Crispy Pancake-Battered Chicken Tenders Recipe

The Ultimate Chicken Tender

Try a fun twist on a familiar favorite with these pancake-battered chicken tenders. Golden and crisp on the outside and juicy inside, the batter—made with pancake mix and savory spices—gives the tenders a uniquely delicious flavor and texture that both kids and adults will enjoy.

These tenders work well as a snack, appetizer, or main course. Serve them with your preferred dipping sauces for an easy, crowd-pleasing meal.

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Below you’ll find notes about ingredients and helpful tips to ensure the tenders turn out perfectly every time.

Complete Pancake Mix

Many readers ask what “complete” pancake mix means. Complete mixes require only water—no eggs or oil—making them convenient and quick to use. If you prefer fewer steps and less prep, choose a complete mix. In contrast, non-complete mixes typically ask you to add eggs and oil in addition to water.

For this recipe I use a complete pancake mix to keep the batter simple and fast, but either type will work if you prefer to customize the batter.

Another Alternative for the Batter

If you enjoy making batter from scratch, you can use a homemade pancake batter as an alternative. A scratch batter adds extra flavor and texture and works beautifully for these tenders. Try both store-bought complete mix and a made-from-scratch batter to decide which you prefer.

Another Delicious Tender Recipe

If you’d like a lighter option, try oven-baked Parmesan chicken tenders. They’re a family favorite—great for kids, teens, and adults—and they reheat well for salads and lunches throughout the week.

Yield: 4 to 6 Servings

Pancake Battered Chicken Tenders

These pancake-battered chicken tenders are crispy on the outside and tender inside. The simple batter, flavored with paprika, garlic and onion powder plus a touch of chili, creates a tasty coating that pairs well with any dipping sauce.

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups complete pancake mix
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 4 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
• Salt, to taste
• *Use a cast iron skillet if possible

Instructions

Optional brine: The day before cooking, place the chicken breasts in a bowl, cover with water and add 2–3 tablespoons salt. Refrigerate overnight, then remove and pat dry on paper towels before proceeding.

1. In a bowl, whisk the pancake mix, milk, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder and onion powder until smooth.
2. Dry the chicken thoroughly and slice into strips—about 20 tenders depending on desired thickness.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet until very hot but not smoking.
4. Test the oil by dropping a small bit of batter into it; it’s ready when the batter browns quickly and floats.
5. Line a cookie sheet with foil and set it next to the skillet.
6. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
7. Set up your station: chicken, batter, skillet.
8. Dredge each chicken strip in the batter, allowing excess to drip off.
9. Place battered tenders immediately into the hot oil.
10. Work in batches—about 4 to 6 tenders at a time—so the oil stays hot.
11. Fry until the tenders float and turn once to brown both sides.
12. Remove tenders to the prepared cookie sheet and fry the remaining batches.
13. When all tenders are fried, bake the sheet in the preheated oven for 20 minutes to finish cooking through.
14. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauces.

Looking for a creative dip? Try a pepper jelly cheese dip—sweet, spicy and creamy—which pairs beautifully with these tenders and also works well with chips, pretzels, vegetables or crackers.