Ree Drummond's hot honey chicken tenders are crispy, sticky, and sweet with a kick

When I think of the perfect bite—and I think of it often—these extra-crispy hot honey chicken tenders are exactly what come to mind. The chicken is double dredged in flour and cornstarch, giving it the most magical crunch. And the hot honey drizzled over each tender is utterly mouth-watering. If you really want to go the extra mile, serve them with this homemade ranch as an option for dipping, like you would with chicken wing recipes. The coolness of the ranch combined with the sweet heat of the sauce... Mmm, I think I'll go make them now. These are one of the best game day foods for football season, but really, my kids would welcome them on any ol' weeknight, too!

How spicy is the hot honey?

It definitely has a kick, but the heat is more of a slow burn so it's not overly intense. If you're averse to spice, you can decrease the cayenne by 1 teaspoon. If you're a hothead, add an additional teaspoon to bump up the spice.

How long does hot honey chicken last in the fridge?

The tenders will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you think you’ll have leftovers, it’s best not to drizzle the hot honey over the tenders you plan to save—they’ll stay much crispier without the sauce.

What's the best way to reheat leftover hot honey chicken?

You can reheat and re-crisp the chicken in an air fryer or in a 350-degree oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes. If the tenders were stored without the sauce, wait and drizzle them with the hot honey after reheating so they stay as crisp as possible. If they were already sauced, they’ll still reheat well, but the coating won’t be quite as crisp.

Yields: 4-6 servings

Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 c. buttermilk
• 2 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken tenders

• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. cornstarch
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. onion powder
• 2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tbsp. hot sauce

• 2 1/2 c. honey
• 5 tbsp. hot sauce
• 2 1/2 tbsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

• Vegetable oil or shortening, for frying
• Kosher salt, for sprinkling

Directions

1. For the marinade: In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken, toss gently to thoroughly coat, and transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
2. For the dredge: When nearly ready to fry, set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Add the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, baking powder, and pepper to a medium bowl and whisk to thoroughly combine. In another medium bowl, beat the eggs with the hot sauce and 2 teaspoons water. Working with one piece at a time, remove the chicken from the buttermilk mixture and dredge in the flour mixture, pressing to be certain it adheres well (don’t worry if a little of the buttermilk soak gets in the flour mixture—it will form little clumps that will turn into extra crunchy bits). Transfer the chicken to the egg mixture, turning to coat completely, and then dredge once more in the flour mixture. Transfer to the wire rack, then repeat the process with the remaining chicken. Allow to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325°F.
3. For the hot honey: In a small saucepan, combine the honey, hot sauce, cayenne, and salt. Heat over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until the honey is warm and infused with the cayenne, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool and thicken slightly.
4. To fry the chicken: In a large deep skillet (a cast-iron pan is perfect for this), heat about ½ inch oil or shortening over medium-high heat. Place a wire rack over another rimmed baking sheet. Working in batches, fry the chicken, flipping once, until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to the wire rack to drain. Season with a sprinkle of salt and keep warm in the oven while you fry the remaining chicken.
5. Once all of the chicken has been fried, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Drizzle the chicken generously with 1 cup of the hot honey, then gently turn the chicken and drizzle with another 1 cup. Transfer the remaining hot honey to a small bowl and serve on the side of the chicken.