Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

Your day just got more delicious with these hot honey chicken tenders! Tender, juicy chicken tenders coated in flavourful Parmesan crumbs, oven-baked until golden and crispy and drizzled with spicy hot honey for that perfect sweet and savoury dish with just a touch of heat.

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Hot Honey Chicken Tenders With Parmesan Crumbs

I recently discovered the magic of hot honey, which with its sweet and spicy flavours turns out to be a super versatile condiment. I’ve come across it on chicken sandwiches and as a glaze over chicken wings, so I decided to try making hot honey chicken tenders.

Oven-baked or air-fried crumbed chicken tenders are something I make quite regularly. My toddler loves them as does everyone else in my family and I can change up the sauces and condiments to create a dish inspired by different cuisines.

For this recipe, I marinated the chicken pieces in a flavoured egg wash and coated them in breadcrumbs seasoned with spices and mixed with Parmesan cheese. Having the cheese adds umami and saltiness to the crumb mixture and it melts to crispy, adding to the crunch of the coating.

I have a separate post on everything hot honey, including how to make it, but I have also included ingredients and instructions for a smaller amount needed in this recipe.

What Are Chicken Tenders?

Chicken tenders, also known as chicken fingers or chicken strips, are a type of boneless chicken meat that is cut into long, thin strips. They are typically made from the chicken tenderloin, a strip of meat loosely attached to the underside. But, you can also cut the whole chicken breast into tenders.

Chicken tenders are often breaded or battered before being fried or baked. I often grill them too. You will typically need 2 to 3 tenders per serving, depending on their size.

What Is Hot Honey?

I have a whole recipe post on hot honey here but in a nutshell, it’s honey infused with chili. It tastes like honey but with a mellow, gentle heat that is well-balanced in the sweetness. A little vinegar is often added for a touch of acidity. It’s delicious drizzled over fried, baked or grilled chicken but can also be used with salmon, pork chops, roasted vegetables, over cheese, in cocktails and more.

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What You Need For This Dish

For hot honey: runny honey, chili flakes, white wine or apple cider vinegar, salt.

For chicken tenders: chicken tenderloins (or a couple of chicken breasts cut into long strips), olive oil, salt, eggs, Dijon mustard and a little hot honey for the marinade.

For Parmesan crumb coating: bread crumbs (regular or gluten-free), grated Parmesan, onion and garlic powders, paprika, turmeric (for colour), and salt.

How To Make Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

A full list of ingredients, instructions and nutritional info is in the recipe card below. Here are step-by-step pics.

Make The Hot Honey

Add honey, chilli flakes and vinegar into a small pot or pan and warm them gently over medium heat. Wait until some bubbles start appearing near the edges of the pot but don’t let it come to a boil or it will thicken too much. Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes for the honey to infuse with more chili flavour. Then strain through a fine sieve. Set aside.

Step 2. Preheat oven to 200 C (400°F). Line a baking tray/sheet with non-stick parchment paper or lightly grease it with oil spray or a coating of oil. Set aside.

Prepare Chicken Tenders

Step 3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, mustard, salt, olive oil and a little bit of hot honey.

Add chicken tenders to the egg mixture, stir through and let them site for 5 minutes while preparing the crumb mixture. You can also do this step ahead of time and let them marinate in the egg mixture for 30 minutes to an hour in the refrigerator.

Step 4. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, turmeric, salt and finely grated Parmesan cheese.

Step 5. Dredge the egg coated chicken in the breadcrumb Parmesan mixture. Press lightly to coat evenly.

Step 6. Arrange crumbed tenders on the baking sheet or tray and lightly spray with cooking oil spray. This will make them extra crispy when baked.

Step 7. Bake for 10 minutes on one side, then flip and bake for a further 7-8 minutes until cooked through. You can also pop the tray under the broil/grill for an extra minute or two for an extra golden, crunchy top. Do not over-bake as chicken tenders can get tough quickly!

Step 8. Remove from the oven and drizzle generously with the hot honey. You can’t over-drizzle these! If unsure, you can always serve extra hot honey on the side.

What To Serve With Chicken Tenders

Chicken tenders, including these hot honey chicken tenders, can be served with a variety of sides and dipping sauces to create a delicious and satisfying meal.

• Potatoes – mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, baked or roast potatoes, potato salad, French fries, sweet potato fries, you can’t go wrong here!
• Coleslaw – you can make a traditional white cabbage slaw, try my Parmesan and apple red cabbage slaw, Asian slaw salad, beet slaw, carrot slaw…the list goes on. Juicy, creamy salad goes well with chicken tenders. Alternatively, a simple lettuce salad with yoghurt ranch dressing.
• Cooked quinoa or rice – keep it simple and light with a side of easy grains; add a little butter or lemon juice, olive oil and herbs for flavour. Cauliflower rice for a low-carb, grain-free version.
• A side of veggies – steamed or roasted vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, or green beans.
• Macaroni and cheese or other pasta dishes
• Biscuits or dinner rolls
• Ranch or honey mustard dipping sauces are classic condiments with crispy chicken tenders, while BBQ sauce is great with grilled ones.
• If you’re having these as a snack, serve them with some fresh fruit or a simple salad for a lighter option. I sometimes have one of these together with a smoothie.
• Another great option is a crispy chicken wrap, sandwich or burger, which would be delicious with the hot honey. Add a little mayo, pickles and either shredded lettuce or simple cabbage slaw.

More Recipes Using Chicken Tenders

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Full Recipe 

Find the full list of ingredients, instructions, and nutritional breakdown below. If you have questions or cook this recipe, please let me know in the comments, and make sure to rate this recipe so it’s easy for others to find. Subscribe to my newsletter here.

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