Spicy Chicken Tenders with Fiery Wing Sauce
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Start to finish: Active: 60 minutes | Inactive: 60 minutes
Impresses: 10-12 servings / 3-4 people
These hot and spicy chicken tenders are bringing all of the heat! Marinated in buttermilk and hot sauce and then dipped in a fiery wing sauce, these extra crispy tenders will have you reaching for the ultimate heat-cutter: a glass of milk!
I created these in partnership with Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) and Half & Half magazine in celebration of World Milk Day and the beginning of June Dairy Month. As someone who loves the planet and also loves to enjoy dairy of all kinds, I was so excited when they reached out and told me about the work they’re doing to make dairy more sustainable!
Did you know DFA and its Nerd Herd of farmers, scientists, engineers and more are working to reduce their emissions 30% by 2030? They’re using sustainable farming practices like wind and solar power to reduce emissions that heat up the planet. So, milk can help cool your palate — and the planet! You can learn more about how dairy can help the planet at DFANerdHerd.com.
With that in mind, I was inspired to create a recipe that will seriously turn up the heat. What I love most about these spicy chicken tenders and fiery wing sauce is that you can customize your spice level by using your favorite hot sauce and adjusting the amount of red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper. And remember: when you reach for a glass of milk to cool your mouth, you’ll feel good knowing milk can help the planet!
Ingredients
For the spicy chicken tenders:
2 cups buttermilk
¼ cup hot sauce
2 pounds chicken tenders/tenderloins
1½ tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon dried chives or parsley
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1½ cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs, whisked
2½ cups panko breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper, to taste
Oven frying method:
½ cups olive oil
Stovetop frying method:
4 cups vegetable oil
For the fiery wing sauce:
1¼ cups hot sauce
¼ cup barbecue hot sauce
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons honey
Note: You can pay fry or oven fry the chicken tenders.
Method
For the spicy chicken tenders:
If oven frying the tenders, heat oven to 425 F. If frying on a stovetop, fill a large, deep pot with 4 inches oil over medium heat. Oil should be around 360–380 F.
In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce. Add chicken tenders and allow them to soak for 30 minutes (up to overnight), covered, in the refrigerator.
In a small bowl, whisk together smoked paprika, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, chives, onion powder, chili powder and cayenne pepper.
Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture and place on a baking sheet. Season chicken with half of the seasoning mixture, plus salt and pepper, ensuring both sides are coated.
Gather three bowls. In one bowl, add all-purpose flour and the remainder of the seasoning blend. In the second bowl, add eggs and whisk. In the third bowl, add panko breadcrumbs.
Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, then coat with egg and, lastly, dredge in the panko mixture. Place on a cooling rack and repeat until all pieces are coated in breading.
Oven frying method:
If oven frying, liberally drizzle olive oil on each piece of chicken, and then place on the top rack of the oven for 25–30 minutes, until golden brown and cooked thoroughly.
Stovetop frying method:
If frying on the stovetop, add 2–4 pieces of chicken to the pot at a time and cook for 2–4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked thoroughly. Then, place chicken on a cooling rack or paper towel.
For the fiery wing sauce: Combine all ingredients and whisk together. Dip each piece of chicken into the mixture and coat on both sides. Enjoy leftover sauce as a dip!