Fried Turkey Tenders With Cranberry Hot Honey
These festive turkey tenders are brined in buttermilk, deep fried until crispy then finished with a sweet & spicy, cranberry hot honey glaze.
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These turkey tenders with cranberry hot honey are a festive twist on fried chicken tenders!
To make these crispy turkey tenders, we’re brining strips of turkey breast in buttermilk for several hours (like fried chicken!) dredging them in seasoned flour then deep frying until crisp & golden. To finish, we’re coating the turkey with a sweet & sticky cranberry hot honey glaze, that can be made as spicy as you like!
I know turkey has a bit of a reputation for being a bit dry & boring (I don’t agree with this!) but these turkey tenders are anything but! They’re moist, tender & flavourful. A perfect dish to serve at Christmas gatherings or just when you feel like a festive snack.
Check out our ever growing collection of Christmas recipes, for more festive cooking inspiration!
What You’ll Need
- Turkey Breast – You’ll need 400 grams of boneless & skinless turkey breast for these tenders. I used pre cut turkey breast steaks to cut my tenders from (you can get these from your butcher!) but you could cut a turkey breast down yourself.
- Buttermilk Brine – Buttermilk is used to brine our turkey, making it more tender & flavourful. We’re flavouring our brine with smoked paprika, garlic & onion granules and salt.
- Flour Dredge – The brined turkey is coated in a flour dredge before being fried. This is made with plain flour, cornflour, smoked paprika, dried oregano & salt.
- Cranberry Hot Honey – We’re coating the fried turkey with a glaze made with cranberry sauce, honey, sriracha, butter & a pinch of salt.
How To Make Fried Turkey Tenders
The full, printable recipe card for these turkey tenders can be found at the bottom of this post! Here’s a quick rundown of the recipe…
- Turkey Prep
First, we need to cut our turkey breast into strips that are 1½ cm thick & roughly 3 cm wide. To make things easier, I’d recommend asking your butcher for turkey breast steaks then cutting strips from them. - Buttermilk Brine
To make the buttermilk brine, we mix buttermilk with smoked paprika, garlic & onion granules and table salt. Next, we add the turkey tenders into the brine then chill them in the fridge for at least 4 hours (or up to 24 hours). - Flour Dredge
Before frying the turkey tenders, we need to dredge them in seasoned flour. We make this dredge whilst the turkey is in the brine, by whisking plain flour with cornflour, smoked paprika, dried oregano & salt. - Deep Frying
To cook the turkey tenders, we fry them in a deep fat fryer set to 180°c/356°f, for 4-5 minutes, until golden & crispy and the internal temperature reaches 75°c/167°f. Once fried, we let the turkey drain briefly on a plate lined with kitchen paper then season with sea salt.
Cranberry Hot Honey Glaze
This glaze combines festive cranberry sauce with spicy hot honey! It’s sweet, spicy & gives our turkey tenders a fantastic sticky, glossy finish. This stuff’s best used warm as it coats the turkey better, so is best made just before you fry the tenders.
To make cranberry hot honey glaze, we place cranberry sauce into a saucepan with honey, sriracha, butter & a pinch of sea salt then set over a medium heat. We cook the glaze until the butter has melted then simmer for 3-4 minutes, until thick.
Serving Suggestions
Fried turkey tenders are great eaten on their own as a snack! But to make them into a proper meal, you can serve them with chips, cornbread, a fresh salad, mac & cheese, slaw & loads more. They’d also make a fantastic festive sandwich! I’d serve these turkey tenders in a homemade bun with crispy bacon, brie & cranberry sauce…
Turkey Tenders Tips & Tricks
- To give your turkey tenders the best flavour & texture, brine the meat in buttermilk for at least 4 hours or up to 24.
- Use a deep fat fryer to fry the turkey until it’s golden brown & super crispy.
- For perfectly cooked turkey, check the internal temperature of the meat with a digital food probe. Turkey is cooked once it reaches 75°c/167°f.
- Use cornflour & plain flour in the dredge, for a crispier coating.
- Drain the fried turkey on a piece of kitchen paper to stop it going soggy.
