Honey BBQ Chicken Tenders

These honey BBQ chicken tenders are juicy on the inside, extra crispy on the outside, and coated in a homemade honey BBQ sauce that's sweet, smoky, tangy, and just the right amount of spicy. I have two techniques that make these so good, and once you try them you'll never want store bought tenders again.

Why These Honey BBQ Chicken Tenders Get So Crispy

Honey BBQ chicken is one of my favorite flavor combinations and I was craving chicken fingers when I came up with this recipe. I wanted real restaurant level crunch without a commercial fryer and a homemade honey BBQ sauce to finish them off. So I set out to figure it out and this is what I came up with.

The technique is everything here. A dry flour marinade gives the chicken a base layer that helps the batter stick. The batter itself uses cornstarch and sparkling water for an incredibly light crispy coating. The double dip method, going wet to dry twice, builds a thick craggy crust with the deep crunchy ridges you want in a great tender. Then a two temperature fry, first at 350°F to cook through and then a final blast at 375°F for deep golden color, takes the crunch even further. The homemade hot honey BBQ sauce finishes them off with a sweet, spicy, and smoky flavor.

If you love great chicken finger recipes like my garlic parmesan chicken tenders or buttermilk chicken tenders, this honey BBQ version will be one you make all the time.

Ingredients

For the Chicken Marinade:

• 2 lbs chicken tenders
• ¼ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the Chicken Batter:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 12 oz sparkling water or club soda

For the Honey BBQ Sauce:

• ½ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoon hot sauce of choice
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoon cold butter, cut into small cubes

For Frying:

• Neutral oil, for frying

How to Make Honey BBQ Chicken Tenders

Step 1: Dry Marinade the Chicken

In a large bowl, toss the chicken tenders with the flour and all the marinade seasonings until every piece is evenly coated. Let the chicken rest for 15-20 minutes.

Step 2: Make the Batter

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and all the batter seasonings until fully combined.

Transfer about ½ cup of this dry mixture to a separate bowl and whisk in the sparkling water until you have a smooth batter with a pancake-like consistency. 

Step 3: Make the Honey BBQ Sauce

Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.

Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the cold butter, one or two cubes at a time, until the sauce is smooth, glossy, and fully emulsified. Keep warm over the lowest possible heat until ready to use.

Step 4: Double Dredge the Chicken

Heat the frying oil to 350°F. While it heats, set up your breading station with the marinated chicken, the wet batter, and the remaining dry batter mixture. Dip each tender into the wet batter, then press into the dry mixture. Dip back into the wet batter, then into the dry mixture one more time. Press the dry coating on firmly each time. 

Step 5: Fry in Two Stages

Carefully lower the chicken into the 350°F oil in batches. Don't crowd the pot. Fry for 6-8 minutes until lightly golden and cooked through. Then increase the oil temperature to 375°F and fry for an additional 2-3 minutes until deep golden brown and extra crispy.

Step 6: Season and Sauce

Transfer the cooked tenders to a wire rack and immediately season with a pinch of salt while still hot. Brush each tender generously with the warm honey BBQ sauce until fully coated. Serve immediately with extra sauce and ranch dressing on the side.

Tips for the Best Honey BBQ Chicken Tenders

Don't skip the dry marinade rest. The 15-20 minutes the chicken spends coated in seasoned flour is what makes the batter adhere properly. It also seasons the chicken itself, not just the crust. This step is easy to rush and shouldn't be.

Keep the sparkling water cold. Cold sparkling water produces more carbonation in the batter when it hits the hot oil, which creates a lighter, crispier crust. Use it straight from the fridge and don't make the batter too far in advance.

Use a thermometer for the oil. Oil temperature is critical for crispy fried chicken. Too low and the chicken steams instead of fries and absorbs too much oil. Too high and the crust burns before the inside cooks through. A thermometer removes all the guesswork.

