Honey Chipotle Chicken Tenders from Scratch

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Fried Chicken Tenders made from scratch, then tossed in a spicy and sweet chipotle honey barbecue sauce.
PREP:
15 minutes
TOTAL:
SERVES:
4
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Chicken Tender are one of those things that I never have a problem serving the kids. Outside of them being shaped in a letter or dinosaur, who doesn’t love them?!

These chicken tenders are breaded from scratch, then tossed in a honey and chipotle barbecue sauce that make this easy to serve plain for the kids, and dressed up for Mom and Dad!

Fried Chicken Tenders made from scratch, then tossed in a spicy and sweet chipotle honey barbecue sauce.

I made the breading for these chicken tenders similar to my old Chicken and Waffles recipe. Marinate your chicken overnight in buttermilk to tenderize. Then use the dredge, egg wash, paper bag method to get these bad boys breaded!

Fried Chicken Tenders made from scratch, then tossed in a spicy and sweet chipotle honey barbecue sauce.
Fried Chicken Tenders made from scratch, then tossed in a spicy and sweet chipotle honey barbecue sauce.

When frying chicken there’s a couple things you want to keep an eye on: temperature, oil, and crowding.

Make sure your temperature ranges between 350F to 375F, and based on those temps you’ll want a oil that can handle the temperature without smoking. I like to use peanut oil

When dropping your chicken in the skillet, do a couple at a time, and keep from over crowding. Too many at once, and you’ll cool down your oil too much!

Fried Chicken Tenders made from scratch, then tossed in a spicy and sweet chipotle honey barbecue sauce.

For my BBQ sauce I used off the shelf, then blended a it with a chipotle pepper in adobo* to add a little smokey heat. Toss your chicken tenders in this sauce. Drizzle with honey. And serve!

Fried Chicken Tenders made from scratch, then tossed in a spicy and sweet chipotle honey barbecue sauce.

And feel free to use frozen chicken tenders on a weeknight, the sauce goes good on any way you make them!

Honey Chipotle Chicken Tenders

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 925kcal
Fried Chicken Tenders made from scratch, then tossed in a spicy and sweet chipotle honey barbecue sauce.
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Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN BUTTER

  • 2 lbs chicken breasts boneless, skinless, cut into strips
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp black pepper

FOR THE FLOUR DREDGE

  • 2 cups white flour
  • 1 tbsp poultry seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt

FOR THE SAUCE

  • 16 oz barbecue sauce
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo
  • 1/2 cup honey

Instructions

PREPARE THE CHICKEN TENDERS

  • In a large bowl, wisk together eggs, buttermilk, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Place chicken strips in the bowl covering in the buttermilk mixture. Seal and refridgerate overnight.

BREADING AND FRYING

  • Before breading, preheat a cast iron skillet with peanut oil to 350F. In a large paper bag (or a zip-loc) shake flour and seasoning until mixed.
  • Take each strip of chicken out, and let excess butter milk run off before placing in the bag. Add all the chicken in the bag and shake! Remove each chicken strip and place on a wire rack.

FRYING

  • Place in chicken strips in the fryer, and cook for about 5-7 minute until golden brown. place on a paper towel or wire rack to remove excess oil and let cool for 3-4 minutes.
  • While chicken is cooling add barbecue sauce, honey and chipotle pepper in a blender and pulse until smooth.
  • Toss chicken tenders in a bowl with about 1 cup of the barbecue sauce. Serve with extra sauce on the side and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 925kcal | Carbohydrates: 137g | Protein: 63g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 240mg | Sodium: 3962mg | Potassium: 1393mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 79g | Vitamin A: 855IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 222mg | Iron: 6mg
Derek Campanile
Derek Campanile
I'm an IT professional by day. Home cook for the family by night. Follow my blog for easy to make recipes, how-to's and ideas to gather the family at the dinner table!

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