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Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

These Hot Honey Chicken Tenders are the perfect blend of sweet and spicy and served juicy and bursting with flavor. This dish can be made with either homemade or store-bought sauce, making them a convenient and delicious option for any meal.

hot honey chicken tenders in a brown bowl
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Key Ingredients

  • Chicken Tenderloins or Breasts
  • All Purpose Flour
  • Spices
  • Honey
  • Hot Sauce
  • Butter
honey, hot sauce, and butter in separate glass bowls
smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small white bowls
all purpose flour in a glass bowl with smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small white bowls

How it Tastes

The hot honey glaze combines the sweetness of honey with a spicy kick, creating a harmonious balance that tantalizes the taste buds. The heat from the spice is mellowed by the natural sweetness of the honey, resulting in a rich and flavorful coating that enhances the savory notes of the chicken.

What Type of Chicken to Use

You can use chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts. Tenderloins are the thin strips of meat located on the underside of the chicken breast. They are naturally tender and cook quickly, making them ideal for this recipe. Chicken breasts are easy to cut into uniform strips if you don’t have tenderloins.

raw chicken tenderloins in a glass bowl

Cook Method

You can air fry the chicken or cook it them on the stove.

How to Make Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

  1. Pat the chicken dry.
  2. Combine the spices in a bowl with the flour and sprinkle the flour over the chicken and rub it in.
  3. Air fry or bake the chicken.
  4. Drizzle the chicken in hot honey sauce.
raw seasoned chicken tenders in an air fryer
seasoned chicken tenders in an air fryer

How to Tell When the Chicken is Fully Cooked

Use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature of the chicken. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. Ensure the chicken reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees. This is when it’s safe to eat. The chicken will cook at varying speeds and times based on the size and thickness of the chicken. You should use a meat thermometer for safety.

How to Make it Less Spicy

If you make your own sauce you can directly control the amount of heat and spice. You can use less cayenne pepper or omit it completely. You can also use a mild hot sauce brand instead one with a lot of heat. It’s much easier to make this less spicy if you make your own sauce (recipe instructions provided below) as opposed to using store-bought.

hot honey chicken tenders in a brown bowl

Breaded Chicken

These tenders are lightly breaded using all-purpose flour. If you are looking for thick, breaded chicken tenders that are crunchy, I recommend double breading the chicken.

With this process, the chicken is coated in seasoned flour, then dipped in egg and buttermilk, and again in the seasoned flour. It gets coated in flour twice. Check out my Chicken Fried Chicken recipe for ingredients and instructions on how you can use that method.

hot honey chicken tenders in a brown bowl

Sauces to Pair

  • Ranch
  • Blue Cheese
  • BBQ Sauce
  • Garlic Aioli
  • Buffalo Sauce
  • Honey Mustard
  • Sriracha Mayo
  • Chili Lime Sauce
  • Yogurt Dill Sauce
  • Sweet Chili Sauce
  • Teriyaki Sauce

Side Dishes to Pair

Creamy Coleslaw
Vinegar Based Coleslaw
Air Fryer French Fries
Air Fryer Onion Rings
Air Fryer Green Beans
Traeger Smoked Baked Beans
Steakhouse Creamed Spinach

How to Store Leftovers

Place the chicken pieces in an airtight container. You can also wrap them tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Store the container in the refrigerator. The chicken should be consumed within 3-4 days.

How to Reheat

Reheat the chicken in the oven at 350 degrees in the oven or the air fryer until heated through. Reheating on the stove with a small amount of oil also works well. Microwaving is an option but it may result in dry chicken.

Freezing

The chicken can be stored tightly covered and sealed for 2-3 months in the freezer. Defrost in the fridge overnight.

hot honey chicken tenders in a brown bowl
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Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

These Hot Honey Chicken Tenders are the perfect blend of sweet and spicy and served juicy and bursting with flavor. This dish can be made with either homemade or store-bought sauce, making them a convenient and delicious option for any meal.
Save this recipe here.
Course dinner, lunch
Cuisine American
Keyword hot honey chicken, hot honey chicken tenders, hot honey tenders
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 298kcal

Ingredients

Homemade Hot Honey Sauce (or you can use store-bought)

  • 1/4-1/2 cup honey
  • 2-3 tablespoons hot sauce
  • 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter Measured solid.

Instructions

Hot Honey Sauce

  • Combine the ingredients and stir until well combined. You can use the stove top at medium heat or the microwave.

Chicken

  • Pat the chicken dry.
  • Combine the spices in a bowl with the flour and sprinkle the flour over the chicken and rub it in. Be sure to season both sides and the edges. Add enough to fully coat both sides, add more spices if you need it.

Air Fryer Instructions

  • Place the chicken in the air fryer basket. Spray with cooking oil. If you see white areas on the chicken from the flour, spray with oil or these areas won't crisp.
    Air fry the chicken at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Open the air fryer and drizzle half of the hot honey sauce over the chicken.
  • Air fry for an additional 5-8 minutes or until the chicken reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees and it is crisp enough for your liking. Use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature. Cook time will vary.
  • Drizzle the remaining hot honey sauce over the chicken. Allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Baked Chicken Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place an oven-safe baking rack on a baking sheet or a sheet pan. Lightly spray with non-stick spray. (The baking rack will produce crispy tenders and is optional. You can use just the sheet pan with parchment paper if you wish).
  • Place the breaded tenders on the rack or sheet pan. Spritz the tenders with cooking oil spray. If you see white areas on the chicken from the flour, spray with oil or these areas won't crisp.
  • Bake for 10 minutes.
  • Flip each chicken tender, be careful so that you do not lose any of the breading. Drizzle the tenders with half of the hot honey sauce. Bake for another 10 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. 
  • Remove the tenders from the oven. Drizzle the tenders in the remaining hot honey sauce.
  • Allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes.

Notes

The amount of flour and spices you need will vary based on the amount of chicken. you use and the size.
There are various ranges listed for the hot honey ingredients in the recipe. This is so that you can customize the flavor to suit your taste.
If you want a thick sauce, use more honey. If you want a spicy sauce, use more cayenne pepper and/or hot sauce, etc.
This recipe makes a good amount of sauce, but feel free to make more of if if you like really saucy chicken.
Recipe Tools Used in this RecipeAs an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition (displayed with net carbs)

Serving: 5oz | Calories: 298kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 4g
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Nutrition DataMacros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
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