These copycat chicken crispers with honey chipotle dipping sauce are delicious fried chicken tenders, served with a hot honey dip. You’ll love them for dinner or as a crowd-pleasing appetizer.
Preparation Details
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 4 cups vegetable oil for frying, or as needed
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Steps
- Cut chicken breasts into strips about 3 inches long.
- Stir buttermilk and hot sauce together in a medium bowl. Add chicken to buttermilk mixture and toss well to completely cover the chicken. Let stand 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pour vegetable oil into a large saucepan or very deep skillet to about 4 inches deep. Heat oil to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
- In a large shallow dish, whisk together flour, kosher salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and baking powder until well combined.
- Remove each tender from buttermilk mixture and coat lightly with flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Return chicken to buttermilk mixture and finish with a second coat of flour mixture. Set aside on a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
- Working in batches, carefully add chicken tenders to hot oil and cook, flipping occasionally, until crispy golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels or a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.
- For sauce, whisk barbecue sauce, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, and honey together in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt. Serve chicken with sauce.
