Turn up the heat with these crispy Hot Honey Chicken Tenders! Juicy fried chicken tenders tossed in a homemade hot honey sauce, giving you the ultimate tenders.
Try my hot honey chicken skewers or hot honey chicken wings!
HOT HONEY CHICKEN TENDERS
These hot honey chicken tenders are crispy, juicy, and coated in the perfect sweet and spicy hot honey sauce. These chicken tenders are easy to make at home and packed with so many delicious flavors, perfect for weeknight dinners, game days, or any occasion. Serve these hot honey chicken tenders with your favorite dipping sauce, fries, or a fresh salad for an easy meal everyone will love.
WHAT YOU NEED-
- Chicken– Either pre-cut chicken tenderloins or boneless skinless chicken breast cut into chicken tender pieces can be used.
- Marinade– What makes the chicken tenders juicy, tender and not dry is the marinade! You will need milk (or buttermilk), eggs, pickle juice, salt and pepper.
- Flour Batter– For the flour batter, this recipe calls for all-purpose flour, panko breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika! If you like spice, you can also add chili powder!
- Butter– Adding honey to the sauce gives you extra richness and added flavors. You can use salted or unsalted butter for this recipe.
- Honey– You can use either regular honey or hot honey. If you use regular honey, just add more red pepper flakes to make up for the missing heat. If you are using hot honey, you can use either store-bought or homemade hot honey!
- Buffalo Hot Sauce– For an even balance of sweet and spicy, you want to add buffalo hot sauce. I like to use Frank’s buffalo hot sauce.
- Red Pepper Flakes– The hot honey sauce also calls for red pepper flakes for a final kick of heat!
HOW TO MAKE HOT HONEY CHICKEN
With just a couple steps, you can have these crispy fried chicken tenders ready to enjoy!
- Combine all the ingredients for the wet batter in a large bowl.
- Add the chicken tenderloins to the wet batter and mix so that all the tenders are coated. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
- In a separate bowl, mix the ingredients for the dry flour mixture.
- Take the chicken from the wet batter and coat in the flour batter. (Repeat this twice, to get double battered chicken.)
- Add the coated chicken to a plate or baking sheet. Repeat this with all your chicken.
- In a deep skillet or large pot, add oil and heat on high.
- Once the oil is hot, add the coated chicken tenders and fry until golden brown on both sides.
- Remove from the oil and transfer the chicken to a paper towel lined plate or sheet.
- Fry all the chicken tenders, covering the ready ones to keep warm.
- In the meantime, prepare the hot honey sauce by bringing all the ingredients to a simmer. in a saucepan.
- Add the chicken tenders to a bowl and pour in the hot honey sauce. Toss until the chicken is fully coated in hot honey sauce. (Be careful not to overmix or the fried batter will fall off the chicken.)
- Serve with desired sides and enjoy.
| Serve these sweet and spicy chicken tenders with my homemade Wingstop Ranch for the ultimate combo! |
OTHER CHICKEN TENDER COOKING METHODS
Want to avoid the mess and grease? No worries! You can totally make the chicken tenders in with other methods.
- Air Fryer– Use my air fryer chicken tender’s recipe to prepare the chicken. Once the tenders are cooked, just toss in the prepared hot sauce and enjoy.
- Oven Baked– Using the batter from my air fryer chicken tenders, lay them out onto a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for 15-17 minutes, until cooked through. Coat it with hot honey sauce.
- Premade Tenders– Skip all the work and just use store-bought frozen chicken tenders. Cook them per package instructions and then toss the tenders in the hot honey sauce.
SERVING IDEAS
Pair these tangy hot honey chicken tenders with the right sides for the perfect meal! Here are some great side ideas:
- Greek Salad
- French Fries
- Potato Wedges
- Olive Garden Salad
- Parmesan Truffle Fries
- Veggie Tray
- Garlic Bread
- Loaded Fries
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:
Although the chicken tenders don’t require marinating time, I highly recommend marinating for at least 30 minutes, up to 18 hours! This will give you juicy, soft and tender chicken.
For frying, the oil should stay around 350°F to fry chicken tenders evenly. Measure the heat of the oil with a thermometer or test the oil by dropping a piece of chicken batter into the oil and if it starts to bubble and starts to brown, the oil is ready.
If the chicken is too wet, the flour won’t stick properly. scrape any excess wet batter right before dipping it into the flour batter. Also, pressing or patting the flour onto the chicken helps create a better bond between the batter and the meat.
Cooked chicken will have an internal temperature of 165°F. You can take out a tender and check the center to make sure there is no pink left, or measure with a thermometer.
No worries! Just use regular honey and 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes!
I highly recommend that you enjoy these fresh, but you can make the tenders ahead of time, then when ready to enjoy, reheat and toss in the hot honey sauce and enjoy.
Store the leftover chicken tenders in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Yes, once the hot honey tenders are cooled, add them to a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3-4 months! When ready to enjoy, warm in the oven, air fryer, or toaster oven until warmed through.
OTHER CHICKEN RECIPES TO TRY-
Check out all these other delicious chicken recipes!
Hot Honey Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
Marinade-
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tbsp pickle juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Breading-
- 1 1/3 all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
Hot Honey Sauce-
- 1/2 cup hot honey
- 1/3 cup Franks buffalo hot sauce
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter or salted
- 3 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the wet batter.1/2 cup whole milk, 2 large eggs, 2 Tbsp pickle juice, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- Add the chicken tenders into the egg mixture and allow them to marinate for at least 30 minutes. (You can marinate the chicken for up to 18 hours, overnight.)1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
- In a separate bowl, mix together the ingredients for the dry breading.1 1/3 all-purpose flour, 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika
- Take each chicken tender from the wet batter and coat it in the dry flour mixture, making sure it is fully and evenly coated.
- Optional– For extra crunch, repeat the process: dip the floured chicken tender back into the wet batter and coat it again with the dry flour mixture. This double coating creates an extra crispy crust.
- Place the coated chicken tenders on a plate or baking sheet. Repeat with all the chicken tenders.
- In a deep skillet or large pot, pour about 2-3 inches of oil, or enough to fully submerge the chicken. Heat the oil on high heat, until it reaches 350°F. Test the oil by dropping in a small pinch of the flour batter—if it sizzles immediately, the oil is ready for frying.
- Carefully add the coated chicken tenders into the hot oil, do not overcrowd the pan. Fry the chicken in batches, if needed, so the tenders have enough room to cook evenly.
- Fry the chicken for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until the outside is golden brown and crispy and the chicken is cooked through.
- Once the chicken is cooked, carefully remove the tenders from the oil using tongs or a slotted spoon and place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet to drain any excess oil.
- Continue frying the remaining chicken tenders in batches. Keep the cooked tenders warm while you finish frying the rest.
- While the chicken is frying, prepare the hot honey sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the ingredients for the sauce.1/2 cup hot honey, 1/3 cup Franks buffalo hot sauce, 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, or salted, 3 tsp red pepper flakes
- Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the butter has melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Once all the chicken is fried, coat the crispy chicken tenders in the hot honey sauce, ensuring each tender is fully coated. (You can keep the sauce in the saucepan and dip each tender individually, or add the chicken to a bowl, pour the hot honey sauce over the chicken, and gently toss to coat.)
- Serve the hot honey chicken tenders immediately with your favorite sides.
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