This hot honey chicken sliders recipe is going to be a hit! Toasted buttery brioche buns with sweet and spicy crispy chicken, pickles and homemade Wingstop ranch.
Try my Buffalo Chicken sliders or my Philly Cheesesteak sliders too!
HOT HONEY CHICKEN SLIDERS RECIPE
Make these delicious hot honey chicken sliders for the big game day, parties, or for a fun weeknight dinner! Crispy fried chicken tossed in a sweet and spicy hot honey sauce loaded with toasted garlic butter brioche buns along with homemade Ranch and juicy, crunchy pickles. The combination of flavors in this chicken sliders recipe is going to blow you away!
WHAT YOU NEED-
- Buns– For the best results, you want to use brioche slider buns. But you can also swap for regular slider buns. I do not recommend using Hawaiian rolls, since they are smaller.
- Garlic Butter– The brioche buns are smothered in garlic butter and toasted for added flavor! The garlic butter is a simple mix of melted butter, garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
- Pickles– Fresh crunchy pickles are a must in these chicken sliders! Use your favorite sliced pickles for desired taste.
- Ranch– If you want to take these hot honey chicken sliders to another level, you want to pair these with my homemade Wingstop Ranch! You can also just use your favorite store-bought Ranch.
- Chicken– I recommend that you use boneless skinless chicken breast. You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Marinade– The key to the best crispy, juicy chicken is the marinade, which calls for buttermilk, eggs, pickle juice, buffalo hot sauce, salt, and pepper. The combination of pickle juice and buttermilk is what gives you tender, juicy, soft chicken!
- Dry Batter– The dry batter that you dredge the chicken in is a mixture of flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper! Don’t be shy on the seasonings, since that is what gives the chicken the most flavor.
- Hot Honey Sauce– The star of the show is the hot honey sauce which calls for hot honey, buffalo hot sauce, salted or unsalted butter and red pepper flakes.
HOW TO MAKE HOT HONEY CHICKEN SLIDERS
Don’t be intimated by the number of steps, you can have this delicious appetizer idea ready in no time!
- Marinate the Chicken– Trim any excess fat, rinse and pat dry chicken. Pound 1/2-inch thick and cut into 3-inch pieces. (You should have a total of 8 pieces.)
- Prepare the marinade. Add the chicken pieces, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
- Prepare Buns- Prepare the garlic butter. Brush cut sides and tops of the slider buns with the butter, then add to a baking sheet.
- Dredge & Fry Chicken– Prepare the dry batter. Take the chicken from the wet marinade and transfer to the dry batter, coating the chicken fully. (Do a double coat if desired.)
- Heat 2–3 inches of oil to 350°F and fry chicken 2–3 minutes per side until golden.
- Hot Honey Sauce– Melt butter, then add hot honey, buffalo sauce, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 1–2 minutes.
- Assemble Sliders– Toast the buttered buns in the oven until slightly toasted.
- Toss the fried chicken in the hot honey sauce.
- Spread Ranch onto the bottom bun, then top with a piece of hot honey chicken, pickles and close with the top bun.
- Serve immediately with sides and extra Ranch if desired.
| Pair these delicious hot honey slides with my homemade copycat Wingstop Ranch! |
OTHER CHICKEN OPTIONS-
Don’t want to be frying anything and messing up the kitchen? No worries! Here are some other ways you can make these crispy hot honey chicken sliders without frying.
- Store Bought Chicken Tenders– Skip all the work and use the freezer chicken tenders! Air fry or bake them, then toss in the hot honey sauce! Just cut them to fit into the slider buns.
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders– Use my homemade air fryer chicken tenders for the chicken! Instead of tenders, cut into pieces per recipe and air fryer. Then toss in sauce and assemble the sliders!
PAIRING OPTIONS
Pair these chicken sliders with the right sides for a delicious dinner or the ultimate appetizer spread for your next gathering!
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:
No! You can use store-bought premade chicken tenders or air fryer chicken tenders for the chicken.
Yes! Swap the hot honey sauce for Buffalo wings sauce, barbecue or any other wing sauce you prefer.
