Air Fryer Hot Honey Chicken Tenders (Stove Top Option)
Hot honey chicken tenders have a deliciously crunchy coating brushed with a sweet and spicy hot honey sauce. This dairy free and gluten free recipe will surely be a family favorite.
Looking for more chicken recipes? Try my crispy air fryer chicken bites, baked bang bang chicken skewers, or honey garlic lemon pepper chicken thighs.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make these homemade chicken tenders:
- Whole chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins – if using chicken breast, you’ll just cut each whole chicken breast into tenders.
- Large eggs
- Seasoned flour – all purpose flour (or gluten free flour such as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking flour), smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Corn flakes – this creates the most deliciously crunchy coating.
- Hot honey sauce – hot sauce, honey, dairy free butter, pinch of salt.
How to Make Hot Honey Chicken Tenders: Step By Step
Here are some quick visual instructions. The full instructions and ingredient list will be in the printable recipe card below!
- Use a paper towel to pat the chicken dry and set up your dredging station with three shallow bowls. Mix the flour, kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, dried parsley, and cayenne pepper in one bowl. Beat the egg in a second bowl with water, and the crushed corn flakes to a third bowl.
- Dip the chicken strips into the flour mixture first, then the egg, followed by the corn flake breading, pressing the corn flakes into the chicken strips with your fingers. Transfer to a plate.
- Arrange the breaded chicken pieces in a single layer in the tray. Spray the tops of the chicken with avocado oil or olive oil spray. Cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through and spraying the tops of each piece with a little more oil. Transfer the cooked pieces to a wire rack and continue until you’ve cooked all the chicken.
- Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk together hot sauce, honey, dairy free butter, and salt. Heat for 3-5 minutes stirring often until it comes to a gentle simmer. Remove from the heat and adjust the flavors as needed.
- Use a pastry brush to brush the spicy sauce over the fried chicken just before eating. Or use the hot honey sauce as a dipping sauce. Garnish with sliced green onion or parsley if desired.
Helpful Tips
- Cut the chicken lengthwise into long strips. This will give them that classic chicken tender look and also will allow them to cook properly.
- The chicken is done when the outside is golden brown and the internal temperature has reached 165ºF/74ºC.
- The cooking time may vary depending on the size of your chicken tenders and how hot your air fryer runs.
Quick Tip: Only put the sauce on just before eating so they don’t get soggy.
Storage
Let the chicken tenders cool to room temperature before storing them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store the leftover hot sauce separately.
Reheat them in a toaster oven, a skillet on the stove, or in the air fryer for 5 minutes at 400ºF.
Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations
Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.
How can you make this hot honey chicken recipe using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- No cornflakes? – use panko breadcrumbs. Aleia’s is my favorite brand for gluten free and dairy free breadcrumbs. It tastes identical to traditional panko. You could also use crushed-up potato chips, plantain chips, or crackers.
- Variations – switch up the seasonings in the flour. You could use cajun seasoning, Jamaican jerk seasoning, or gochugaru for different flavor profiles. Switch up the glaze by using homemade hot honey or Mike’s hot honey instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dipping the chicken in the flour first helps to absorb any excess moisture on the chicken. This means the egg wash will adhere to the chicken better, and the breading won’t come off as easily as the chicken cooks, yielding an even crispier exterior.
You can either pulse them in a food processor or put them in a zip lock bag and break them up with the bottom of an empty skillet or rolling pin.
It definitely has a kick. You can always add another tablespoon of honey for more of a sweet heat.
Yes, I’ve included stove-top directions in the recipe card below.
Although they have different names, they’re the same thing.
More Chicken Recipes
- Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Bites
- Baked Bang Bang Chicken Skewers
- Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs
- One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Orzo
I hope you love these Hot Honey Chicken Tenders! If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment & a star rating below. Thank you!
Air Fryer Hot Honey Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
Crispy Chicken Tenders
- ½ cup all purpose flour use GF if needed
- 1 ¼ teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt reduce to ¾ teaspoon if using anything else
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley optional
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon water
- 3 cups corn flakes crushed
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1.5 inch strips
- avocado oil spray or another cooking spray
Hot Honey Sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey or more to taste, if too spicy
- 3 tablespoons hot sauce such as Frank's Red Hot or Cholula
- 2 tablespoons dairy free butter or unsalted butter if not dairy free
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF.
- Use a paper towel to pat the chicken dry and set up your dredging station with three shallow bowls. Mix the flour, kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, dried parsley, and cayenne pepper in one bowl. Beat the egg in a second bowl with water, and the crushed corn flakes to a third bowl.
- Dip the chicken strips into the flour mixture first, then in the egg mixture, followed by the corn flake breading. Transfer to a plate.
- Arrange the breaded chicken pieces in a single layer in the tray. Spray the tops of the chicken with avocado oil or olive oil spray. Cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through and spraying the tops of each piece with a little more oil. Transfer the cooked pieces to a wire rack and continue until you’ve cooked all the chicken.
- Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk together hot sauce, honey, dairy free butter, and salt. Heat for 3-5 minutes stirring often until it comes to a gentle simmer. Remove from the heat and adjust the flavors as needed. Set aside
- Use a pastry brush to brush the spicy sauce over the fried chicken. Garnish with sliced green onion or parsley if desired. Enjoy as is or with your favorite dipping sauce.
Stove-top
- Follow steps 2 and 3 for the air fryer instructions.
- Place a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Once hot, add a few coated chicken pieces at a time so you don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown on the outside, and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165ºF/74ºC.
- Transfer the cooked pieces to a wire rack and continue with this process until you’ve cooked all the chicken.