Rice Krispie Fried Chicken Tenders With Hot Honey
These homemade chicken tenders are coated in rice krispies, deep fried until crispy then glazed with spicy hot honey. They’re seriously tasty!
This post contains affiliate links.
The crispiest rice krispie chicken tenders glazed with hot honey!
If you’ve never had rice krispie chicken tenders before, you’re missing out! We’re making these tenders like breaded chicken strips but instead of coating them with breadcrumbs we’re using blitzed up rice krispies, flavoured with herbs & spices instead.
Then to take this fried chicken to the next level, we’re going to be deep frying them until they’re incredibly crispy then coating them in a sticky, homemade hot honey glaze. They’re sweet, a little bit spicy & crazy delicious! I’ve also included a way to make these with JD’s hot honey & seasoning (as I’m now an ambassador!) so there’s 2 ways to make these.
Take a look at our ever growing collection of main course recipes for more dinner inspiration! There’s lots to choose from here, from more chicken recipes, to steaks, pies, smoked meats, pasta dishes & loads more.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Fillets – Chicken fillets (or tenderloins) are the small pieces of meat that are loosely attached to chicken breasts. You can get these from most supermarkets/butchers or you can slice chicken breasts into 3-4 cm wide strips.
- Rice Krispie Coating – To make these chicken tenders, we’re going to be bread crumbing them but using rice krispies instead of breadcrumbs. We’ll be flavouring the rice krispies with smoked paprika, dried oregano & garlic powder (like fried chicken!). To coat the chicken, you’ll also need some plain flour, eggs & milk.
- Hot Honey Glaze – We’re making our own hot honey glaze with honey, sriracha, lime juice & butter. Feel free to use a ready made hot honey or use regular honey if you’d prefer.
How To Make Rice Krispie Fried Chicken Tenders
These chicken tenders are made by coating chicken fillets in crushed & seasoned Rice Krispies, they’re then deep fried until crispy & perfectly cooked then finished with an easy hot honey glaze!
- Blitz Up Rice Krispies
First, we use a food processor to blitz up the rice krispies, to break them up slightly. This is key to getting proper coverage on the chicken fillets! Once blitzed, we add in smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt & pepper then mix to combine. - Pané
To pané our chicken fillets, we toss them in seasoned flour, dunk in eggs & milk then roll in the rice krispies, making sure that the chicken is completely coated. At this point the chicken can be refrigerated for up to a day before being cooked. - Deep Frying
To cook the chicken tenders, we fry them in a deep fat fryer set to 180°c/356°f, for 4-5 minutes, until golden & crispy and the internal temperature reaches 75°c/167°f. Then once fried, we let the chicken drain briefly on a plate lined with kitchen paper then season with sea salt.
Hot Honey Glaze
We’re coating our crispy chicken tenders with a homemade hot honey glaze!
This stuff’s super easy to make & can be made as spicy as you like (add more sriracha if you like it extra hot!). To make this, we simply add honey, butter, lime juice & sriracha hot sauce into a saucepan then cook on the stove until melted & sticky. Then once our chicken is cooked, we pour the hot honey over, to glaze.
JD’s Hot Honey Chicken Tenders
I recently became a brand ambassador for JD’s hot honey so I used their original hot honey for these chicken tenders. This also means that I’ve got a code to share that will get you 10% off an order on their website. Simply use code SALTBUTTERSMOKE10 at checkout (click here to read more about affiliate links).
To make these fried chicken tenders with JD’s hot honey & their seasoning, there’s only a few changes that we need to make. First, instead of adding herbs & spices to the Rice Krispies, we’re going to be using their hot honey seasoning. Then instead of the hot honey glaze, we’re using JD’s hot honey (I used the jalapeño infused honey!) which we’re warming up on the stove with a small amount of butter. Then to glaze the chicken, we dunk each tender in the warm honey butter, flipping it over in the glaze to cover all sides!
Rice Krispie Fried Chicken Tips & Tricks
- Use a food processor to break up the rice krispies, for better chicken coverage.
- For the best flavour, season the flour, eggs & rice krispies with salt & pepper before using to coat the chicken.
- Use a digital food probe to check the chicken’s internal temperature, to avoid under or over cooking the meat.
- Drain the chicken on a piece of kitchen paper, after frying to stop it going soggy.
- Serve the glaze warm, as it will coat the chicken better.
Serving Suggestions
These rice krispie fried chicken tenders are great served on their own but would work great with some triple cooked chips, Asian slaw or many of our other side dish recipes! They’d also make a really good burger topping, sandwich filling or inside a burrito. They’re super versatile!
