Chef notes
This is a fantastic recipe for a game day or weeknight meals, and you can swap out the sauces for whatever your friends like. Also this hot honey sauce is the perfect combination of sweet and heat!
Get Ingredients: If you don’t have everything you need on hand, you can easily purchase all of the ingredients (just click the orange button below that says ‘Get Ingredients’). You can pick and choose exactly what ingredients you need based on what’s in your pantry and they’ll be on your doorstep before you know it.
Special Kitchen Equipment Required: You'll need an air fryer for this recipe.
Technique Tips: Soaking chicken in buttermilk makes it more tender. Use zip-top bags instead of bowls or trays make for easy clean-up! Adding just a little milk to the dry ingredients that creates little clumps that give extra crunch to the finished tenders.
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds chicken breast tenderloins
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1½ cups finely crushed sweetened oat cereal, such as Honey Nut Cheerios
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons Lawry’s seasoned salt
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons whole milk
- nonstick cooking spray
- 1/2 cup hot sauce, such as Frank’s
- 1/2 cup honey
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
Preparation
1.In large bowl, submerge chicken in buttermilk, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.
2.In large zip-top bag, combine cereal, flour, seasoned salt, paprika, pepper and garlic powder. Drizzle in milk and mix well. Little clumps will appear.
3.Using tongs, lift chicken out of buttermilk, letting excess drip back into the bowl, then place in bag of seasoned flour, thoroughly coating each piece of chicken. Transfer to large rimmed baking sheet and repeat with remaining chicken. Let sit until the coating has set, 10 to 15 minutes.
4.Preheat the air-fryer to 400 F. Spray both sides of tenders with nonstick cooking spray. Place in a single layer in the air-fryer and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to clean large rimmed baking sheet and repeat with remaining chicken.
5.In a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine hot sauce, honey and butter. Stir to combine and cook until the butter has melted.
6.Transfer the fried chicken to a large bowl and toss with half the sauce until completely coated. Serve immediately.
