Go Back
+ servings

Hot Honey (with Chicken Tenders)

Enjoy this homemade Hot Honey - the perfect balance of sweet and spicy to drizzle on or dip your favorite freshly fried breaded chicken tenders, pizza, biscuits and more!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Sauces
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 1495kcal

Ingredients

For the hot honey:

  • 2 Fresno chiles thinly sliced
  • 1 Thai chile thinly sliced
  • 1 cup pure honey

For the tenders:

  • Peanut oil for frying
  • 1 pound chicken tenderloins
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • Splash of water
  • 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

  • Place the fresno chiles, thai chile, and honey into a small saucepan.
  • Over medium heat bring the saucepan to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Once the saucepan is simmering, reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 1 hour until it's fragrant and spicy.
  • Just take the pot off the heat for a few seconds if it starts to bubble too much.
  • Use a fine mesh strainer over a medium-sized bowl and pour the hot honey into the strainer. Discard the chiles that remain in the strainer. Let the honey sit for 30 minutes to an hour to thicken.
  • While the Hot Honey is resting, make the homemade chicken tenders. Preheat the deep fryer to 350°F. Or, preheat the oil using a dutch oven with 3 inches of oil up the side of the pan.
  • Place the chicken tenders, flour, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper into a zipper-sealed plastic bag. Toss until the chicken is well coated in the spice mixture.
  • In a large shallow bow, add the eggs and a splash of water. Beat together until combined.
  • In another shallow bowl, add the breadcrumbs.
  • Working in batches with one tender at a time, shake off any excess flour and put it into the egg mixture to coat it.
  • Then transfer from the egg wash to the breadcrumbs and gently press the breadcrumbs in so they stick.
  • Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and put the breaded tender on it. Repeat with the remaining tenders.
  • Fry the tenders a couple at a time, do not crowd the pan. Fry breaded chicken for 4-5 minutes or until an internal temperature reaches 165°F on a meat thermometer.
  • Place fried tenders on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess grease. Place the fried tenders on a wire rack that sits on top of a sheet tray to catch any grease drips to keep the tenders crispy. Repeat until all tenders have been fried.
  • Serve immediately with the Hot Honey and enjoy.

Notes

  1. Make sure you watch the pot very closely over the hour as it may overflow. If it gets close, just pick up and remove the pan from the heat and let it relax for a few seconds before returning it to the stove. 
  2. Some other Hot Honey recipes use dried chili peppers or pepper flakes, but this recipe uses fresh peppers which I think bring the most flavor. You can use other options if needed. 
  3. Make sure you stir up the honey if its been stirred between each use. 
  4. I like using panko breadcrumbs since they hold up better on the the chicken. They also provide the most crunch factor for the breading. But you can use regular bread crumbs if you have to. 
  5. The chicken tenders can be frozen, see my suggestions on how to do that above. 
  6. Honey should be stored in a glass jar or a a food grade plastic container. 
  7. This Hot Honey is good on soooo many different things, see some of my family's favorite things to drizzle it on or dip it in above. 
  8. This recipe can easily be doubled to make more to have on hand or give out as gifts to friends and family.

Nutrition

Calories: 1495kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 114g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 36g | Monounsaturated Fat: 52g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 1204mg | Potassium: 575mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 71g | Vitamin A: 238IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 3mg