Food and Recipes Meat Chicken Recipes Pickle-Brined Chicken Tenders 5.0 (1) 1 Review Spicy dill pickle juice brings flavor and tenderness to crowd-favorite chicken tenders. By Josh Miller Josh Miller Josh Miller is a writer, editor, recipe developer, and food stylist who has been writing about Southern food and working in the publishing industry for the past 20 years. His work has appeared in Southern Living, Food & Wine, Cooking Light, Taste of the South, and Southern Cast Iron magazines. Southern Living's editorial guidelines and Anna Theoktisto Anna Theoktisto Anna Theoktisto is a recipe tester and developer who's been working in Dotdash Meredith test kitchens since 2017. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on May 26, 2024 Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Active Time: 30 mins Chill Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hr Servings: 4 to 6 You know that place with the amazing fried chicken nuggets that you can’t get on Sundays? Now you can. We soaked chicken tenders in a tangy mixture of buttermilk and pickle juice to give them that craveable, always-busy drive-thru flavor, then fried them up with a little something extra—pickles—to make them even better. If you really want to gild the lily, as they say, try drizzling these salty, crispy chicken tenders with a little spicy hot honey—you won’t regret it. Ingredients 1/2 cup spicy dill pickle juice (from 1 [24-oz.] jar of Wickles Dirty Dill Chips) 1 large egg 1 1/2 cups whole buttermilk, divided 2 lb. chicken breast tenders Peanut or vegetable oil 2 cups self-rising flour 1 Tbsp. seasoned salt 2 tsp. black pepper, plus more for serving 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional) 1 cup spicy dill pickle chips (such as Wickles Dirty Dill Chips), plus more for serving Honey Directions Whisk together pickle juice, egg, and 1 cup of the buttermilk in a medium bowl until smooth. Add chicken tenders to the buttermilk mixture; cover and chill at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Remove chicken tenders from marinade (do not discard marinade). Add oil to a large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven, filling to a depth of 1 1/2 inches. Heat over medium-high until oil reaches 350°F, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together flour, seasoned salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper (if desired), and 3 tablespoons of the marinade in a shallow bowl until well combined. Working with 2 or 3 chicken tenders at a time, dredge in flour mixture, patting to coat. Shake off excess flour mixture, and transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken tenders and flour mixture. Working in batches, fry breaded chicken tenders, turning occasionally, until golden brown and an instant- read thermometer inserted into thickest portion of chicken registers 165°F, 4 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil. (Allow oil to return to 350°F between batches.) Combine pickle chips and remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk in a small bowl. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pickle chips to remaining flour mixture; toss to coat. Add pickles to hot oil; fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil. (Discard any remaining oil.) Transfer fried chicken tenders and fried pickle chips to a platter. Sprinkle with black pepper, and drizzle with honey. Serve with additional pickle chips, if desired. Rate It Print