Name: Hot Honey Chicken Tenders
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 12 tenders
Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts, sliced into evenly sized chicken tenders that are 1-2 inches thick.; 3.5 cups corn flakes; 1/3 cup grated parmesan; 1/2 cup all purpose flour; 3 eggs, beaten; 1/2 tsp onion powder; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; Salt and pepper; 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning; 3/4 cup honey; 1 to 2 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste); *You will also want an avocado oil or olive oil spray to help crisp your tenders.

These crispy air fryer hot honey chicken tenders are the perfect hearty appetizer or easy protein source for salads, bowls, and wraps. Chicken tenders coated in a flavorful corn flake crust then air fried to a crispy perfection and tossed in an easy hot honey sauce, this recipe is a crowd pleaser every time!

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Chicken tenders will forever be one of my go-to protein sources in my home. As a toddler mom, I like chicken tenders because I can easily serve them in a way that my toddler will enjoy. As a busy person, I like that chicken tenders cook in under 15 minutes. As a registered dietitian, I like that chicken tenders are a lean meat with protein, essential nutrients, and pair well with a variety of recipes.

The one issue I have with most chicken tenders though is that they are often made in a deep fryer with high a fat and calorie content that I don’t regularly want on my plate. I thought to myself, how can I make a crispy chicken tender at home with a nutrition profile that I can feel good about?

Enter, my beloved air fryer. Air fryers are a great way to mimic the crisp of a deep fryer, but with less oil and fat. While you may have your doubts about making crispy chicken tenders in an air fryer, I think that these delicious hot honey chicken tenders will turn you into an air fryer believer!

Classic crispy chicken tenders coated in a golden corn flake crumb and drizzled with an easy hot honey sauce gives you all the sweet, savory, and spicy flavors that your taste buds will love. Let’s get to the recipe:

What are hot honey chicken tenders?

Whether you dip them in a sauce or serve them on salad, chicken tenders can be served in a variety of ways. With all of their versatility, I still find myself coming back to these spicy hot honey chicken tenders as my go-to recipe.

These hot honey chicken tenders are simply chicken tenders that have been breaded, air fried, and then tossed, dipped, or drizzled in a homemade hot honey sauce for a flavorful bite that is sweet, savory, and a little bit spicy.

The best part about hot honey chicken tenders is that they are fully customizable to the spice level that you want! You can keep this recipe toddler friendly by simply serving these as honey chicken tenders (no spice!) or up the spice level by adding other flavors like cayenne pepper or sriracha.

Can you cook chicken tenders in an air fryer?

Yes- in fact, it’s one of my favorite ways to cook chicken tenders because it gives you that classic crispy bite without a deep fryer. Not only do air fryers give you a crispy texture, but you also get chicken tenders that are lower in fat and calorie content making them a healthier option than deep fried tenders.

Air fryers circulate the hot air, thoroughly cooking your chicken and crisping up every exposed surface of your chicken tender and turning it a beautiful golden brown color with a crunchy texture. Delicious!

While air fryers can give you a great tender, they do require a little bit of trial, error, and strategy to get your recipe perfected. Good news for you, I have done the trial and error for you so here are a few of my key tips:

How to make hot honey chicken tenders in an air fryer:

Always pre-heat your air fryer: This allows for more even cooking and a more predictable cooking time.
Coat your breaded chicken with corn flakes… not breadcrumbs: While I have made some delicious chicken tenders with store bought bread crumbs, I prefer making my own coating with a combination of corn flakes, parmesan cheese, and italian seasoning. It gets so crispy!
Spray the breaded chicken tenders with avocado oil spray: Trust. This recipe does not call for oil otherwise but I do find that giving the breaded chicken tenders a spritz with 100% avocado or olive oil spray helps it get extra crispy.
Flip your tenders half way through: This is personal preference but I like to flip my chicken tenders after about 5 minutes in the air fryer, spray them again with oil, and return them to the air fryer to finish cooking.
Add your hot honey sauce after the tenders are done cooking, not before: This is key for the best air fryer hot honey chicken tender. The sugar content in the hot honey burns before the chicken cooks through so it’s best to cook your chicken tenders first then add the hot honey sauce after!
Always check your hot honey chicken tenders with a meat thermometer:
For best results, temp check your chicken tenders with a food thermometer at the half way cooking point, again 2 minutes later, and again 2 minutes after that if necessary. Your chicken tenders are fully cooked when they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

How long to cook chicken tenders in an air fryer:

I can give you all of the tips and tricks on how to make hot honey chicken tenders in an air fryer but they all mean nothing if you over or under cook your chicken tenders. Cooking chicken tenders in an air fryer may require some adjustment from the exact recipe because cooking time depends on how thick your chicken tenders are.

For example, buying pre-bought chicken tenders from the store tends to give you thinner chicken tenders than if you were to slice your own chicken tenders from chicken breast. My general rule of thumb is to air fry chicken tenders that are similar in size and follow these time guidelines:

For smaller chicken tenders: Air fry them at 375 for 7-8 minutes, flipping half way.
For larger chicken tenders: Air fryer them at 375 for 9-11 minutes, flipping half way.

Always temp check your chicken to ensure you pull them out at the perfect time.

