These Hot Honey Chicken Tenders are crispy and juicy with so much flavor! They're breaded with seasoned flour and crushed cornflakes, and baked until golden and crisp. Serve them for dinner, parties, game day, or a delicious appetizer for any occasion.
Hot honey chicken tenders can be deep-fried, air-fried, or baked in the oven. No matter how you make them, you'll want to add them to your regular meal rotation!
Chicken tenders are the ultimate food for picky eaters (just like this Panko Crusted Chicken). While the spiciness from the hot honey may not be suitable for some kids (and some adults), that's not a problem. The heat level is up to you. You can make them as spicy or not as spicy as you want.
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❤️Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Quick and easy: No slicing meat, or standing over hot oil for this recipe. Just dredge your chicken tenders and line them on a baking tray to cook in the oven.
- Healthier: These tenders may be a healthier choice since they're baked in the oven instead of deep fried. You can further adapt this recipe to make it even lower in calories, sugar, and carbs if needed. You can always swap out cornflakes for panko, and adjust the butter and honey ratios for the sauce.
- Flavorful: These tenders are seasoned with almost every layer. I always season my flour mixture heavily because once cooked, it loses some of the flavor of the spices.
- Family-friendly: Most kids and families love chicken. If the spice level is a problem, you can use less hot sauce or just omit it when the littles are eating!
📝Ingredient Notes
- Cornflakes: I use these to give a similar texture to deep-fried chicken tenders. If you plan on deep frying them, I recommend skipping the cornflakes and just using the flour.
- Flour: Some recipes just use cornflakes or panko with no flour. I prefer to use flour for a couple of reasons. First, it helps build the crust. Second, the spices mix better into the flour than it does with coarse panko or crushed cornflakes.
- Pickle juice: Pickle juice is a common ingredient in buttermilk marinades. It helps tenderize the meat and adds a little flavor. While this recipe doesn't use a buttermilk marinade (or a marinade at all), it is included in the egg wash. This is mostly for flavor. To get the full effect of tenderizing the meat, you can marinate the raw tenders in pickle juice for about 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
🍞Substitutions
- Cornflakes: Panko bread crumbs can be used in place of cornflakes. They're just as good in my book. If you need a gluten-free option, be sure to use a brand of cornflakes that are certified gluten-free like The Real Company, Nature's Path, or Kellogg's Gluten-Free Cornflakes. Make sure to find the gluten-free label, because not all cornflakes are gluten-free. You can also just use gluten-free panko bread crumbs like Katz Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Seasoned Seasoned Bread Crumbs, and Aleias Italian Bread Crumbs.
- Flour: For gluten-free chicken tenders, be sure to also use all-purpose gluten-free flour. I like to use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour.
- Honey: If you have some hot honey on hand, like Mike's Hot Honey, you can absolutely use that instead of making your own.
- Smoked paprika: Regular paprika can almost always be used in place of smoked paprika.
- Ground pepper: You can use finely ground black pepper or white pepper. I usually use white pepper, which has a milder flavor, but black pepper works great too.
- Franks Red Hot Sauce: Use your favorite hot sauce and use however much of it you'd like. Examples include Louisiana Hot Sauce, Tabasco, sriracha, and more. Understand that different hot sauces yield different flavors, and some are much spicier than others. Slowly add your choice of hot sauce to taste!
🥣Equipment
- Paper towels
- Fork
- Large bowl
- Gallon Ziplock bag
- Flipper/Turner
- Cooling rack
- Baking sheet
🔪How to Make Hot Honey Chicken Tenders
- Remove the white tendons from the tenderloins. Do this by placing the tendon between the fork prong, and pulling the tendon with a paper towel. It helps to pull the fork away from you as you do this. Then pat the chicken dry with paper towels, and season each side with salt and pepper.
2. Mix the flour and spices in a small bowl, then the egg wash mixture (until uniform in color) in a separate bowl. Scoop out 3¼ cups of cornflakes, place them in a ziplock bag, seal it closed, and crush them up (with your hands or a rolling pin) until they're medium to fine-sized pieces. Place them in another bowl or leave them in the bag.
3. Cover the tenders in the flour mixture (pressing firmly on them), then coat both sides in the egg wash, and then the crushed cornflakes (pressing firmly so they're well coated on both sides).
4. Lay the tenders on a greased baking sheet and spray them liberally with oil before baking. Bake for about 15 minutes (or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit), flipping halfway.
5. While the tenders are cooking, make the hot honey sauce. In a small pot over medium-low heat, mix the sauce ingredients and transfer it to a large bowl. It will thicken as it cools.
6. Transfer the cooked chicken tenders to a cooling rack.
7. Place the cooled tenders in the bowl with the sauce. Shake until well combined. Enjoy!
🧊Storing
Store leftovers in the refrigerator (in an airtight container) for 3 to 4 days.
Reheating: Reheat the tenders in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 8 to 10 minutes or in the air fryer for 5 to 7 minutes.
✅Pro Tips
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels BEFORE seasoning: This step is important because it helps the crust stick to the chicken after it's been cooked, and promotes a crispier exterior.
- Remove the tendons before cooking: The tendons are the white strips that run along the tenderloin. They are edible once cooked but can be tough to chew through.
- Don't skip the pickle juice! The vinegar from the pickle juice helps tenderize the meat and even adds flavor. If you want to get the full effect of the pickle juice, let it marinate in the juice for anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours (or up to 24 hours for best results). Then strain the juice, pat them dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, and proceed with the dredging. In this recipe, I add some of the juice to the egg mixture to speed things up. But if you can, marinating in pickle juice is always recommended.