You can marinade the chicken ahead of time and even fry the chicken ahead of time! Once the chicken is cooked and cooled, cover and store it in the fridge for 1-2 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer and continue with instructions.
Yes! You can totally elevate these sliders into regular sandwiches! Just cut the chicken into larger pieces and use regular brioche buns. (You will just get less sandwiches.)
Yes! If you prefer coleslaw over pickles, then I recommend that you totally serve these sliders with coleslaw.
Once the sliders are cooled, wrap or transfer to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
For the best results, I recommend reheating these sliders in the air fryer! You can also reheat in the microwave or oven.
OTHER RECIPES TO TRY-
Hot Honey Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
- 8 brioche slider buns
- pickles optional
- homemade ranch optional
- oil for frying
Chicken Wet Marinade-
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup pickle juice
- 1/4 cup Franks buffalo hot sauce
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Chicken Dry Batter-
- 1 1/3 all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 ½ tsp cayenne pepper
Hot Honey Sauce-
- 1/2 cup hot honey
- 1/3 cup Franks buffalo hot sauce
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter or salted
Garlic Butter-
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter or salted
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp Italian seasoning
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken-
- Remove any excess fat from the chicken breast, rinse and then pat dry with paper towels. Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken until the chicken is an even 1/2-inch thickness all around.1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
- Cut the chicken into slider-sized pieces, about 3-inches wide. (You should have a total of 8 pieces of chicken.)
- In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the wet marinade.1/2 cup buttermilk, 2 large eggs, 1/4 cup pickle juice, 1/4 cup Franks buffalo hot sauce, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, ½ tsp salt
- Add the chicken to the marinade, covering all the chicken. Cover and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours. (For the best results, marinate overnight.)
Prepare the Slider Buns-
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the garlic butter and whisk to evenly distribute the seasoning.2 Tbsp unsalted butter, or salted, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp Italian seasoning
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the slider buns cut-side up to the sheet.8 brioche slider buns
- With a pastry brush, brush the cut sides and tops of the buns with the garlic butter.
- Set aside until ready to toast and assemble. (Preheat the oven to 350°F while you are frying the chicken.)
Dredge & Fry the Chicken-
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients for the dry batter and mix to evenly distribute the seasonings.1 1/3 all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup cornstarch, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1 ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- With tongs or your hands, remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing excess marinade to drip off, then dredge in the dry batter until fully coated on all sides.
- Transfer the dredged chicken to a wire rack or plate. Repeat with the rest of the chicken breast. (Optional for extra crispiness: Double coat the chicken by dipping it back into the wet marinade, then dredging in the flour mixture again.)
- Fill a deep skillet or large pot with oil (about 2-3 inches deep) and heat on medium high heat until the oil reaches 350°F. (If you don’t have a thermometer, the oil is ready when a small pinch of flour sizzles immediately.)
- Carefully add the dredged chicken into the hot oil and fry for about 2-3 minutes per side, until the chicken is crispy and golden. (Work in batches to avoid overcrowding.)
- Remove the cooked chicken and place on a wire rack or paper towel–lined plate to drain excess oil. Repeat until all chicken is fried.
Hot Honey Sauce-
- In a skillet or saucepan, add butter and melt on medium heat.1/2 cup hot honey, 1/3 cup Franks buffalo hot sauce, 4 Tbsp unsalted butter , or salted
- Once melted, add the hot honey, buffalo sauce, and red pepper flakes. Whisk to combine and bring to a gentle simmer, about 1–2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
Assemble the Hot Honey Chicken Sliders-
- Place the buttered brioche slider buns in the preheated 350°F oven and toast for 5–6 minutes, until lightly golden and warm.
- Add the fried chicken to the hot honey sauce and gently toss to fully coat. (Toss carefully to avoid the dredging from coming off.)
- Once the buns are toasted, assemble the chicken sliders: Spread a layer of ranch to the bottom bun, then add a piece of hot honey chicken, and top with 2-3 pickles. Close with top slider bun.
- Repeat until all the sliders are assembled. (Ranch and pickles are optional.)
- Serve immediately with desired sides and ranch for dipping.
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