There are some tips and tricks to make the best hot honey chicken tenders in the air fryer!

Ingredients and Instructions:

1) Ingredients:

Here are the ingredients you will need to make air fryer hot honey chicken tenders:

Chicken breasts- You can buy chicken tenderloins pre-sliced but I prefer to cut my own chicken tenders from whole chicken breast. For best results, identify the grain of your chicken breast and slice against it to form your chicken tenders.
Your chicken tenders will be roughly 5 inches in length and 1 to 2 inches thick. The more uniform you cut your chicken tenders, the more evenly they will cook in your air fryer.
Flour- Seasoned flour will be the base of your breaded chicken and helps create that crispy texture! I recommend using all purpose flour.
Seasonings- We are going to season the flour with onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper! This adds a subtle flavor to your chicken breasts.
Egg- A beaten egg will be the glue that makes your corn flakes stick to your breaded chicken.
Corn flakes- You read that right! Crushed corn flakes are the key ingredient for a truly crispy hot honey chicken tender.
Grated parmesan cheese- parmesan cheese adds a delicious flavor to the corn flakes.
Hot honey- My favorite way to make hot honey is by combining honey with red pepper flakes to taste but you can really use any "spice” that you like such as cayenne peppers, hot sauce, or habanero peppers.
Want extra hot honey sauce? Combine a few spicy components from of the list with one another to level up the flavors and the spice.
Fresh thyme: For garnish and some extra flavor.
Avocado or olive oil spray: to help crisp up your chicken tender.

2) Hot Honey Chicken Tenders Step-by-Step Instructions:

Step 1- Slice your chicken breast into chicken tenders. Your chicken tenders will be roughly 5 inches in length and 1 to 2 inches thicken. For best results, slice against the grain of your chicken breast and try to slice your chicken tenders into equal sizes.

Step 2- Prep your breading station.

In bowl one: Add flour, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper then stir together.

In bowl two: Whisk together 3 eggs until combined.

In bowl three: Add your corn flakes, parmesan cheese, and italian seasonings to a food processor then blend until it reaches a bread crumb like consistency. Pour into your bowl.

Step 3- Bread your chicken tenders by tossing them first in the flour mixture, then dunking them in the egg mixture, then tossing them in the corn flake coating. Use your hands to press the corn flakes into your chicken tender and then gently shake your tender to remove any excess coating. Set aside.

Repeat this process until all of your chicken tenders have been coating in breading.

Step 4- Preheat your air fryer to 375 for 2 minutes. Add your chicken tenders to your basket, being careful not to overcrowd or overlap them. Lightly spray your chicken tenders with avocado oil or olive oil spray then air fryer at 375 for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, flip your chicken tenders, spray again, and return to the air fryer at 375 for another 3-6 minutes or until your chicken tenders are golden brown and have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Repeat this process until all of your chicken tenders are cooked.

Step 5- While you cook your chicken tenders in the air fryer, add your honey and red pepper flakes to a small sauce pan. Warm on the stove over medium heat until your honey just begins to bubble. Remove from the heat, allow your hot honey sauce to cool, and adjust the spice level to taste.

For extra hot honey sauce you can:

Add extra red pepper flakes
Add a dash of cayenne pepper
Add sriracha sauce
Add a combination of these 3 spices!

Step 6: Dip, drizzle, or toss your air fryer chicken tenders in your hot honey sauce and enjoy these crispy hot honey chicken tenders as a hearty appetizer or easy protein for your meal!

Swaps, substitutions, and serving suggestions:

One of my favorite things about making these crispy hot honey chicken tenders is that they can be served in a variety of ways like:

As a hearty appetizer: These hot honey chicken tenders are an easy to eat, hearty appetizer that pairs well with different dipping sauces like honey mustard or ranch! Keep your appetizer crowd friendly by bringing small bowls and filling them with different dipping sauce flavors.
As a protein with sides: Pair your crispy chicken tenders with sides like french fries, roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and more!
Chopped in a salad: Air fry your chicken tenders then cut them up and serve them as a crispy protein in your favorite bagged salad.
As biscuit bites: Serve these air fryer chicken tenders on a biscuit for breakfast or brunch for a spicy take on a chicken and biscuit! As always, bring extra hot honey sauce to drizzle over your biscuit bites. (my protein biscuits would be a great option!)

And more! Make this recipe your own and tag me on instagram with any fun ideas you come up with!

Recipe FAQ:

How long to cook chicken tenders in an air fryer?
1. This fully depends on how thick your chicken tenders are! At 375 degrees, smaller chicken tenders will cook in 7 to 8 minutes while thicker chicken tenders can take up to 12 minutes. For juicy chicken tenders, I recommend temp checking them with a meat thermometer!
How much protein is in a chicken tender?
1. This depends on the size of your chicken tenders but most chicken tenders have 5-10 grams of protein per tender.
How to make homemade hot honey?
1. You can buy store-bought hot honey but hot honey sauce is also incredibly easy to make at home. Simply add your honey and spice (or spices!) of choice to a sauce pan, warm over medium heat until the honey reaches a bubble, then allow your hot honey to cool.

Other chicken breast recipes you will love:

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