Delicious Crispy Honey Chipotle Chicken Tender’s Recipe
Tasty Crispy fried chicken tenders coated in a delicious honey chipotle sauce. This is my personal spin & take on the popular food chain Chili’s Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers. For this recipe- The flavorful combination of honey and chipotle sauce is the perfect dipping sauce for fried chicken tenders. It makes the tenders taste so incredibly yummy. And if you’re not a fan of fried foods, this sauce would go well over oven baked chicken wings or grilled chicken.
My honey chipotle sauce has the right amount of sweetness & spice to bring this sauce together. I like to add a nice pinch of the salt-free Dash southwest Chipotle seasoning blend to take the sauce up a little notch, but it is so worth it. You can enjoy this popular entree without ever leaving the comfort of your home. Just pair these delicious saucy chicken tenders with buttery corn on the cob & a side of hot fresh French fries. I promise this is a great weekend meal or cheat day meal that you will love.
This delicious honey chipotle chicken tender’s recipe is so easy to follow. To make it easy for you, you can start out by preparing the seasoning mixture. In a small bowl add the dry seasonings – the Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper, Chili Powder, & Dash southwest Chipotle seasoning. Mix the seasonings together until they are well combined, then set to the side. Note: You will use half of the seasoning mixture to season the flour & the other half to season the tenders. In another bowl add the eggs & a few dashes of hot sauce. Whisk the eggs together until the eggs & hot sauce is well combined. Then set the egg mixture to the side.
Next, take half of the seasoning mixture and add it to the flour. Mix the seasonings into the flour until well blended, set the flour mixture to the side. Tip: If you want your tenders to be extra crispy you can add a tablespoon or two of cornstarch to the flour. The cornstarch will leave your tenders extra crunchy. I only recommend it if you want your tenders to be extra crispy, but they will come out just perfect with out the added cornstarch.
After that you will season the chicken. Use the remaining dry seasoning mixture to season the chicken tenders. Make sure the tenders are well coated with the seasoning. You will dip the tenders into the egg mixture, then coat the tenders with the flour. Shake off the excess & lay the tenders on a rack until ready to fry.
Once you’re ready to start frying the chicken- add enough oil to a frying pot or deep Dutch oven. When adding oil to the pot, it’s important that you don’t add too much. Do not put more than halfway full of the frying oil. I usually put about 1 ½ to 1 ¾ inch. Another important factor is to allow the oil to get to a good temperature before adding the tenders to the oil. The temperature of your oil is very important when frying chicken. If the oil is too cool, your chicken will turn out greasy and if it’s too hot you’ll have a burnt crust with a raw interior. You should fry your chicken between 340 to 350 degrees.
Once the oil is hot & ready, fry the chicken tenders in batches. Make sure to not add too many tenders at once. You Don’t want to overcrowd the pan, just fry a few pieces at a time. Now the cooking time will vary for everyone. Allow the tenders to fry for anywhere between 5 to 8 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Once the tenders are golden brown & have been cooked properly – remove from the oil. Shake off the excess & drain on paper towel. Set the tenders to the side & prepare your honey chipotle sauce.
Over medium to medium high heat, prepare the honey chipotle sauce in a saucepan or pot. In a saucepan combine the honey, water, ketchup, Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (use the sauce only) & a pinch of the Dash southwest Chipotle seasoning. For the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce- you’re only adding the sauce. If you add any of the peppers even half of 1 pepper – the sauce will be a little spicy. So keep that in mind if you don’t want a spicy sauce. Once you add all the ingredients for the sauce to the pot, bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes- stirring frequently. Remember to Do a taste test of you sauce & make any adjustments based on your liking or preference. Once the sauce is ready, remove from heat and coat the cooked chicken tenders with the sauce.
These honey chipotle chicken tenders pair well with corn on the cob & French fries. This is the perfect chilis entree to make at home & it’s one that everyone will love. This delicious honey chipotle sauce is a sure winner, & you can never go wrong with crispy chicken tenders.
I hope you enjoy this delicious honey chipotle chicken tender’s recipe as much as I do. Be sure to check out other delicious and tasty recipes on Kenya’s Kitchen88!
Honey Chipotle Chicken Tenders Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Ib Chicken Tenders
- Oil (for frying)
- 3 Eggs
- 1 Tsp Hot sauce
- 1 cup Flour
- 2 tsp Onion Powder
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Dash southwest Chipotle seasoning
Honey Chipotle Sauce:
Note: Depending on how much tenders your cooking- you may have to double the sauce
- ¼ Cup Water
- ¼ Cup Ketchup
- ⅔ Cup Honey
- 1 to 2 tsp Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (the sauce only)
- ½ tsp Dash southwest Chipotle seasoning
Instructions
- Clean & prep the chicken tenders beforehand. Pat dry with a paper towel.
- Prepare your seasoning mixture: In a small bowl combine the dry seasonings - the Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper, Chili Powder, & Dash southwest Chipotle seasoning & mix. Set to the side.
- Prepare the egg mixture: In a bowl add the eggs, hot sauce, and whisk together until well combined.
- Note: For the seasoning mixture you can split it in half. Use half of the seasoning mixture to season the chicken and the other half to season the flour.
- Prepare the flour mixture: In a bowl or Ziplock bag add the flour & half of the dry seasoning mixture. Mix everything together until well blended then set the flour to the side.
- Season the chicken tenders with the other half of the dry seasoning mixture.
- Dip the tenders into the egg mixture, then shake off the excess.
- Coat the tenders with the flour mixture & lay the tenders on a rack to fry.
- In a frying pan, add just enough oil to fry the tenders.
- Note: Do not put more than halfway full of the frying oil. I usually put about 1 ½ to 1 ¾ inch.
- Allow the oil to Heat up to about 350 degrees to fry the tenders.
- Once the oil is hot & ready, fry the tenders in batches. Don’t overcrowd the pan, just fry a few pieces at a time.
- Allow the tenders to fry for anywhere between 5 to 8 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. If you need to flip the tenders over halfway through cooking time, please do so that the chicken cooks completely through.
- Once the tenders have been properly cooked, remove from frying pan. (Tip: Use a thermometer if you’re unsure if the tenders are done.
- Shake off the excess oil & drain the tenders on paper towel.
- Repeat the frying process until all the chicken tenders have been cooked.
- Note: for the Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - you’re only using the sauce, do not add the peppers unless you want your sauce to be spicy. Only add 1 to 2 tsp of the sauce only.
- Next, prepare the sauce. In a saucepan combine the honey, water, ketchup, Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (the sauce only) & a pinch of the Dash southwest Chipotle seasoning.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Do a taste test of your sauce & make any adjustments if needed.
- Once the sauce is ready, remove from the heat.
- Place cooked chicken tenders in a large bowl and toss with the honey chipotle sauce.
- Serve with French fries, buttery corn on the cob, or a nice side salad. Enjoy!
