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Crispy, glazed chicken strips, a restaurant-style chicken recipe at home, served with dipping sauce.

Restaurant-Style Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

Make delicious hot honey chicken tenders at home that rival your favorite restaurant dishes. This recipe guides you through creating a sweet and spicy honey glaze and perfectly crispy fried chicken tenders.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Honey Simmer Time 5 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Calories: 549
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Hot Honey
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Chicken Tenders
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons pepper
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 pounds chicken tenderloins
  • Oil for deep-fat frying

Equipment

  • Small saucepan
  • Fine mesh sieve
  • Shallow baking dish
  • Large deep-sided skillet
  • Wire rack
  • Baking sheet

Method
 

  1. To make the hot honey, place honey, cider vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and salt in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat; let cool slightly. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the solids, if desired. Set aside.
  2. To make the chicken tenders, in a shallow baking dish, whisk together egg and buttermilk. In a separate shallow baking dish, stir together flour, garlic powder, pepper, onion powder, salt, paprika and thyme. Dip each chicken tenderloin in the egg mixture, then the flour mixture, shaking off any excess flour. Place on a plate or baking sheet until ready to cook.
  3. In a large deep-sided skillet, heat oil to 375°. Fry the chicken tenders, a few pieces at a time, for 2-3 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 165°. Transfer to a wire rack placed over a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken tenders.
  4. To serve, drizzle all sides of each chicken tender with the hot honey. Serve with remaining hot honey for dipping.

Nutrition

Calories: 549kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 40gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 106mgSodium: 464mgFiber: 1gSugar: 47g

Notes

This recipe is perfect for a fun weeknight dinner or a crowd-pleasing appetizer. Adjust the cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes to control the heat level of your hot honey.

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