Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

Ultra juicy, ultra crispy hot honey chicken tenders are easier to make than you’d think. Made with simple pantry staples and coated in a sticky, sweet-and-spicy hot honey sauce, these tenders are a crowd-pleasing winner – perfect for entertaining, game day, or a better-than-takeout night in.

Hot Honey Chicken Tenders, at a Glance

Why These Tenders Are Better Than Takeout

I like to think of these lovely chicken tenders as elevated chicken nuggets. They’re just so incredibly easy to eat (as fried chicken tends to be!)

• Quick and easy. Chicken tenders cook fast and evenly, making them far less intimidating than traditional fried chicken. No guesswork, no waiting around.
• Perfect for casual eating. The tenders are brilliant finger food – so they’re great for game day spreads, or feeding a crowd without needing plates and cutlery.
• That hot honey sauce. Sweet, sticky, a little spicy, and just tangy enough to keep things interesting. It’s made with just three ingredients and comes together while the chicken cooks.
• Truly better than takeout. You get that same gorgeous, irresistible crunch and heat, but you’re in control of the spice level, sweetness, and the quality of the ingredients.

I’ve also included my tips for foolproof deep-frying at home (I promise it’s not scary!) AND how to make the tenders ahead of time so you can prep them in advance if you’re entertaining.

Prefer not to deep-fry? You’ve got options:

• Make them in the air fryer. Spray them with oil, then air fry for 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C), flipping them halfway through.
• Or, cook them in the oven. Preheat it to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set a wire rack on top if you have one. Prepare the chicken as written, then arrange the coated tenders in a single layer. Drizzle or spray with oil, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and cooked through.
• For both options, drizzle or toss with the hot honey just before serving.

If you love the sweet-spicy combination, but want it in burger form, these hot honey fried chicken sandwiches use the same flavor profile and are just as satisfying.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Chicken tenders. If you can’t find tenders, use chicken breasts (or thighs) and slice them into strips. For the best flavor, use free-range or organic chicken.
• Yogurt. Most recipes use buttermilk, but I find plain natural or Greek yogurt is a perfect alternative. It’s something I often have on hand, so there’s no wastage (like there often is with buttermilk, as it’s not a versatile ingredient).
• Flour + baking powder. Regular all-purpose flour is fine, or you could use self-raising flour and skip the baking powder. You can also use gluten-free flour.
• Oil. You want to use oil with a high smoke point for deep-frying (so not olive oil). Vegetable oil, like avocado or canola oil, is great.
• Spices. The dried thyme, ground turmeric, paprika, and salt are used to season both the marinade AND the crispy coating.

If you’re making your own hot honey sauce, you’ll need honey, chilli flakes, and lemon juice.

How to Make Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

This is a step-by-step photo overview of how to make the tenders – the full instructions with ingredient quantities are at the bottom of the page for you.

1. Mix your yogurt marinade in a large bowl.

2. Add the chicken tenders and toss to completely coat them. Set aside while you prep the crispy coating (you can marinate the chicken in the fridge for up to 24 hours if you like).

3. In a separate bowl, mix the ingredients for your crispy coating. Then toss the chicken tenders through the coating.

4. Make sure to cover every part of the tenders with the flour mixture. Use your hands to kind of scrunch the chicken into the flour – this will give you lots of lovely craggy bits which will get super crispy when you fry them. Set the coated tenders aside on a plate.

5. Heat your oil – using a thermometer is the best and easiest way to check your oil is at the right temperature. They’re cheap and readily available from Amazon and are one of my most-used kitchen pieces. Fry the chicken, using a spatula to move the pieces around the oil to ensure even cooking.

6. Transfer the fried chicken tenders to a wire rack (this keeps them crispy all over as you continue to fry the rest). Depending on the size of your pot, you can fry 3 to 4 pieces at once, but it’s important not to overcrowd the pot – this will help to keep the coating nice and crispy.

7. Make the hot honey sauce while the chicken is cooking (or marinating), then toss the crispy chicken with the sauce.

8. Pile the fried chicken tenders onto a platter – I love serving them with some pickles and a dipping sauce – egg-free garlic aioli, spicy gochujang aioli or even instant Kewpie mayo work well.

Tips for Foolproof Deep-Frying at Home

I know that deep-frying can feel a little intimidating, but I promise it’s a lot easier than you might think, especially if you follow these tips:

1. Monitor the oil temperature.
   • Your oil should be maintained at 350°F – 360°F (175°C – 180°C) for deep-frying.
   • This is why a probe thermometer is so helpful. It’s the easiest way to ensure perfect results. They’re affordable and well worth it. I use this probe thermometer from Amazon.
   • If you don’t have a thermometer, use the wooden spoon trick to guess that the oil is at the right temperature. Place the handle into the oil, and if the oil bubbles rapidly around it, it’s good to go. But, you’ll get the best results when you know for sure the temperature is correct.
   • Why this matters – if your oil is too cold, your coating will be soggy, rather than crispy. If it’s too hot, the coating will burn before the chicken cooks through.
2. Don’t overcrowd the pot.
   • This is tied to the temperature of your oil.
   • Fry a few pieces of chicken at a time. Adding too much will lower the temperature of the oil, which can make the tenders soggy.
   • Patience is key – even if it takes a little longer to fry the chicken in batches, it’ll come out perfectly crispy every time (worth it in my opinion!)
3. Move the chicken around while it’s frying.
   • I like to use a slotted spatula (or a fish slice) to gently move the pieces around in the oil.
   • This helps the chicken cook evenly and ensures a lovely, crispy, golden coating all over.
4. Drain the tenders after frying.
   • You don’t have to do this, but it helps to keep the coating nice and crispy.
   • I like to prepare a wire rack over a baking sheet to transfer the chicken onto straight after frying to drain any excess oil.
   • This is especially important when you’re frying the chicken in batches – you don’t want the perfectly fried chicken sitting in its oil while you’re waiting for the rest of the chicken to cook.

