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A pile of crispy, glazed chicken tenders served with a dipping sauce, perfect for restaurant-style chicken recipes at home.

Restaurant-Style Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

Recreate delicious restaurant-style hot honey chicken tenders at home. This recipe brings the flavors of your favorite bistro into your own kitchen, perfect for impressing family and friends.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Cooling 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 549

Ingredients
  

For the Hot Honey
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Chicken Tenders
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons pepper
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 pounds chicken tenderloins
  • Oil for deep-fat frying

Equipment

  • Small saucepan
  • Fine-mesh sieve
  • Shallow baking dish
  • Large deep-sided skillet
  • Wire rack
  • Baking sheet

Method
 

  1. To make the hot honey, place honey, cider vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and salt in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat; let cool slightly. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the solids, if desired. Set aside.
  2. To make the chicken tenders, in a shallow baking dish, whisk together egg and buttermilk. In a separate shallow baking dish, stir together flour, garlic powder, pepper, onion powder, salt, paprika and thyme. Dip each chicken tenderloin in the egg mixture, then the flour mixture, shaking off any excess flour. Place on a plate or baking sheet until ready to cook.
  3. In a large deep-sided skillet, heat oil to 375°. Fry the chicken tenders, a few pieces at a time, for 2-3 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 165°. Transfer to a wire rack placed over a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken tenders.
  4. To serve, drizzle all sides of each chicken tender with the hot honey. Serve with remaining hot honey for dipping.

Nutrition

Calories: 549kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 40gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 106mgSodium: 464mgFiber: 1gSugar: 47g

Notes

This recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner or a family gathering. Adjust the cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes to control the heat level of your hot honey.

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