Skip the premade tenders at McDonald’s or Burger King. Asian cuisine has a far better version – same idea, just tastier.
First, the chicken is marinated in punchy, penetrating ingredients that load it with flavor while keeping it tender. Garlic comes in two stages: fresh in the marinade – it both tenderizes and permeates – and later as garlic powder for an extra boost. In short, this recipe is a knockout.
Chicken tenders are one of the best ways to enjoy fried chicken; they’re small without being tiny and are true classics of American cuisine.
Key ingredients for the tenders
- Light soy sauce: If you’re unfamiliar with it, see my article on the subject
- Oyster sauce: essential for flavor, Buy it here
- Chinese five spice: optional but highly recommended, buy it here
Tips for perfect chicken tenders
- For the paprika and garlic powder, you can elevate the flavor by using smoked paprika and smoked garlic powder. Don’t hesitate to check your supermarket to see if they carry them.
- Avoid frying too many tenders at once if your pot is small; the oil temperature may drop suddenly and hinder proper frying. It’s better to cook them in batches, then flash-fry them all together for 1-2 minutes at high heat to rewarm.
Why not round out the meal with some onion rings?
Servings: 4 portions
Calories: 300kcal
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken breast fillets cut into large strips
Marinade
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 0.5 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder optional
- 0.5 tablespoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1.5 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
Coating
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 60 g cornstarch
- 1.5 tablespoon garlic powder
- 0.5 tablespoon paprika
- 0.5 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder Optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, marinate the chicken fillets with the minced garlic, five-spice powder, white pepper, oyster sauce, soy sauce, 1 egg and cornstarch for 20 minutes.
- In another bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, paprika and five-spice powder.
- Dip the chicken into the flour mixture, coating it well. Shake off any excess flour.
- In a large pot, add about 7 cm of oil and heat over medium-high until it reaches roughly 180 °C.
- Add the chicken and fry for 6–7 minutes or until crispy and golden.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal
Did you make this recipe?Tag @marcwiner on Instagram!
These Taiwanese chicken tenders are the ultimate comfort food, so crispy and garlicky with that cozy, stay-in vibe. Perfect for a rainy day when you just want something warm and comforting 😊
These Taiwanese chicken tenders turned out surprisingly light and not greasy at all, yet still super crispy and packed with flavor. Love how the garlic and five spice make them feel balanced and more nutritious than typical fried tenders 🙂
Made these Taiwanese chicken tenders for a family birthday dinner and they disappeared faster than the cake. The garlic and five-spice flavor was a huge hit, and everyone kept sneaking back for just one more crispy strip 😊
My picky eater partner usually turns up their nose at anything with five-spice, so I was pleasantly surprised when they devoured these tenders and asked for seconds 🙂