Frequently Asked Questions
To make chicken tenders, you’ll need chicken fillets (or tenderloins). These are the small pieces of meat that are loosely attached to chicken breasts. You can get these from most supermarkets/butchers or you can slice chicken breasts into 3-4 cm wide strips.
For the best fried chicken, you will need a deep fat fryer. You could also use a pan of oil, heated up to 180°c/356°f on the stove. Make sure to do this really carefully though!
Once cooked, these fried chicken tenders will be golden & crispy on the outside. I’d also recommend taking the internal temperature with a digital food probe. It should be at least 75°c/167°f.
Fried chicken tenders are best served straight away but the chicken can be coated in the rice krispies a day in advance & stored in the fridge.
Equipment Used
Please note that these are affiliate links & I may make a small commission if you make a purchase using these links, at no extra cost to you. For more information, click here.
More Main Courses To Try!
- Honey Sesame Fried Chicken Tenders
- Crispy Sriracha & Peanut Chicken Wings
- Buffalo Fried Chicken Tenders
- Smoked Pulled Pork
- Chicken Tikka Masala Pies
- Gochujang Fish Cakes
If you have enjoyed this recipe for hot honey chicken tenders, it would mean a lot if you could leave a review & rating. And if you’d like to stay up to date with future recipes, follow us on Instagram & TikTok or subscribe to our newsletter!
Rice Krispie Fried Chicken Tenders With Hot Honey
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Deep Fat Fryer
- Digital Food Probe
- Mixing Bowls
- Saucepan
Ingredients
Rice Krispie Chicken Tenders
- 400 g Chicken Fillets (See Notes)
- 75 g Rice Krispies
- ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Dried Oregano
- 60 g Plain Flour
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 tbsp Milk
Hot Honey Glaze
- 100 g Honey
- 25 g Butter
- 20 g Sriracha
- ½ Lime (Juiced)
Instructions
Rice Krispie Chicken Tenders
- Place the rice krispies into a food processor then blitz briefly (using the pulse setting) to break the cereal up slightly.The rice krispies should be the same texture as panko breadcrumbs, so they'll only need a quick blitz. See the post above for a visual guide!
- Place the rice krispies into a mixing bowl & add in the paprika, garlic powder & oregano. Season well with salt & pepper then mix, to combine.
- Add the flour to a separate bowl, add the eggs & milk to another then season both bowls with salt & pepper. Give the flour a mix with a spoon and whisk the eggs & milk together with a fork.
- Next, take a chicken fillet, toss it in the flour then dunk in the egg. Take the chicken out of the egg, let the excess drain off then roll in the rice krispies, making sure that it is completely coated.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate then repeat with the remaining fillets. Chill the chicken in the fridge until you're ready to cook it.
Hot Honey Glaze
- Add the honey, butter, sriracha & lime juice into a small saucepan then set over a medium heat. Cook until melted, whisking to combine then bring to a simmer & cook for another minute. Set aside until needed.I'd recommend making the glaze just before frying the chicken, so that it is still warm. Alternatively, warm the glaze back up on the stove once your chicken is cooked.
Frying
- Preheat a deep fat fryer to 180°c/356°f.
- Once the oil is hot, add in your chicken tenders then cook until golden, crispy & the internal temperature is at least 75°c/167°f.You may need to cook your chicken in two batches, depending on the size of your fryer. If needed, the chicken can be kept warm in the oven.
- Once cooked, drain the chicken on a plate lined with kitchen paper then season with sea salt.
Glazing
- Place the cooked chicken tenders into a mixing bowl then pour over the warm glaze.
- Gently toss the bowl, to coat the chicken in glaze then transfer to plates & serve immediately.
Notes
The glaze can be made up to 3 days in advance & kept in the fridge. Make sure to warm it back up before serving! 4. Rice Krispies – Kellogg’s rice krispies work best for this recipe. Make sure to use fresh cereal, for the crispiest coating. 5. JD’s Hot Honey Variation – As I mentioned in the post, I’ve also made these chicken tenders with JD’s hot honey & seasoning. To do this, replace the paprika, garlic & oregano for the Rice Krispies with 1-2 tsp of JD’s hot honey seasoning (depending on how hot you want the flavour to be). Then replace the glaze with 100g JD’s hot honey & 25g unsalted butter which has been warmed in a frying pan over a low heat until melted together & just bubbling. To glaze the chicken, dunk a tender in then flip over with a pair of tongs to coat all sides. Let any excess drip off then serve!
