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Hot Honey Chicken Tenders Recipe

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4.1 from 12 reviews

This Hot Honey Chicken Tenders recipe offers crispy, juicy chicken tenders marinated in a flavorful buttermilk and hot sauce mixture, coated in a seasoned flour and egg wash, then deep-fried to golden perfection. The tenders are finished with a spicy sweet hot honey sauce, balancing heat and sweetness for an irresistible appetizer or main dish.

Ingredients

Marinade

  • 2 pounds chicken tenders
  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
  • ¼ cup white distilled vinegar
  • 5 finely minced garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Breading

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic granules
  • 2 teaspoons onion granules
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 3 teaspoons coarse salt (divided: 2 tsp and 1 tsp)
  • 1 teaspoon ground pepper (divided: ½ tsp and ½ tsp)
  • 4 large eggs
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • Oil for frying (enough to fill a 4- or 5-quart pot halfway)

Hot Honey Sauce

  • 1 cup honey
  • 2 teaspoons hot sauce
  • 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons white distilled vinegar
  • ½ stick unsalted butter (4 tablespoons)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Marinade: In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, hot sauce, white distilled vinegar, minced garlic, coarse salt, and ground black pepper. Add chicken tenders, mix thoroughly to coat, cover, and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours to enhance flavor and tenderness.
  2. Mix the Breading Dry Ingredients: In a wide shallow bowl or cake tin, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, garlic granules, onion granules, paprika, 2 teaspoons of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Set aside.
  3. Prepare Egg Wash: In a separate wide shallow bowl or cake tin, whisk eggs, buttermilk, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper until smooth. Set aside.
  4. Heat Oil for Frying: Pour enough oil into a 4- or 5-quart pot to fill it halfway and heat over medium-low heat to 375°F. Maintain this temperature; expect it to drop to 350°F when chicken is added.
  5. Coat the Chicken Tenders: Remove tenders from marinade in batches, draining excess liquid. Dredge each tender thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture, pressing to coat evenly. Shake off excess flour, then dip into egg wash, fully coating. Drain excess egg wash, then dredge again in flour mixture. Place breaded tenders on a rack over a sheet tray and let rest up to 15 minutes.
  6. Fry the Chicken: Fry 4 to 6 tenders at a time in hot oil for 3½ to 4 minutes, turning every 2 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on a rack to remove excess oil. Repeat with remaining tenders.
  7. Make the Hot Honey Sauce: While frying, combine honey, hot sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, white vinegar, and butter in a small saucepot. Cook over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally until butter is melted and sauce is well blended.
  8. Coat Chicken with Sauce: Once all tenders are fried, brush or spoon the hot honey sauce generously over both sides of the chicken tenders.
  9. Serve: Serve immediately with optional dipping sauces such as ranch, blue cheese, or honey mustard.

Notes

  • Marinate chicken between 2 to 24 hours for best flavor and tenderness; longer marination results in more tender chicken.
  • Maintain oil temperature at 375°F before adding chicken to avoid greasy or undercooked tenders; temperature will drop to 350°F upon addition.
  • Double dredging in flour and egg wash ensures a crispy coating.
  • The hot honey sauce can be adjusted for more or less heat by varying the amount of hot sauce and cayenne pepper.
  • Use a thermometer to monitor oil temperature for best frying results.
  • Resting breaded tenders before frying helps coating adhere better.
  • Let fried tenders drain on a wire rack over a baking sheet to keep them crispy.

Find it online: https://cookedbygrace.com/hot-honey-chicken-tenders-recipe/