These Hot Honey Chicken Tenders are the perfect blend of sweet and spicy and served juicy and bursting with flavor. This dish can be made with either homemade or store-bought sauce, making them a convenient and delicious option for any meal.
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Key Ingredients
- Chicken Tenderloins or Breasts
- All Purpose Flour
- Spices
- Honey
- Hot Sauce
- Butter
How it Tastes
The hot honey glaze combines the sweetness of honey with a spicy kick, creating a harmonious balance that tantalizes the taste buds. The heat from the spice is mellowed by the natural sweetness of the honey, resulting in a rich and flavorful coating that enhances the savory notes of the chicken.
What Type of Chicken to Use
You can use chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts. Tenderloins are the thin strips of meat located on the underside of the chicken breast. They are naturally tender and cook quickly, making them ideal for this recipe. Chicken breasts are easy to cut into uniform strips if you don’t have tenderloins.
Cook Method
You can air fry the chicken or cook it them on the stove.
How to Make Hot Honey Chicken Tenders
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Pat the chicken dry.
- Combine the spices in a bowl with the flour and sprinkle the flour over the chicken and rub it in.
- Air fry or bake the chicken.
- Drizzle the chicken in hot honey sauce.
How to Tell When the Chicken is Fully Cooked
Use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature of the chicken. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. Ensure the chicken reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees. This is when it’s safe to eat. The chicken will cook at varying speeds and times based on the size and thickness of the chicken. You should use a meat thermometer for safety.
How to Make it Less Spicy
If you make your own sauce you can directly control the amount of heat and spice. You can use less cayenne pepper or omit it completely. You can also use a mild hot sauce brand instead one with a lot of heat. It’s much easier to make this less spicy if you make your own sauce (recipe instructions provided below) as opposed to using store-bought.
Breaded Chicken
These tenders are lightly breaded using all-purpose flour. If you are looking for thick, breaded chicken tenders that are crunchy, I recommend double breading the chicken.
With this process, the chicken is coated in seasoned flour, then dipped in egg and buttermilk, and again in the seasoned flour. It gets coated in flour twice. Check out my Chicken Fried Chicken recipe for ingredients and instructions on how you can use that method.
Sauces to Pair
- Ranch
- Blue Cheese
- BBQ Sauce
- Garlic Aioli
- Buffalo Sauce
- Honey Mustard
- Sriracha Mayo
- Chili Lime Sauce
- Yogurt Dill Sauce
- Sweet Chili Sauce
- Teriyaki Sauce
Side Dishes to Pair
Creamy Coleslaw
Vinegar Based Coleslaw
Air Fryer French Fries
Air Fryer Onion Rings
Air Fryer Green Beans
Traeger Smoked Baked Beans
Steakhouse Creamed Spinach
How to Store Leftovers
Place the chicken pieces in an airtight container. You can also wrap them tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Store the container in the refrigerator. The chicken should be consumed within 3-4 days.
How to Reheat
Reheat the chicken in the oven at 350 degrees in the oven or the air fryer until heated through. Reheating on the stove with a small amount of oil also works well. Microwaving is an option but it may result in dry chicken.
Freezing
The chicken can be stored tightly covered and sealed for 2-3 months in the freezer. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
Hot Honey Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 2 – 2 1/2 pounds skinless chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts
- 1/4-1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- cooking oil spray I used olive oil
Homemade Hot Honey Sauce (or you can use store-bought)
- 1/4-1/2 cup honey
- 2-3 tablespoons hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter Measured solid.
Instructions
Hot Honey Sauce
- Combine the ingredients and stir until well combined. You can use the stove top at medium heat or the microwave.
Chicken
- Pat the chicken dry.
- Combine the spices in a bowl with the flour and sprinkle the flour over the chicken and rub it in. Be sure to season both sides and the edges. Add enough to fully coat both sides, add more spices if you need it.
Air Fryer Instructions
- Place the chicken in the air fryer basket. Spray with cooking oil. If you see white areas on the chicken from the flour, spray with oil or these areas won't crisp.Air fry the chicken at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Open the air fryer and drizzle half of the hot honey sauce over the chicken.
- Air fry for an additional 5-8 minutes or until the chicken reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees and it is crisp enough for your liking. Use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature. Cook time will vary.
- Drizzle the remaining hot honey sauce over the chicken. Allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Baked Chicken Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place an oven-safe baking rack on a baking sheet or a sheet pan. Lightly spray with non-stick spray. (The baking rack will produce crispy tenders and is optional. You can use just the sheet pan with parchment paper if you wish).
- Place the breaded tenders on the rack or sheet pan. Spritz the tenders with cooking oil spray. If you see white areas on the chicken from the flour, spray with oil or these areas won't crisp.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Flip each chicken tender, be careful so that you do not lose any of the breading. Drizzle the tenders with half of the hot honey sauce. Bake for another 10 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Remove the tenders from the oven. Drizzle the tenders in the remaining hot honey sauce.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes.