Description
Crispy, juicy chicken tenders coated in a golden crust and drizzled with sweet and spicy hot honey. A comforting, crowd-pleasing dish that’s quick to make and full of flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 pounds chicken tenders
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- ½ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F.
- In a bowl, whisk the buttermilk and eggs. In another bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne.
- Line a baking sheet with a cooling rack for draining fried tenders.
- Dip each chicken tender into the buttermilk mixture, then dredge in the flour mix. Repeat for extra crunch.
- Fry tenders in batches, about 4–5 minutes per side, until golden brown and fully cooked. Drain on the rack.
- In a small saucepan, warm the honey and red pepper flakes over low heat. Drizzle or toss the fried tenders in the hot honey.
- Serve hot with extra hot honey on the side for dipping.
Notes
- Let coated tenders rest before frying to help the crust stick better.
- Keep oil temperature steady at 350°F for best results.
- Reheat in an oven or air fryer to maintain crispiness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 540
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 670mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 46g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 135mg
Keywords: hot honey chicken tenders, crispy chicken tenders, spicy fried chicken, easy fried chicken, honey glazed chicken