🍽️ Makes: 4 (3 tenders per portion)
🔪 Prep time: 20 mins (plus 12 hours marinating)
🔥 Cook time: 15 mins
⚖️ Net carbs: 3g
💪 Protein: 49g
✅ No added sugar and no seed oils
Golden, ultra-crispy chicken tenders coated in a spiced pork crumb and fried until crackling and juicy. Served with buttery buffalo sauce and a cool, chunky blue cheese dressing. Proper comfort food.
Ingredients
Spice Mix
-
2 tsp ground celery seed
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1½ tsp garlic powder
- 2½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- Sea salt
- White pepper
Chicken brine
-
12 large chicken tenders
- 125g buttermilk
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp spice mix
Coating
-
80g pork puffs
- 80g unflavoured whey protein powder
- Remaining spice mix
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Light Avocado Oil
Blue cheese dressing
-
50g fu:di Posh Mayo
- 100g soured cream
- 50g blue cheese
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- Lemon zest
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
Buffalo sauce
-
150ml Frank’s Hot Sauce
- 110g butter
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
Let's Begin!
Step 1 - Make the spice mix
Combine all the spice mix ingredients in a bowl and stir until evenly blended.
Step 2 - Marinate the chicken
In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg whites, baking powder and 1 tbsp of the spice mix. Add the chicken tenders and coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours for maximum tenderness and flavour.
Step 3 - Prepare the blue cheese dip
Mash the blue cheese into the fu:di Posh Mayo until creamy but still slightly chunky. Stir through the soured cream, chopped chives, lemon zest, garlic powder and onion powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill until ready to serve.
Step 4 - Make the buffalo sauce
Place all buffalo sauce ingredients into a saucepan over low heat. Warm gently until the butter melts. Blend with a hand blender until smooth and glossy. Set aside and rewarm gently before serving.
Step 5 - Prepare the coating
Add the pork puffs to a blender and pulse until a fine crumb. Add the blitzed pork puffs, whey protein powder, remaining spice mix, salt and pepper to a tray and mix well to ensure everything is evenly dispersed.
Step 6 - Coat the tenders
Remove each tender from the marinade and place directly into the coating mixture. Press firmly so the crumb adheres completely and forms an even crust.
Step 7 - Fry until golden
Pour light avocado oil into a deep, wide pan, enough to fully submerge the tenders when frying. Heat to 180°C. Carefully lower in the coated tenders in batches.
Fry for 4–5 minutes, turning once, until deeply golden, crisp and cooked through. The centre should be piping hot and juicy.
Lift out and drain briefly on kitchen paper.
Step 8 - Finish and serve!
Serve the hot, crispy tenders with warm buffalo sauce for dipping or drizzling, alongside the chilled blue cheese dressing.
Chef’s Tip!
Press the coating firmly onto the chicken and maintain a steady oil temperature. Fast, consistent heat gives you that deep golden crust while keeping the inside juicy.