• Buffalo
• Blue Cheese

How to Store/Reheat Sourdough Chicken Tenders:

Once the sourdough chicken tenders have cooled, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. 

When reheating, our main concern is how to get that crispy chicken. Reheating the chicken tenders in the microwave can lead to soggy breading.

Instead, place the chicken tenders on a wire rack that has been placed on top of a large baking sheet. This will help the high temperature to crisp up the crust evenly on all sides. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until completely reheated.

FAQs:

What kind of oil should you use?

Neutral oils with a high-smoke temperature are best for frying sourdough chicken tenders. Canola oil, vegetable oil, or peanut oil are all good choices.

Stay away from olive oil with frying. Its smoke temperature is lower, which will cause it to smoke at such a high heat. This causes the oil to break down and you don’t want that while you are cooking.

How hot should the oil be?

Pour the oil into a cold cast iron skillet or Dutch Oven and bring to medium-high heat on the stovetop. You want to fry your sourdough chicken tenders around 315 – 350 degrees f.

Using a deep fat thermometer helps you to keep an eye on the oil temperature to cook that juicy and tender chicken. This helps to cook your chicken properly without burning the batter.

How much oil do you need to fry sourdough chicken tenders?

Since the pieces of chicken are small, we will only need 1-2″ of oil in the bottom of the pan. 

Why does the breading keep falling off the sourdough chicken tenders?

In order for the batter to stick to the chicken you need to make sure the chicken slices are nice and dry. Pat each chicken piece with a paper towel before dipping them into the batter. 

Happy frying!

More Recipes Like This:

Cast Iron Chicken Breast

Cast Iron Quiche with Sourdough Crust

Cheddar and Chive Sourdough Discard Irish Soda Bread