How can I tell the chicken is cooked?

If your oil is at 390F/180C - it SHOULD be perfectly cooked through in 5 or so minutes. If you're worried, just cut into a piece to check it's white all the way through. Or, use your probe thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken - when cooked, it should be at least 165F/75C.

What can I serve with the tenders?

I love to pair them with some pickles and a dipping sauce ( aioli or gochujang aioli are great choices), along with some loaded wedges or a crunchy slaw. You could also stuff them into fluffy bao buns .

Can I make them ahead of time?

You can! I've done this while catering for a party of 40, and it worked perfectly. Fry the chicken as per the recipe, but don't toss it with the hot honey sauce. Let the fried chicken cool completely on the wire rack, then transfer it to containers and pop into the fridge. The next day, you can reheat it for 8 minutes at 350F/150C fan on a wire rack set over a baking tray in the oven (this will let the air circulate and crisp up the coating). After that, continue with the recipe and serve.

Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

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 fakeaway night in.

Ingredients

Units Scale

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

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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 300F/150C 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 300F/150C fan).

AIR FRYER? Skip the deep frying and cook them in the air fryer instead if you like. Cook the tenders for 10 minutes at 400F/200C, turning them over halfway through and spraying them liberally with oil.

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