Crispy, golden chicken tenders with a juicy center, served with creamy Cane’s style dipping sauce and crinkle-cut fries. This homemade version recreates the iconic fast-food favorite with a flavorful buttermilk marinade and a perfectly seasoned double coating.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Ultra Crispy Coating – the double dredge creates an extra crunchy crust

Juicy Chicken – marinating keeps the chicken tender and flavorful

Signature Dipping Sauce – creamy, tangy, and perfectly balanced

Fast Food at Home – the perfect combo with crinkle fries and Texas toast

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Serving Suggestion

Serve hot with crinkle fries, Cane’s sauce, and buttery Texas toast. Add extra sauce on the side for dipping, it’s the perfect comfort food meal.

Pro Tips for Perfect Chicken Tenders

Double dredge the chicken – this creates the thick, crunchy coating

Use a wire rack after frying – prevents soggy crust

Don’t overcrowd the oil – fry in batches for even crispiness

Let the marinade soak – even 30 minutes makes a big difference

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 430 g chicken breast, cut into tender-sized strips

• 150 ml buttermilk

Alternative:

If you don’t have buttermilk, mix 150 ml milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice and let it sit for 10 minutes.

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

• ½ tsp soy sauce

For the Coating

• 1½ cups flour (≈ 190 g)

Season the flour with:

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp pepper

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp MSG

• ½ tsp baking powder

Cane’s Style Sauce

• 4 heaping tbsp mayonnaise

• 1 tbsp ketchup

• ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tbsp water (to thin)

Season with:

• salt

• pepper

• paprika

• garlic powder

Mix everything until smooth and creamy.

Instructions

Marinate the Chicken

In a bowl, combine buttermilk, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. Add the chicken strips and mix well until fully coated. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes (longer for deeper flavor).

Prepare the Coating

In a bowl, combine flour with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, MSG, and baking powder. Mix well so the seasoning is evenly distributed.

Double Coat the Chicken

Take each chicken strip from the marinade and dredge it in the seasoned flour. Dip it back into the marinade liquid and coat it again in the flour mixture. This double coating is key for the signature crispy texture.

Fry

Heat oil over medium-high heat (about level 7–8 depending on your stove).Fry the chicken tenders for about 7–8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and fully cooked. Transfer to a wire rack to keep them crispy.

Serve

Serve the chicken tenders with:

• Crinkle-cut fries for the classic Raising Cane’s experience

• Cane’s style dipping sauce

• And Texas Toast on the side

👉 I also made a separate homemade Texas Toast recipe, which you can find here