Hot Honey Chicken Tenders (CRISPY!) (VIDEO)
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Hot Honey Chicken Tenders are double fried until perfectly crispy and coated in a delicious homemade hot honey sauce that is sweet, spicy, and so addictive!
Watch the Hot Honey Chicken Tenders Recipe Video!
A Note from CJ
Make these Hot Honey Chicken Tenders!
I love Fried Chicken Tenders (or Air Fryer Chicken Tenders if I don’t feel like deep frying) – these Hot Honey Chicken Tenders take it the next level with a homemade hot honey sauce that is SO GOOD!
For more fried chicken, try my easy Fried Chicken, Korean Fried Chicken or Honey Butter Fried Chicken, Chicken Katsu, Chicken Karaage, or Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken!
Ingredient Tips
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!
- chicken bouillon powder – I love adding chicken bouillon powder to my chicken marinades to really reinforce the chicken flavor! Most chicken bouillon powders already include salt, hence why there is no added salt in the recipe. If yours is salt-free, add ½ tablespoon of kosher salt to the seasoning mix.
- chicken tenders – chicken tenderloins are not the same as chicken breasts – they’re the muscle underneath the breast and are more tender). For this recipe, you can absolutely use breasts cut into thin slices.
- all-purpose flour, potato starch, cornstarch, baking powder – I like to do a mix of flour and starches for the perfect balance of crispy, crunchy, and golden brown. Flour forms the base, potato starch adds crunch, cornstarch helps keep the coating light, and baking powder creates tiny air pockets for an extra crispy texture.
- unsalted butter – use unsalted butter to avoid the sauce being too salty.
How to Make Hot Honey Chicken Tenders
Make Spice Mix and Marinate Chicken Tenders – In a small bowl, add the garlic powder, onion powder, chicken bouillon powder, paprika, and white pepper. Mix together until combined to create the Spice Mix. In a large bowl, add the buttermilk, hot sauce, egg, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the Spice Mix. Whisk until combined, then add the chicken tenders and marinate for at least 1 hour in the fridge.
Dredge Chicken Tenders – In a tray, mix together the flour, cornstarch, potato starch, baking powder, and the remainder of the Spice Mix until combined. Place the chicken tenders and tray with the dredge next to each other in a line next to a wire rack lined baking sheet. Let any excess brine fall off the chicken tender, then dredge in the dry dredge. Dip it back into the brine, then once more into the dredge. Let it rest on the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken tenders.
Fry Chicken Tenders (Twice) – Add the oil to a dutch oven or heavy bottom potand heat the oil to 325°F over medium high heat. Fry the chicken tenders in batches for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and remove. Repeat until all the tenders are fried. Heat the oil to 375°F and fry all the chicken tenders for a 2nd time for 2 minutes until deep golden brown. Remove and let rest on a wire rack.
Make Hot Honey Sauce and Pour Over Chicken Tenders – In a small saucepan, add the hot sauce, honey, and butter over medium heat. Mix with a spatula until the honey is dissolved and the sauce is smooth. Add the chicken tenders to a bowl and pour over the sauce. Toss until coated and enjoy! Serve them with my Homemade Ranch!
PRO TIPS
CJ’s Storage & Reheating Tips
Store any leftover Hot Honey Chicken Tenders in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Keep in mind that the tenders will not stay crispy once refrigerated.
Reheat in the air fryer at 350F for 6-8 minutes until crispy, or on a wire rack in the oven at 375°F for 10 minutes until crispy and warmed through. You can also reheat them quickly in the microwave, if you don’t care about the texture.
The Hot Honey Sauce can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to a week.
If you tried this Hot Honey Chicken Tenders Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Hot Honey Chicken Tenders (CRISPY!) (VIDEO)
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Spice Mix:
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon white pepper
Chicken Brine:
- 2 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup hot sauce
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 pounds chicken tenders
Dredge
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup potato starch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 quarts neutral oil, for frying
Hot Honey Sauce
- 1 cup hot sauce
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 star anise pods
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the garlic powder, onion powder, chicken bouillon powder, paprika, and white pepper. Mix together until combined to create the Spice Mix.
- In a large bowl, add the buttermilk, hot sauce, egg, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the Spice Mix. Whisk until combined, then add the chicken tenders and marinate for at least 1 hour in the fridge.
- In a tray, mix together the flour, cornstarch, potato starch, baking powder, and the remainder of the Spice Mix until combined.
- Place the chicken tenders and tray with the dredge next to each other in a line next to a wire rack lined baking sheet. Let any excess brine fall off the chicken tender, then dredge in the dry dredge. Dip it back into the brine, then once more into the dredge. Let it rest on the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken tenders.
- Add the oil to a dutch oven or heavy bottom potand heat the oil to 325°F over medium high heat. Fry the chicken tenders in batches for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and remove. Repeat until all the tenders are fried.
- Heat the oil to 375°F and fry all the chicken tenders for a 2nd time for 2 minutes until deep golden brown. Remove and let rest on a wire rack.
- In a small saucepan, add the hot sauce, honey, garlic powder and butter over medium heat. Mix with a spatula until the honey is dissolved and the sauce is smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the star anise pods and turn off the heat. Let the star anise pods steep for 4-5 minutes before removing them.
- Add the chicken tenders to a bowl and pour over the sauce. Toss until coated and enjoy!
Notes
- chicken bouillon powder – I love adding chicken bouillon powder to my chicken marinades to really reinforce the chicken flavor! Many chicken bouillon powders already include salt, hence why there is no added salt in the recipe. If your chicken bouillon powder is salt-free, add ½ tablespoon of kosher salt to the seasoning mix.
- chicken tenders – technically, chicken breasts and tenderloins are not the same thing (the tenderloin is a muscle underneath the breast and are more tender) – however, for this recipe, you can also use breasts cut into thin slices.
- unsalted butter – use unsalted butter to avoid the sauce being too salty.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