- Don't overcook the chicken: When chicken is overcooked, it becomes tough instead of tender.
- Use a meat thermometer: Using a meat thermometer helps ensure your meat is fully cooked and safe to eat. Chicken is fully cooked at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Let the cooked chicken rest on a cooling rack: This ensures that moisture doesn't accumulate under the chicken as it rests, keeping the crust nice and crisp.
🥽Food Safety
- Always wash your hands after handling raw meat.
- Do not consume undercooked chicken. It should reach a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Surfaces and utensils that have touched raw meat should be thoroughly washed and sanitized immediately after use.
- Do not place fresh produce or ready-to-eat items on any surfaces or items that have touched raw meat.
- For more on food safety when handling raw chicken, visit the cdc.gov.
🔥Air Fryer Method
The prep work for the air fryer method is the same as the baking method. Spray the inside of the basket with oil, then spray the breaded tenders liberally with the oil. Lay them face down in the air fryer basket, and spray the other side of the tenders. Heat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes (or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit), flipping halfway. Do not overcrowd the basket so that air can circulate and your tenders come out crispy.
🍤Deep Frying Method
To deep fry these chicken tenders, I recommend skipping the cornflakes and just using the seasoned flour and egg wash. To get a thicker crust, you'll want to dredge the tenderloins twice. Start with the flour mixture, then the egg mixture (shake off the excess), then seasoned flour, and repeat that one more time. Heat some vegetable oil in a pot to 365 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Mix and melt the hot honey sauce until combined, place it in a bowl, add the tenders, and shake until each tender is well coated.
⁉️Frequently Asked Question
These are tendons which are connective tissues that attach the muscles to bones. They are edible once cooked but can be tough and rubbery to eat. It's recommended to remove the tendon before cooking. You can do this by placing the tendon between a fork prong and pulling it through using a paper towel.
Chicken tenders come from the part underneath the chicken breast called the pectorals minor, or the "inner filet". These pieces of meat are especially tender and juicy. They're commonly prepared by breading and frying them, but can also be grilled or baked. Chicken strips (or chicken fingers) are strips of breast meat that are usually breaded and fried.
No. But I've provided gluten-free substitutions under the "Substitutions" heading of this post! Be sure to check it out for product recommendations.
Chicken can become tough as a result of overcooking or undercooking. It can be tempting to cook the chicken longer for a crispier crust, but you risk overcooking it, making the meat tough. Additionally, it can help to tenderize the strips by using a meat mallet, and/or marinating the chicken for at least 30 minutes (I recommend using pickle juice as a marinade) to add moisture. For best results, cook it in the oven for about 15 minutes total, then use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. Chicken is fully cooked and safe to eat at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
🥔Serving Ideas
- French fries
- Potato wedges
- Carrots and celery
- Dairy-free ranch dressing: I love to use Sir Kensington's brand.
- Dairy-Free Twice Baked Potatoes
🍗More Chicken Recipes
⭐️Before you go! If you enjoyed this recipe for Hot Honey Chicken Tenders, I'd love for you to leave a review down below. It's always a pleasure to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Hot Honey Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds chicken tenderloins white tendons removed
Seasoned Flour Mixture
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Egg Wash
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons pickle juice
Cornflake Breading
- 3¼ cups cornflakes
Hot Honey Sauce
- 4 tablespoons non-dairy butter I use Country Crock with Olive Oil
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup Franks Red Hot Sauce or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prep the Chicken
- Remove the white tendons from the tenderloins. Do this by placing the tendon between the fork prong, and pulling the tendon with a paper towel. It helps to pull the fork away from you as you do this. Then pat the chicken dry with paper towels, and season each side with salt and pepper.
Dredging
- Mix the flour and spices in a small bowl, then the egg wash mixture (until uniform in color) in a separate bowl. Scoop out 3¼ cups of cornflakes, place them in a ziplock bag, seal it closed, and crush them up (with your hands or a rolling pin) until they're medium to fine-sized pieces. Place them in another bowl or leave them in the bag.
- Cover the tenders in the flour mixture (pressing firmly on them), then coat both sides in the egg wash, and then the crushed cornflakes (pressing firmly so they're well coated on both sides).
Baking/Making the Sauce
- Lay the tenders on a greased baking sheet and spray them liberally with oil before baking. Bake for about 15 minutes (or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit), flipping halfway.
- While the tenders are cooking, make the hot honey sauce. In a small pot over medium-low heat, mix the sauce ingredients and transfer it to a large bowl. It will thicken as it cools.
- Use a flipper to scrape the tenders off the pan and transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Place the cooled tenders in a bowl with the sauce. Shake until well combined. Enjoy!
Notes
- Air fryer method: Spray the air fryer basket with oil, then spray the breaded tenders liberally with oil. Lay them face down, and spray the other side with oil. Don't overcrowd the basket. Cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 10 minutes (or until fully cooked), flipping halfway.
- Taste the sauce and add more or less hot sauce that suits your taste. You can use any hot sauce you prefer.
- For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free all-purpose flour. My favorite one is Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. Also make sure your cornflakes are certified gluten-free. I've listed a few gluten-free brands under the "Substitutions" heading in this post.
- Store these tenders in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Be careful not to overcook the chicken. It can be tempting to cook the chicken longer for a crispier crust, but you run the risk of overcooking the tenderloins and making them tough.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer: The nutrition label is only an estimate. Amounts may vary based on the products used and different nutrition calculators. If tracking nutrition information is important to you, it's recommended that you plug these ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
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