Spicy Lemon Garlic Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

• 960 ml Buttermilk (For the chicken marinade)
• 160 ml Pickle juice (For the chicken marinade)
• 2 Eggs (Large; for the marinade)
• 30 g All-purpose flour (For the marinade)
• 2 tbsp Paprika (For the marinade)
• 2 tbsp Garlic powder (For the marinade)
• 2 tbsp Onion powder (For the marinade)
• 2 tsp Cayenne pepper (For the marinade)
• 2 tsp Black pepper (For the marinade)
• Salt (To taste; for the marinade)
• 1.8 kg Chicken tenders (Pounded evenly)
• Neutral oil (For frying)
• 120 g Cornstarch (For the crispy coating)
• 500 g All-purpose flour (For the crispy coating)
• 2 tsp Baking powder (For the crispy coating)
• 2 tsp Black pepper (For the crispy coating)
• 2 tbsp Onion powder (For the crispy coating)
• 2 tbsp Garlic powder (For the crispy coating)
• Salt (To taste; for the coating)
• 30 ml Lemon juice (For the dip)
• 14 g Honey (For the dip)
• 0.5 tsp Dijon mustard (For the dip)
• 2 Garlic (Small cloves, grated; for the dip)
• 1 tsp Lemon zest (For the dip)
• 240 g Mayonnaise (For the dip)
• 1 tsp Black pepper (For the dip)
• Salt (To taste; for the dip)
• 230 g Unsalted butter (For the chili garlic butter)
• 2 Red chilies (Deseeded and finely chopped)
• 6 Garlic (Cloves, minced; for the chili garlic butter)
• 1 tsp Chili flakes (For the chili garlic butter)
• 14 g Honey (For the chili garlic butter)
• 60 ml Lemon juice (For the chili garlic butter)
• 2 tsp Lemon zest (For the chili garlic butter)
• 2 tbsp Parsley (Chopped; for the chili garlic butter)
• 1 tsp Black pepper (For the chili garlic butter)
• Salt (To taste; for the chili garlic butter)
• 90 g Parmesan (Finely grated; for garnish)
• 2 tsp Parsley (Chopped; for garnish)
• Lemon zest (Mentioned as a finishing garnish in the method; amount not specified)

Steps

1. 1

   In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and pickle juice together.

2. 2

   Stir the 30 g flour and marinade seasonings—paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, black pepper, and salt—to taste into the liquid mixture.

3. 3

   Fold the evenly pounded chicken tenders into the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 4 hours.

4. 4

   Combine the lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, grated garlic, lemon zest, mayonnaise, black pepper, and salt to taste for the dip until smooth. Chill.

5. 5

   In a wide dish, mix the cornstarch, coating flour, baking powder, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt to taste.

6. 6

   Let excess marinade drip from one tender, then press it into the dry coating until covered.

7. 7

   Give the tender another quick dip in the marinade, then coat it a second time with the flour mixture. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

8. 8

   Bring the neutral frying oil to 350°F (175°C).

9. 9

   Fry a few tenders at a time for about 4–6 minutes, turning occasionally, until the crust is golden and the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C).

10. 10

    Transfer the cooked tenders to a wire rack. Let the oil return to 350°F (175°C) between batches, then fry the remaining tenders in batches.

11. 11

    Melt the unsalted butter over medium-low heat.

12. 12

    Add the chopped red chilies, minced garlic, and chili flakes. Stir for 30–60 seconds without letting the garlic brown.

13. 13

    Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, chopped parsley, black pepper, and salt to taste.

14. 14

    Spoon a little warm chili butter over each portion, keeping the crust lightly coated.

15. 15

    Add the finely grated Parmesan, lemon zest, and chopped parsley as garnish. Serve immediately.

Notes

The provided method ends mid-word at “Serve imm”; “immediately” is inferred from the truncated text. Lemon zest is mentioned again as a finishing garnish, but no additional garnish amount is given. The source does not specify how much neutral oil to use.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• chicken
• spicy
• fried
• crispy
• gluten-containing
• contains-dairy
• high-protein