Baked Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

A tray of hot honey chicken tenders with a small bowl of hot honey.

5 from 3 votes

These hot honey chicken tenders are packed with flavor and super crispy without being deep fried. The hot honey sauce is the perfect finishing touch to the crispy chicken tenders.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 392kcal

Author: Olivia & Annie

Ingredients

For the chicken

1 ½ lbs raw chicken tenderloins
1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup flour
2 eggs
Olive or avocado oil cooking spray

For the sauce

⅓ cup honey
¼ cup buffalo hot sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Evenly spread the panko breadcrumbs on a baking sheet. Spray the tops of the breadcrumbs well with cooking spray (spray at a 45 degree angle to prevent the crumbs from flying up). Place the breadcrumbs in the oven for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Watch closely to prevent burning. Once they are golden brown, remove the breadcrumbs from the oven and set them aside in a medium bowl. Add the paprika, salt, and garlic powder to the breadcrumbs and mix well.
Crack the eggs in a small bowl and add 1 tbsp of the flour to the eggs. Whisk the eggs well and set aside.
Add the rest of the flour to a separate bowl.
Lay a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Place a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet (see step by step above if needed). Spray the cooling rack well with cooking spray.
Now you will bread the chicken tenders. Bread one individual chicken tender at a time. If your chicken tenders are extra large, feel free to cut them in half. Start by placing the chicken in the flour mixture, coating all sides. Then move it to the egg mixture, ensuring it gets fully coated. Lastly, set the chicken tender in the panko bread crumb mixture, pressing the chicken down to make sure it gets a heavy crumb layer. Set the breaded chicken tender on the cooling rack.
Once all of the chicken tenders are breaded, place the baking sheet in the oven for 14-18 minutes. The cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken tenders. Once the chicken reaches 165 degrees, set the oven to broil and let the tops of them broil for 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. Watch closely to prevent burning.
While the chicken tenders are baking, make the hot honey sauce. You can microwave the sauce or heat it on the stove in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the honey, buffalo sauce, and apple cider vinegar. Mix and heat until warm.
Spoon the sauce over the chicken just before serving to prevent it from getting soggy.

Notes

These chicken tenders are dairy-free. For a gluten-free option, you can use crushed corn flakes or gluten-free breadcrumbs.

Nutrition