Sriracha Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

There’s something irresistible about crispy fried chicken covered in a sticky, sweet and spicy sauce, and these Sriracha Hot Honey Chicken Tenders have all of that going on!

The chicken is marinated in a spicy buttermilk mixture before being coated in a seasoned flour and cornstarch breading and fried until wonderfully golden and crunchy. While it’s still hot, each tender gets brushed with a buttery Sriracha hot honey glaze that gives you that perfect combination of sweetness, heat and tang.

I’ve also added a creamy hot honey ranch for dipping because, really, you can never have too much sauce! Serve these with crispy fries for dinner, add them to a burger or wrap, or make a big platter for sharing.

Preparation Time 20 minutes + marinating

Cook Time 20–25 minutes

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

Chicken 

8 chicken tenders (about 500g)

Salt- to taste

Black pepper- to taste

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp paprika

2–3 tbsp buffalo hot sauce

2 cups buttermilk

Breading

2 cups plain/all-purpose flour

½ cup cornstarch

2–3 tsp garlic powder

2–3 tsp onion powder

2–3 tsp cayenne pepper

2–3 tsp paprika

2 tsp salt

Vegetable or other neutral oil- for frying

Sriracha Hot Honey Glaze

3 tbsp butter

1 garlic clove- minced

1 tsp paprika

¼ cup hot honey

¼ cup sriracha

¼ cup hot sauce

Hot Honey Ranch

3 tbsp mayonnaise

3 tbsp sour cream

2 tbsp hot honey

1 tbsp chilli oil

1–2 tbsp hot sauce

1–2 tsp ranch seasoning

2–3 tsp fresh dill- finely chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

Juice of ½ lemon

Salt- to taste

https://youtu.be/bnxG9gaXFR4

Instructions

1. Marinate the chicken: Place the chicken tenders in a large bowl. Season with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, chilli powder and paprika. Add the buffalo hot sauce and buttermilk and mix until the chicken is completely coated.

2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2–3 hours, or preferably overnight. Buttermilk marinades are commonly given several hours to tenderise and flavour the chicken. 

3. Prepare the breading: In a large shallow bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, paprika and salt.

4. Remove one chicken tender from the marinade, allowing some of the excess buttermilk to drip off. Place it into the seasoned flour mixture and coat thoroughly, pressing the flour firmly onto the chicken so you get plenty of rough, craggy pieces of breading. 

5. Shake off any loose excess flour and place on a tray or wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken. For an even crunchier coating: drizzle a couple of tablespoons of the buttermilk marinade into the flour mixture and rub it through with your fingertips before breading. This creates little clumps that adhere to the chicken and become extra-crispy when fried. 

6. Fry the chicken: Heat enough neutral oil for deep frying to approximately 175–180°C (350–355°F). Working in batches, carefully lower the chicken tenders into the hot oil. Don't overcrowd the pan, as this will cause the oil temperature to drop too much.

7. Fry for approximately 6–10 minutes depending on the thickness of the tenders, turning if necessary, until deeply golden and crisp. The safest way to judge doneness is by temperature rather than time: the centre of the thickest tender should reach 74°C/165°F. Transfer the cooked tenders to a wire rack while you fry the remaining chicken.

8. Make the Sriracha hot honey glaze: While the chicken is frying, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook briefly until fragrant, without allowing it to brown. Stir in the paprika, hot honey, sriracha and hot sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is combined and the glaze has slightly thickened.Remove from the heat and set aside.

9. Make the hot honey ranch: Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, hot honey, chilli oil, hot sauce, ranch seasoning, fresh dill and garlic powder to a bowl. Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir until creamy and well combined.

10. Taste and season with salt as needed. If you'd like the ranch a little thinner, you can stir in a small splash of buttermilk.

11. Glaze and serve: While the fried chicken is still hot, brush each tender generously with the warm Sriracha hot honey glaze.

Serve immediately with the hot honey ranch on the side for dipping.