Hot Honey Chicken Tenders
Air FryerMain CoursesAmerican

Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

Recipe by AlexPrep: 15 minCook: 15 minTotal: 30 minServes 3Easy

Hot honey chicken tenders trade breadcrumbs for crushed corn flakes: 500 g of tenders rubbed with three tablespoons of paprika, a teaspoon each of chili and salt, dipped in beaten egg and pressed into 100 g of crushed flakes, then air-fried at 180 °C for 15 minutes — exactly long enough to stir together the no-cook drizzle of honey, soy sauce, sriracha and one crushed garlic clove that goes over them at the table. Serves 3.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Season the tenders with the paprika, chili pepper and salt; mix until every piece is evenly coated.

  2. 2

    Set up the coating station: crush the corn flakes and beat the egg.

  3. 3

    Dip each piece in egg, then coat thoroughly with the crushed flakes, pressing gently so the coating sticks.

  4. 4

    Air-fry at 180 °C for 15 minutes until golden and crispy.

    15:00
  5. 5

    Meanwhile stir the honey, soy sauce, sriracha and crushed garlic — no garlic press? Crush the clove on parchment under a glass for easy cleanup.

  6. 6

    Transfer the hot tenders to a plate and drizzle generously with the sauce.

Watch the video

Play: Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

Notes from our kitchen

Press the flakes on with intent — loose crumbs fall off in the basket and burn. The drizzle is raw assembly, so the crushed clove is sharp at first; five minutes of sitting mellows it into the honey. And drizzle at the table, not in advance — the crust holds its crunch only until the sauce lands.

Variations

  • Panko instead of corn flakes. Panko gives a finer, more uniform crust where flakes give big shattering shards. Same egg dip, same 15 minutes — choose by the texture you want, or mix half and half.
  • Deeper heat. One teaspoon of sriracha keeps the drizzle honey-first. Push it toward real hot honey with an extra teaspoon and a pinch of the same chili from the rub — the soy keeps it from tipping into candy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why corn flakes instead of breadcrumbs?

Crushed flakes fry into big, glassy shards that crunch louder than any crumb — and they are already toasted, so they color fast in the 15-minute window. Crush them coarse: powder loses the shatter, whole flakes fall off.

Does the sauce need cooking?

No — it is a stir-together drizzle: honey, soy, sriracha and one crushed clove. Give it five minutes to sit so the raw garlic mellows. If you prefer a thicker, clingier glaze, warm it briefly, but the recipe as filmed pours it raw.

Is three tablespoons of paprika a typo?

No — the video description says teaspoons, but the narration and the deep-red crust say tablespoons, and that is what this recipe uses. Paprika is mild; it is doing color and sweetness here, not heat. The single teaspoon of chili carries the warmth.

How do I store the leftovers?

Keep tenders and drizzle apart: undrizzled tenders hold airtight in the fridge for 2 days and re-crisp in the air fryer at 180 °C in 4–5 minutes; the sauce keeps refrigerated for a week. Sauced leftovers are still tasty — just soft.

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