Juicy and crispy Hot Honey Chicken Tenders, drenched in a spicy-sweet hot honey sauce – these chicken tenders have it all! And with only 7 ingredients and 30 minutes from start to finish, these hot honey glazed chicken tenders are super simple and easy to make.
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Ultra crispy & juicy – These chicken tenders are EXTRA tender thanks to a quick dunk in buttermilk which helps to tenderize an already tender cut of meat. Then, they’re shallow-fried until super crispy. They’re so good!
- Perfect for entertaining – My crowd loves these crispy hot honey chicken tenders on game days! They’re the most popular finger food around.
- Super easy – Soak, dunk, fry, and pour the glaze over the top. These are seriously easy hot honey chicken tenders!
- Restaurant-style food at home – You may have seen hot honey chicken tenders on TikTok or at a local restaurant or Publix (their viral Hot Honey Chicken Tender Sub – yum!) This recipe helps you save money and time by showing you how to make your own homemade hot honey chicken tenders!
Ingredients + Substitutions
For the chicken:
- Chicken tenderloins – Tenderloins are a tender cut of chicken from the underside of the chicken breast. You’ll be able to find them in the meat department of most well-stocked grocery stores.
- Buttermilk – A quick soak in buttermilk gives you tender, juicy chicken tenders, thanks to the lactic acid found in buttermilk. It’s so worth the extra few minutes of soaking!
- Flour – I like to use all-purpose flour for a crispy outer coating.
- Paprika – Adds mildly peppery and slightly sweet notes of flavor to the outer layer of the chicken.
- Salt & pepper
- Cooking oil – Use your favorite cooking oil. Vegetable oil is a great choice; canola or peanut oil also work well.
For the hot honey chicken tender sauce:
- Honey – You’ll need 1/4 cup of your favorite honey.
- Hot sauce – Grab your fave! I like Frank’s Red Hot, but Sriracha or Cholula are great choices, too.
- Red pepper flakes – For an extra kick of spicy heat.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Hot Honey Garlic Chicken Tenders– Add a teaspoon of garlic powder to the flour coating for a garlicky twist.
- Extra Hot Honey Chicken Tenders– Use the hottest sauce you can find and double the crushed red pepper flakes to turn up the heat!