Be sure that chicken is thawed completely, drained, and pat dry with paper towels.

Fill a dutch oven or heavy stockpot with at least4 inches of oil, preferably 6”. Heat the oil until it reaches 350°F (this will take 15 minutes or so) Get the oil heating while preparing the chicken.

In a bowl, whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder in a shallow bowl or on a sheet of parchment paper.

Dip each side of the chicken tenders in the flour mixture, then dip into the buttermilk mixture and back into the flour mixture. For extra breading, repeat this process one more time.

Carefully drop one chicken piece at a time into heated oil and fry until cooked through (the center should reach 165°F). The outside should be deep golden-brown and crispy. Maintain an oil temperature of 350°F for best results. The chicken tenders will cook through in about 5 minutes. I’ve found that as long as the oil temperature is maintained correctly, the chicken will be cooked by the time the breading is a deep golden brown.

Place cooked chicken on paper towels or brown paper bags to soak up excess oil.

Serve immediately.