Honey Chipotle Chicken Tenders

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Craggy buttermilk-battered chicken tenders fried until deep golden, then tossed in a glossy honey-chipotle glaze that clings without turning the crust soggy. The glaze is the whole point: honey, chipotles in adobo, a splash of cider vinegar and a knob of butter simmered down to a sticky, smoky, barely-spicy syrup. Toss hot, eat immediately.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb chicken tenderloins (or 2 large breasts cut into 1-inch strips)
• 1.5 cups buttermilk
• 1 tbsp adobo sauce from canned chipotles
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil, for frying

• 2/3 cup honey
• 2 whole chipotle peppers in adobo, finely minced
• 2 tbsp adobo sauce
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
• 1 tsp lime juice

• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds or sliced scallions (optional)
• flaky salt

Instructions

1. Whisk the buttermilk, 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon garlic powder in a bowl. Add the chicken tenders, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.
2. Make the glaze: combine the honey, minced chipotles, 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, cider vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low and cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until it coats the back of a spoon and reads about 220°F. Off the heat, whisk in the cold butter and lime juice. Set aside somewhere warm — it should be pourable, not stiff.
3. Pour 2 inches of oil into a large Dutch oven and heat over medium-high to 350°F on a probe or deep-fry thermometer. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan nearby.
4. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and cayenne in a wide dish. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons of the buttermilk marinade and rub it through the flour with your fingertips until shaggy clumps form — those clumps become the crunchy bits.
5. Lift a tender from the marinade, let the excess drip off for a second, then press it firmly into the flour, scooping and packing the coating on both sides. Set on the rack and repeat. Let the breaded tenders rest 5 minutes so the coating hydrates and grips.
6. Fry in batches of 4 to 5, never crowding the pot, for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and the thickest tender registers 165°F. Keep the oil between 330°F and 350°F, adjusting the burner between batches. Drain on the clean wire rack — not paper towels — and season with a pinch of flaky salt.
7. When all the chicken is fried, warm the glaze over low heat for 30 seconds until loose. Put half the hot tenders in a wide bowl, spoon over about a third of the glaze and toss quickly with tongs, 10 to 15 seconds max. Move to a platter and repeat with the rest. Working fast and hot is what keeps the crust crisp under the sauce.
8. Scatter with sesame seeds or scallions and serve right away, with the remaining glaze on the side for dipping.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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