Whisk the buttermilk, hot sauce, paprika, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper together in a resealable container. Add the chicken tenderloins and marinate for at least 2 hours.
Baking the Chicken Tenderloins
Preheat oven to 400F.
Transfer the chicken tenderloins from the marinade to a baking sheet with a wire rack.** Discard the remaining marinade.
Mix the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper with the remaining 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper to sprinkle on top of the tenderloins.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the chicken tenderloins reach an internal temperature of 165F. Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
*Chicken tenderloins vary in size. Use 1 1/2 pounds of chicken. Smaller tenderloins will cook a bit faster and affect nutrition information. **If you don't have a wire rack, bake directly on the sheet. This may accelerate cooking so check on them earlier.
For Air Fried Chicken Tenders
Using my Nashville Hot Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets as a guide, 8-10 minutes at 400ºF should do the trick. Though you'll likely need to cut the recipe in half or cook in two batches unless you have a BIG air fryer.
Nutrition Facts Notes
Each chicken tenderloin has 0 Smart Points.
The nutrition facts include the marinade (even though it's discarded) since there's no way to accurately track what's absorbed/discarded. As always, nutrition facts are an estimate.