Teriyaki Fried Chicken Tenders
Crisp & sticky teriyaki fried chicken tenders! These are brined in buttermilk, deep fried then finished with teriyaki sauce, sesame & chilli. They’re super crunchy with a sticky homemade teriyaki glaze.
These crispy teriyaki fried chicken tenders have the crunchiest fried coating & a rich, sticky homemade teriyaki glaze. For this teriyaki chicken tenders recipe, we’re taking advantage of a simple buttermilk brine which tenderises the meat & adds extra flavour. Homemade teriyaki chicken tenders are so much better than takeout and are actually really easy to make!
We’re making these tenders fried chicken style, with a tangy buttermilk brine & a seasoned flour dredge. They’re cooked in a deep fat fryer until they’re incredibly crisp & crunchy then the tenders are glazed in a quick & easy teriyaki sauce then finished with toasted sesame seeds & sliced chilli. They’re absolutely jam packed full of flavour & the contrast between the juicy meat, crispy coating & sweet umami glaze work perfectly together.
One of the best things about fried chicken tenders, is that they’re just so quick & easy to make. The prep time & cooking time combined can be done in 30 minutes or less then it’s just a case of marinating the chicken, which can be done overnight or in a matter of hours. Teriyaki fried chicken tenders make for a great crowd pleasing appetiser but can also be served at lunchtime or for an easy midweek fakeaway dinner when served with sides. Salad, fried rice or fries are all good pairings!
I’ve also included air fryer & oven baked cooking methods for these tenders, in case you haven’t got a deep fryer at home.
For even more dinner inspiration, take a look at our ever growing collection of main courses. Then take a look at our side dish recipes, for something to serve on the side…
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Fillets – Also called chicken tenderloins. These come off the chicken breast & can be found in most supermarkets & butchers. If you can’t get any, you can cut chicken breasts into 2-3 cm wide strips instead.
- Buttermilk Brine – Using a buttermilk brine makes the best, most tender fried chicken! There’s not really a substitute for buttermilk in this recipe but it is available in most supermarkets. We’re flavouring our brine with sesame oil, ground ginger, garlic granules & salt to complement the flavour from the teriyaki.
- Teriyaki Sauce – Homemade teriyaki sauce is much better than shop bought so we’re making our own! To make this, you’ll need soy sauce, mirin (rice wine), light brown sugar, honey, garlic, fresh ginger, rice wine vinegar & cornflour (to thicken the sauce).
- Flour Dredge – Before frying, the chicken tenders are coated in a flour dredge. This consists of plain flour, cornflour, smoked paprika, garlic granules & salt. Cornflour (or cornstarch) is added to give the coating an even crispier texture.
- Garnishes – For even more flavour, we’re garnishing these tenders with toasted sesame seeds & thinly sliced chilli. If you’ve got some spring onions, they’d also work well.
How To Make Teriyaki Fried Chicken Tenders
Homemade chicken tenders & super easy to make at home & much better than takeout! The hands on prep time is minimal & frying only takes a few minutes.
- Buttermilk Brine
First, we need to brine our chicken fillets. To do this, we mix buttermilk with sesame oil, garlic powder, ground ginger & salt. We then add in the chicken & refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. - Flour Dredge
This is the coating for our fried chicken. We make this by mixing together plain flour, cornflour, smoked paprika, garlic powder & salt. The dredge can be made well in advance & stored in an airtight container. - Teriyaki Sauce
This homemade teriyaki sauce is super easy to make! All we do here, is place soy sauce, water, light brown sugar, mirin, honey, garlic & ginger into a pan then heat, to dissolve the sugar. Next, we bring the sauce to a simmer then thicken with cornflour (mixed with water). The sauce then needs to cook out for a couple of minutes then we take it off the heat & stir in rice wine vinegar.
I’d recommend making the sauce just before you fry the chicken. That way, the sauce will still be warm & you’ll get better coverage when you glaze the chicken tenders. - Frying
Depending on the size of your fryer, you’ll probably need to cook the tenders in batches. To cook, take 3 or 4 pieces of chicken out of the buttermilk, toss in the flour then immediately (and carefully) place into a deep fat fryer (preheated to 180°c/356°f).
Now we fry the chicken until the coating is crisp & golden & the chicken is cooked through (a digital food probe comes in handy here!) The chicken’s internal temperature should be at least 75°c/167°f. Once cooked, the chicken is drained on a plate lined with kitchen paper towel. - Glazing
Once all of the tenders are cooked, we transfer them into a mixing bowl then pour over half of the warm teriyaki sauce. The sauce & chicken then get tossed together, to coat then we sprinkle over toasted sesame seeds & thinly sliced chilli. Once glazed, the chicken should be served immediately with the remaining sauce.
Air Fryer & Oven Baked Teriyaki Chicken Tenders
If you haven’t got a deep fryer, you can cook these fried chicken tenders in an air fryer or in the oven! Or if you really want to fry them still, you could use a pan of oil warmed up on the stove. You’ll need to do that really carefully though! For air frying & oven baking, you might be better off replacing the flour dredge with panko breadcrumbs as these will crisp up better than the flour. It’s up to you, the tenders will be good either way!
How To Cook Teriyaki Chicken Tenders In An Air Fryer
To cook teriyaki chicken tenders in an air fryer, coat the tenders in the flour dredge, place into your air fryer then spray the chicken with a generous amount of veg oil. Air fry at 200°c/400°f for 6-8 minutes until the tenders are crisp & golden and the internal temperature of then chicken has reached 75°c/167°f. Make sure to flip the tenders over halfway through the cook time, so that they colour evenly on both sides. Glaze the chicken with teriyaki sauce once the meat is fully cooked.