Hot Honey Chicken Tenders FAQs

Like These Chicken Tenders? Try These Chicken Ideas Next

Hot Honey Fried Chicken Sandwiches

Super Crispy Korean Fried Chicken

Chicken and Mushroom Potstickers (Dumplings)

Mediterranean Chicken Rice Bowls

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave a recipe rating and a comment below. And remember to tag @DishedByKate on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok if you’ve made one of my recipes. Seeing your recreations really makes my day 😊.

Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

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• Author: Kate Phillips
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

Ultra juicy, ultra crispy fried chicken tenders are easier to make than you’d think and use cupboard staples. Toss with sticky hot honey sauce, for a serious crowd-pleasing winner for entertaining, game day or a better than takeout night in.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the chicken tenders –

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1lb/500g chicken tenders
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Vegetable oil, for frying

For the hot honey sauce –

• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

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Instructions

1. Marinate the chicken. Add 1 cup of yogurt, 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon of salt and the crushed garlic to a mixing bowl, then mix to combine. Add the chicken tenders and mix through the marinade, making sure every piece is well coated. Set aside while you prepare the coating (you can marinate it for up to 24 hours in the fridge).
2. Prepare the coating. While the chicken marinates, combine 1 cup of flour with 1 teaspoon each of salt, paprika, turmeric, dried thyme and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
3. Dredge the chicken. Prepare a plate or tray to place the dredged chicken on. Dunk each chicken tender into the flour mixture, using your hands to completely coat the pieces. You can kind of scrunch the flour into the chicken – this will create those lovely craggy bits that help create the lovely crunchy coating.
4. Heat the oil. Pour enough oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pot to come roughly halfway up the sides. Turn the heat to high and heat the oil to 390F/180C. The easiest way to do this is to use a thermometer, or you can place the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil. If the oil bubbles up around the handle, it’s good to go. 
5. Fry the chicken. Place a wire rack over a baking tray to put the freshly fried chicken on to keep it crispy. Once the oil is at the right temperature, carefully lower 3 – 4 pieces of chicken into the oil (this will depend on the size of your pot – make sure you’re not overcrowding it). Use a fish slice to move the chicken gently around in the oil, and fry for 5 minutes, until the coating is super golden and crispy. Transfer the fried chicken to the wire rack, then repeat with the rest of the chicken tenders.
6. Make the hot honey sauce. While the chicken is frying, add the honey, chilli flakes and lemon juice to a small pot over medium heat. Mix for a couple of minutes, as the honey bubbles up and becomes much more runny. Remove from the heat.
7. Toss with the sauce and serve. Transfer the chicken tenders to a large bowl, then pour the hot honey sauce all over the top. Toss the bowl (or carefully use tongs) to coat the chicken in the sauce, then transfer to a plate to serve. Enjoy while hot and crispy.

Notes

MAKE AHEAD: Follow the recipe up until tossing the chicken in the sauce, then leave the tenders to cool completely on the wire rack. Transfer to containers and store in the fridge. The next day, you can reheat them in the oven on a wire rack (to make sure the hot air can circulate and evenly crisp up the chicken) for 8 minutes at 300°F/150°C fan. Once hot and crispy, toss with the sauce and serve.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The tenders will keep well for 3 days in the fridge – reheat in the microwave, in the air fryer or in the oven (8 minutes at 300°F/150°C fan). 

AIR FRYER? Skip the deep frying and cook them in the air fryer instead if you like. Cook the tenders for 12 – 15 minutes at 400°F (200°C), turning them over halfway through and spraying them liberally with oil. Drizzle with hot honey just before serving.

OVEN BAKE INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set a wire rack on top if you have one. Prepare the chicken per the recipe, then arrange the coated tenders in a single layer. Drizzle or spray with oil. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and cooked through (internal temp 165°F). Drizzle with hot honey just before serving.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: I love pairing the tenders with a pile of pickles, loaded crispy wedges and crunchy slaw, maybe with some aioli or gochujang aioli on the side for dipping.

• Prep Time: 30
• Cook Time: 15
• Category: fakeaways
• Method: deep frying
• Cuisine: american

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 125g
• Calories: 540
• Sugar: 21g
• Sodium: 1140mg
• Fat: 24g
• Saturated Fat: 4.5g
• Unsaturated Fat: 18g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 43g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 38g
• Cholesterol: 95mg