You will fall in love with these hot honey chicken tenders! They're delightfully sticky, sweet, hot, and crispy all in one. Chicken tenders marinated in buttermilk, coated in crunchy cornflakes, baked to golden perfection, and then drizzled with homemade hot honey, these chicken tenders make for an easy appetizer or weeknight dinner.
Today, I'm bringing together my love for crispy chicken tenders and hot honey chicken thighs to make these mouthwatering, finger-licking hot honey chicken tenders. I cannot get enough of them, and when you take your first bite, you'll know why.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- These chicken tenders are marinaded in seasoned buttermilk, so not only does the chicken come out beyond tender, they're flavorful as well. There are flavors of flavor to these chicken tenders as not only is the buttermilk seasoned, but so is the flour coating.
- The cornflake crust is *chef's kiss*. It's sooooo crispy without deep frying.
- Honestly, these honey hot chicken tenders are way better than store-bought.
Ingredients You'll Need
- seasoning — this recipe requires smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. These are pantry staples for me, and I highly recommend you always double checking these to make sure they're not expired. While spices and seasoning don't technically expire, over time, they lose their potency.
- buttermilk — I always use full-fat buttermilk.
- chicken tenders — chicken tenders (aka chicken tenderloins) are the thin muscle that is attached to the underside of the chicken breast. They're super tender, as the name suggests. If you cannot find chicken tenderloins, you can slice chicken breasts for this recipe.
- flour — you'll need to coat the chicken tenderloins in flour. Feel free to use all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour to keep this chicken tenderloin recipe gluten-free.
- eggs — the eggs are beaten so you can dip the chicken in to get the cornflakes to stick to them.
- cornflakes — make sure you're getting cornflakes and not frosted flakes! If you don't have cornflakes, you can use panko breadcrumbs.
- honey — I used local honey.
- hot sauce — feel free to use your favorite hot sauce. I usually use Tabasco, but if I'm in the mood for a sweeter heat, I use sriracha. Gochujang is great as well.
How To Make This Hot Honey Chicken Tenders Recipe
- Combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Combine half of the seasoning mix with the buttermilk.
- Add the chicken tenderloins it. Cover and place in the fridge for one hour up to overnight.
- Prepare the dredging station by mixing the flour and the remaining seasoning mix in a bowl.
- In another bowl, beat the eggs and add the crushed cornflakes in a third bowl.
- Dip the chicken tenders in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess buttermilk before coating.
- Then, place them in the egg to fully coat, and then place them in the crushed cornflakes, making sure to fully coat the chicken tenderloins. Place on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat the process with all of the chicken.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Meanwhile, while the chicken cooks, add the hot sauce and honey to a saucepan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes whisking throughout to combine. Alternatively, place the honey and hot sauce in a microwave-safe container and microwave for 30 seconds, then stir until well combined.
- Once the chicken is done, remove it from the oven and drizzle the hot honey over it. Serve immediately with whatever sauce is leftover.
Recipes Variations
- You can adjust the heat or the sweetness by adding more hot sauce or more honey.
- You can buy pre-made hot honey if you prefer.
- Air fryer: If you'd like to make these in the air fryer, you can air fry the chicken tenders at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Make sure to spray the air fryer basket with some oil first. Make sure you do not overlap them in the air fryer.
Tips and Notes
- You can easily crush the cornflakes by adding them to a ziptop bag and crushing them with your hands or a rolling pin. For a finer crumb, you can run them through a food processor.
- Store any leftover chicken tenders in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I recommend not drizzling them with hot honey if you plan on saving the tenders for another day. This way, they stay crispy. The hot honey can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for quite a while!
- To reheat leftovers, you can bake them in a 400°F oven until heated through or in the air fryer. I love reheating the chicken tenders in the air fryer as they get nice and crispy.
Recipe
Hot Honey Chicken Tenders
You will fall in love with these hot honey chicken tenders! They're delightfully sticky, sweet, hot, and crispy all in one. Chicken tenders marinated in buttermilk, coated in crunchy cornflakes, baked to golden perfection, and then drizzled with homemade hot honey, these chicken tenders make for an easy appetizer or weeknight dinner.
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RateServings: 4 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 lbs chicken tenders
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups crushed cornflakes
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup hot sauce or less
Instructions
- Combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Combine half of the seasoning mix with the buttermilk in a bowl and add the chicken tenderloins.
- Cover and place in the fridge for one hour up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare the dredging station by mixing the flour and the remaining seasoning mix in a bowl and beaten eggs in a separate medium bowl, and crushed cornflakes in a third bowl.
- Dip the chicken tenders in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess buttermilk before coating. Then, place them in the egg to fully coat, and then place them in the crushed cornflakes, making sure to fully coat the chicken tenderloins. Place on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat the process with all of the chicken.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Meanwhile, while the chicken cooks, add the hot sauce and honey to a saucepan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes whisking throughout to combine. Alternatively, place the honey and hot sauce in a microwave-safe container and microwave for 30 seconds, then stir until well combined. Do this near the end of cooking the chicken, so the hot honey stays warm.
- Once the chicken is done, remove it from the oven and drizzle the hot honey over it. Serve immediately with whatever sauce is leftover.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 968kcal | Carbohydrates: 150g | Protein: 66g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 251mg | Sodium: 2664mg | Potassium: 1343mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 2811IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 182mg | Iron: 37mg
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More places to find me: @onepotonlyrecipes on Instagram and One Pot Only on Pinterest.
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