Press the dry coating on firmly. When you press each tender into the dry batter mixture, use your hands to press firmly and make sure the coating is really adhering. That pressure is what creates those craggy, textured peaks on the crust that get so crispy.

Fry in small batches. Adding too much chicken at once drops the oil temperature dramatically, which produces greasy rather than crispy chicken. Fry three to four tenders at a time maximum and let the oil come back up to temperature between batches.

Finish the sauce with cold butter off the heat. Whisking cold butter into the sauce at the end, called mounting, is a classic French technique that gives the sauce body, richness, and that beautiful glossy finish. Don't add the butter while the sauce is at a full boil or it will break and turn greasy.

Season the chicken immediately out of the fryer. Salt sticks to hot fried chicken but slides off cold chicken. Hit it the moment it comes out of the oil, before you brush on the sauce.

How to Store and Reheat Honey BBQ Chicken Tenders

The tenders: Store unsauced in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keeping them unsauced is what preserves the crunch since the sauce softens the coating quickly once it touches.

The sauce: Store separately in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Warm it up quick on the stove before saucing the chicken.

To reheat: Place the tenders on a wire rack over a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 10-12 minutes until hot and crispy again. The air fryer works even better, 375°F for 4-5 minutes gets them just as crispy in less time. Sauce and serve immediately after reheating since the sauce starts softening the coating the moment it goes on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use cornstarch in the batter?

Cornstarch is the key ingredient for an ultra crispy fried chicken crust. It has less moisture than flour and creates a lighter crispier coating when fried. Combined with flour and baking powder it produces a batter that fries up shatteringly crispy rather than soft or doughy.

Why sparkling water instead of regular water or buttermilk?

The carbonation in sparkling water creates tiny bubbles in the batter that expand when they hit the hot oil, producing an incredibly light and airy crust. Buttermilk based batters are great but produce a different denser texture. Sparkling water is the move when maximum crunch is the goal.

What is the double dredge method?

Double dredging means dipping the chicken in wet batter, then dry coating, then wet batter again, then dry coating again before frying. This builds a thicker more textured crust with deep ridges and peaks that create more surface area for crunch. It's the technique that separates a great homemade chicken tender from an extraordinary one.

Why fry at two different temperatures?

The first fry at 350°F cooks the chicken all the way through gently without over browning the crust. The second fry at 375°F gives the crust that final deep golden color and creates the maximum crunch right before serving. Frying at one high temperature the whole time risks burning the crust before the inside is fully cooked.

What oil is best for frying chicken tenders?

Any neutral oil with a high smoke point works great. Vegetable oil, canola oil, and peanut oil are all excellent choices. Peanut oil gives fried chicken a subtle richness and has a great smoke point. Olive oil should be avoided since its smoke point is too low for deep frying.

Can I bake these instead of frying?

Yes. Place the double dredged tenders on a greased wire rack over a baking sheet, spray generously with cooking spray, and bake at 425°F for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway. The texture will not match the fried version but they are still delicious and significantly lighter.

Can I make these in the air fryer instead of frying?

Yes. After double dredging, spray the tenders generously with cooking spray and air fry at 400°F for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through. The crust will not be quite as deeply craggy as the fried version but it is excellent for a lighter option.

How do I know when the chicken tenders are fully cooked?

The internal temperature should reach 165°F at the thickest part of the tender. A meat thermometer is the most reliable way to check since the golden color on the outside can be deceiving with a thick crust. If you don't have a thermometer, cut into the largest tender and check that the juices run clear with no pink remaining.

Can I make the honey BBQ sauce ahead of time?

Yes. The sauce can be made up to a week ahead and stored in a sealed jar in the refrigerator. Warm it gently on the stove before tossing with the freshly fried tenders so the cold butter finish stays glossy and smooth rather than separating.

More Chicken Recipes To Make Next

• Honey Chipotle Chicken Wraps
• Hot Honey Chicken Tenders
• Crispy Chicken Loaded Fries
• Homemade Chicken Fries
• Crispy Fried Chicken Thighs