How To Oven Bake Teriyaki Chicken Tenders
To bake teriyaki chicken tenders in the oven, place the dredged tenders onto a rack set on a tray (this is better for air circulation!), spray generously with veg oil then bake at 200°c/400°f for 10-15 minutes until the outside is crisp & golden and the meat has reached an internal temperature of at least 75°c/167°f. Make sure to flip the tenders over halfway through so that they colour evenly. Glaze the chicken tenders with the teriyaki sauce once they are fully cooked.
What To Serve With Teriyaki Chicken Tenders
Teriyaki fried chicken tenders are great on their own when served as a sharing appetizer. They’re also great if you wanted to make a homemade takeaway dinner. I’d recommend serving them with either fried rice, crispy chips, a smashed cucumber salad or some simple steamed greens. We’ve got loads of side dishes to choose from over in our sides recipe collection. Check it out for some inspiration!
Fried Chicken Tenders Tips & Tricks
- For the most tender & flavourful fried chicken, brine the meat in buttermilk for at least 4 hours.
- Use a deep fat fryer to fry the chicken until it’s golden brown & super crispy.
- For perfectly cooked chicken, check the internal temperature with a digital food probe.
- Use cornflour in the dredge, for a crispier coating.
- Drain the fried chicken on a piece of kitchen paper to stop it going soggy.
- Use the glaze whilst still warm for better chicken coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the best fried chicken, you will need a deep fat fryer. You could also use a pan of oil, heated up to 180°c/356°f on the stove. Make sure to do this really carefully though!
For the best flavour & texture, fried chicken tenders should be brined in buttermilk for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours. Any longer than this & the texture of the chicken can start to be affected.
The best way to check if you’re chicken is cooked, is to use a digital food probe to take the internal temperature. Once cooked, chicken’s internal temperature will be at least 75°c/167°f.
To make chicken tenders, you’ll need to use chicken fillets/tenderloins, that come from the breast. If you can’t get these, you can slice chicken breasts into 3-4cm wide strips.
Homemade teriyaki sauce needs to be stored in the fridge & is best eaten within a week.
Teriyaki sauce is a sticky, soy based sauce originating from Japan. Teriyaki sauce is made with soy sauce, rice wine, garlic, fresh ginger, sugar & sometimes honey and can be used for marinades, glazes & as an accompaniment/condiment.
The best type of oil for deep frying is one with a high smoke point & neutral flavour. The best choice of oil for deep frying is vegetable oil, sunflower oil or peanut oil (as long as you don’t have a nut allergy!).
More Fried Chicken Recipes To Try!
- Honey Sesame Fried Chicken Tenders
- Buffalo Fried Chicken Tenders
- Rice Krispie Fried Chicken Tenders With Hot Honey
- Hoisin Honey Fried Chicken Drumsticks
- Korean Style Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- Hot Maple Fried Chicken
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Teriyaki Fried Chicken Tenders
Equipment
- Deep Fat Fryer
- Digital Food Probe
- Mixing Bowls
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 400 g Chicken Fillets See Notes
Buttermilk Brine
- 300 g Buttermilk
- 2 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Ground Ginger
- ¼ tsp Table Salt
Flour Dredge
- 170 g Plain Flour
- 30 g Cornflour
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
- ¼ tsp Table Salt
Teriyaki Sauce
- 150 g Water
- 80 g Light Brown Sugar
- 75 g Light Soy Sauce
- 30 g Mirin
- 3 tbsp Honey
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1" Piece Of Fresh Ginger
- 1 tbsp Cornflour
- 1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
To Serve
- 2 tsp Toasted Sesame Seeds See Notes
- 1 Red Chilli Thinly Sliced
Instructions
Buttermilk Brine
- Place the buttermilk, sesame oil, garlic powder, ginger & salt into a mixing bowl then whisk together.
- Add in the chicken fillets then mix well, to fully coat each piece.
- Cover with clingfilm then leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or up to 12.If you've used a metal mixing bowl, transfer the chicken to a plastic container then refrigerate. This is to prevent the brine reacting with the metal.
Flour Dredge
- Place the flour, cornflour, garlic powder, paprika & salt into a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine then set aside.
Tereiyaki Sauce
- Add the water, sugar, soy sauce, mirin & honey into a medium saucepan then grate in the garlic & ginger. Set over a medium heat.
- Warm the sauce, stirring to dissolve the sugar then bring to a simmer.
- In a bowl, mix the cornflour with 2 tbsp of cold water then whisk into the sauce. Continue cooking the sauce for 2-3 minutes, until thick & cooked out then take off the heat & stir in the rice wine vinegar. If the sauce seems too thick, whisk in a splash of water.
- Set the sauce aside whilst you fry the chicken.
Frying The Chicken
- Preheat a deep fat fryer to 180°c/356°f.
- Take 3-4 chicken fillets 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 chicken!
- Carefully place the dredged chicken into the hot oil & cook until golden, crispy & cooked through.This will take around 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 chicken fillets.Depending on the size of your fryer, you might be able to cook more than 4 chicken tenders at a time. Make sure not to overcrowd the fryer though! Keep the chicken warm in an oven between batches or serve straight away.
- Once cooked, transfer the fried chicken to a plate lined with kitchen paper & leave to drain for a minute or so.
Glazing
- Transfer the cooked chicken tenders into a large mixing bowl then pour over two thirds of the teriyaki sauce.
- Toss to coat then top with the sesame seeds & sliced chilli. Serve immediately with the remaining sauce.
