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Hot Honey Chicken Tenders Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 141 reviews

Crispy and flavorful Hot Honey Chicken Tenders featuring tender chicken coated in a spiced flour mixture, pan-fried to golden perfection, and drizzled with a sweet and spicy honey sauce for an irresistible balance of heat and sweetness.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken Marinade

  • 2½ pounds chicken tenderloins
  • 1 cup buttermilk

Coating

  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cooking Oil

  • ¼ cup oil (plus more as needed, your preferred cooking oil)

Hot Honey Sauce

  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1½ teaspoons hot sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Marinate the Chicken: Pour buttermilk over chicken tenderloins in a bowl and stir to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate to allow the chicken to absorb the flavors while you prepare the coating and sauce.
  2. Prepare the Flour Coating: Combine flour, paprika, salt, and ground black pepper in a shallow dish, mixing well to ensure the spices are evenly distributed for a flavorful crust.
  3. Make the Hot Honey Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together honey, hot sauce, and red pepper flakes. Adjust the level of spiciness by adding more hot sauce or red pepper flakes if desired. Set aside for drizzling later.
  4. Coat the Chicken: Remove the chicken tenderloins from the buttermilk. Dredge each piece thoroughly in the flour mixture, ensuring every side is coated. Repeat until all the chicken is fully covered with the seasoning blend.
  5. Cook the Chicken: Heat ¼ cup oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Place chicken tenders in a single layer without crowding to prevent steaming. Cook for 3-4 minutes on the first side, then flip and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165˚F and the chicken is golden and cooked through. Adjust heat to medium-low if the exterior cooks too quickly.
  6. Finish and Serve: Transfer cooked chicken tenders to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Repeat cooking with remaining chicken, adding more oil as needed. Arrange all tenders on a serving platter and generously drizzle the prepared hot honey sauce over them. Optionally, provide extra hot honey sauce so guests can add more to their liking.

Notes

  • Use a meat thermometer to ensure chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165˚F for safe consumption.
  • If preferred, adjust the heat level of the hot honey sauce by increasing or decreasing the hot sauce and red pepper flakes.
  • Use neutral cooking oils with high smoke points such as vegetable, canola, or peanut oil for best frying results.
  • For extra crispiness, double dredge the chicken by dipping again in buttermilk and then flour mixture before frying.
  • Serve with dipping sauces like ranch or blue cheese dressing to balance the spicy heat.

Keywords: Hot Honey Chicken Tenders, Spicy Chicken, Fried Chicken Tenders, Sweet and Spicy Chicken, Chicken Snack

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