- Use the glaze whilst still warm for better turkey coverage.
- Serve the fried turkey tenders straight away, whilst they’re hot & crispy!
Frequently Asked Questions
For the best results, you’ll need to use a deep fat fryer to cook your fried turkey tenders. However, if you haven’t got one, you could use a pan of vegetable oil warmed up on the stove instead. Make sure to do this really carefully though!
Skinless & boneless turkey breast works best for turkey tenders. You should be able to buy a large piece of turkey breast from your butchers or you could ask for turkey breast steaks & cut tenders from them.
To keep turkey tenders moist & juicy, it’s best to brine them in buttermilk for at least 4 hours before cooking. Then when you cook the turkey tenders, use a digital food probe to check the internal temperature to avoid overcooking (turkey should be cooked to 75°c/167°f).
For the best flavour & to make your turkey as tender as possible, you should leave the meat in your buttermilk brine for at least 4 hours or up to 24. Any longer than this & the turkey can start to break down, giving it a soft, mushy texture.
Turkey tenders are best eaten straight away once fried but can be brined in buttermilk a day in advance before being cooked.
Equipment Used
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More Christmas Recipes To Try!
- Sausage Roll Wreath With Honey Glazed Camembert
- Barbecued Pig In Blanket
- Deep Fried Camembert
- Leftover Christmas Dinner Pie
- Individual Christmas Baked Alaskas
- Classic Mince Pies
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Fried Turkey Tenders With Cranberry Hot Honey
Equipment
- Deep Fat Fryer
- Digital Food Probe
- Mixing Bowl
- Small Saucepan
Ingredients
- 400 g Turkey Breast (Cut Into 1½ cm Thick Strips – See Notes)
Buttermilk Brine
- 300 g Buttermilk
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Garlic Granules
- ½ tsp Onion Granules
- ¼ tsp Table Salt
Flour Dredge
- 170 g Plain Flour
- 30 g Cornflour
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- ¼ tsp Table Salt
Cranberry Hot Honey
- 100 g Honey
- 75 g Cranberry Sauce
- 30 g Unsalted Butter
- 25 g Sriracha
- A Pinch Of Salt (Or Used Salted Butter)
Instructions
Buttermilk Brine
- Add the buttermilk, paprika, onion granules, garlic granules & salt into a mixing bowl then whisk together.
- Add in the turkey strips then mix well, to coat completely.
- Cover & refrigerate for at least 4 hours or for up to 24 hours. I find that 12 hours works best!
Flour Dredge
- Place the flour, cornflour, paprika, oregano & salt into a mixing bowl then whisk together. Set aside until you're ready to cook the tenders.
Cranberry Hot Honey
- Add the honey, cranberry sauce, butter, sriracha & salt into a small saucepan then set over a medium heat.
- Cook the glaze, stirring regularly until the butter has melted then bring to a simmer & cook for another 3-4 minutes, until thick.
- Take the glaze off the heat & set aside until needed.You can make the glaze just before cooking the tenders or make it in advance & reheat on the stove when needed.
Frying
- Preheat a deep fat fryer to 180°c/356°f.
- Take 3-4 turkey tenders out of the buttermilk then toss in the flour dredge, making sure that they are fully coated.Don't worry about letting the buttermilk drain off the turkey!
- Carefully place the dredged turkey into the hot oil & cook until golden, crispy & cooked through. This will take 4-5 minutes. If you take the internal temperature with a digital food probe, it should be above 75°c/167°f.Repeat the dredging & frying process with the remaining turkey.You'll probably need to cook the turkey in batches, depending on the size of your fryer. Make sure not to overcrowd the fryer though. Keep the turkey warm in an oven between batches or serve straight away.
- Once cooked, transfer the fried turkey to a plate lined with kitchen roll/paper then season with sea salt.
Glazing
- Whilst your turkey is frying, place the pan of glaze over a low heat, to warm through.
- Next, place the turkey tenders into a large mixing bowl, pour over the warm glaze then gently toss the bowl, to coat the turkey. Serve immediately.
