Recipe by Kelly Ruben, NYC Chef, Recipe Developer and Food Blogger, Dining by Kelly
Prep Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 15 mins Total Time: 1 hour
There is nothing better than enjoying a big plate of Fried Chicken Tender Bites with Buffalo Ranch Dipping Sauce for game days or any other casual gathering.
Ingredients
1 1/2 - 2 pounds Smart Chicken Organic Chicken Tenderloins, cut into thirds
Vegetable Oil, for deep frying
Kosher Salt
Cayenne Pepper
Flour Dredge
2 cups AP Flour
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Beer Batter Dredge
1 cup AP Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 1/4 cup Beer (any light beer you like)
1 Egg
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Buffalo Ranch Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Buttermilk
1/4 cup Sour Cream
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh chives
2-3 Tablespoons Hot Pepper Sauce (such as Frank's RedHot®)
1 Garlic clove, grated
Squeeze of lemon juice
Kosher Salt, to taste
Directions
Whisk together the buffalo ranch sauce ingredients and set aside. Heat a large pot of oil a few inches deep to 375F and set out a large sheet tray lined with a wire rack for the chicken to land on out of the fryer. In one large bowl, whisk together the flour dredge ingredients.
In a second large bowl, whisk together the beer batter dredge ingredients. Season the chicken tender pieces with kosher salt. To dredge the chicken, toss them in the flour dredge first until evenly coated. Shake off any excess flour and then transfer them to the beer batter dredge. If the beer batter gets too thick over time you can add a little more beer to thin it out.
Coat them in the beer batter dredge, letting any excess batter drip off and then place the chicken pieces back into the flour dredge. Working in batches, add the dredged chicken to the pot to fry until golden brown. (About 5 minutes) You want to make sure the oil stays between 350F-375F during the frying process. Transfer the fried chicken to the wire rack lined sheet tray and season with kosher salt and a light sprinkle of cayenne pepper. Serve with the buffalo ranch dipping sauce.