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Tea-Brined Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders

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  • Preparation

    8 hours

  • Cook

    8 minutes

  • Serves

    6–8

  • Chef

    Chef Jeffery Smith Jr.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs chicken tenderloins (or sliced boneless skinless breasts)
  • Neutral oil for deep or shallow frying (canola, peanut, or vegetable)
  • Blended Tea Brine:
  • 5 ½ cups water
  • 1 heaping tbsp Lemon Tea (loose-leaf)
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp Lemon Stepper seasoning
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed
  • Zest of 1 large lemon
  • 1–2 dried bay leaves
  • ¼ tsp chili flakes (optional)
  • Buttermilk Marinade:
  • 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp hot sauce
  • 2 tsp Lemon Stepper seasoning
  • Dredge:
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp Lemon Stepper seasoning

Preparation

  • Make the Blended Tea Brine: In a saucepan, combine water, tea, garlic, lemon zest, chili flakes, bay leaf, brown sugar, and Lemon Stepper. Simmer on low for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer everything to a blender and blend until smooth (30–60 seconds). Let cool completely.
  • Brine the Chicken: Submerge chicken tenderloins in the cooled tea brine. Cover and refrigerate for 4–6 hours.
  • Buttermilk Marinade: Remove chicken from the brine. In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, hot sauce, and the Lemon Stepper. Add chicken and marinate for 1–4 hours.
  • Prepare the Dredge: In a separate bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and Lemon Stepper. Dredge chicken in the seasoned flour, pressing firmly to coat well. Set on a wire rack to rest for 10–15 minutes.
  • Fry: Heat oil to 350°F (175°C). Fry tenders in batches for 6–8 minutes until golden brown and internal temp reaches 165°F. Drain on a rack or paper towels.
  • Optional Hot Honey Glaze (for a citrusy finish): 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp lemon juice, pinch of chili flakes or Lemon Stepper. Warm and lightly drizzle over finished tenders.
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Credit: Justin Jones

Chef Jeffery Smith Jr.

Chef Jeffery Smith Jr. is a culinary professional, celebrity private chef, and caterer based in Los Angeles, CA. Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Jeffery has always had a love for a variety of cuisines. He is an HBCU alum and member of the Theta Tau of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. He received his B.S. in Mass Communications and minor in Psychology from Jackson State University in Jackson, MS.

A change of career brought Jeffery to Los Angeles in 2009 and on a journey that would ultimately lead to the kitchen. A lack of formal culinary training did not stop Jeffery from learning techniques around the kitchen beginning with preparing meals for holidays and brunches turning into requests on a larger scale. Jeffery has traveled to 35 countries experiencing the food of many different cultures, picking up a few skills along the way and launched Best Kept Secrets Intl., LLC in 2019. Jeffery also continues to cook for celebrity clients, executives, caters private events and operates his macaroni and cheese store, Best Kept Secrets Intl., which is located on the Doordash platform in Los Angeles, CA.

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