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Honey Chipotle Crispy Chicken Tenders

These Honey Chipotle Crispy Chicken Tenders are crispy, saucy, sweet, smoky, and just spicy enough. They’re inspired by restaurant-style honey chipotle chicken crispers, but made with a few homemade upgrades for extra crunch and flavor.
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Honey Chipotle Crispy Chicken Tenders
Prep Time:20 minutes
Cook Time:25 minutes
Total Time:45 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 1 lb chicken tenderloins
  • Oil for frying

Wet Batter

  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon pickle juice or hot sauce - dash
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Dry Coating

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Honey Chipotle Sauce

  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup BBQ sauce
  • 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo- small dash sauce
  • 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon butter optional

Instructions

  • Pat the chicken tenderloins dry with paper towels and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, pickle juice or hot sauce, flour, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper until smooth. The batter should be thick enough to coat the chicken.
  • In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper.
  • Dip each chicken tender into the wet batter, letting the excess drip off slightly, then dredge in the dry coating. Press the flour mixture onto the chicken so it sticks well. Place the coated chicken on a plate or wire rack while you finish the rest.
  • Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven to 350°F.
  • Fry the chicken tenders in batches for about 4–6 minutes, turning as needed, until golden brown, crispy, and cooked through to 165°F. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate.
  • While the chicken cooks, make the honey chipotle sauce. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together the honey, BBQ sauce, adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, chipotle chili powder, and salt.
  • Simmer the sauce for 3–5 minutes, stirring often, until smooth, glossy, and slightly thickened. Whisk in the butter at the end, if using.
  • Add the crispy chicken tenders to a large bowl and drizzle with the honey chipotle sauce. Toss gently until coated, or brush the sauce over the tenders if you want to keep them extra crispy.
  • Serve warm.

Notes

For more smoky heat, use 2 teaspoons of chipotle chili powder.
The adobo sauce adds smoky, spicy flavor without needing to chop the actual chipotle peppers. If you get some peppers in there, that's ok, just use a wooden spoon to smash them up as much as possible.
The cornstarch in the dry coating helps make the chicken crispier and lighter than using all flour.
For the crispiest texture, sauce the chicken right before serving.
If you want the chicken to stay extra crunchy, brush the sauce on instead of fully tossing the tenders.
Use a BBQ sauce you already like since the flavor will come through in the final sauce.
The butter in the sauce is optional, but it makes the sauce glossier and gives it more of a restaurant-style finish.
Servings: 4 people