Description

These Hot Honey Chicken Sliders feature tender chicken breasts marinated in a flavorful batter, fried to golden perfection, and coated in a sweet and spicy honey sauce. Served on toasted brioche or Hawaiian slider buns with tangy sweet heat pickles and a side of ranch, these sliders deliver a perfect balance of spicy, sweet, and savory flavors in a handheld bite perfect for parties or casual meals.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken and Batter Ingredients

1.5 lbs. chicken breasts, cut into 4″ pieces (chicken tenderloins also work)
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1/3 cup dill pickle juice
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 cup flour

Dry Flour Mixture for Dredging

1 1/2 cups flour
1.5 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper

Hot Honey Sauce

2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons hot sauce (such as Louisiana or Texas Pete’s)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons butter
2–3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

Assembly and Frying

12 brioche or Hawaiian slider buns
3 tablespoons butter, melted (for buns)
Sweet heat pickles (about 2 per slider)
Ranch dressing for serving
Oil for frying (enough to come up 4” on the pan)

Instructions

Prepare Dry Flour Mixture: In a shallow dish or pie pan, whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, 1.5 teaspoons salt, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Set aside or refrigerate covered if making a day ahead.
Make Wet Batter: In a large bowl, combine 1 egg, 1 cup buttermilk, 2 teaspoons hot sauce, 1/3 cup dill pickle juice, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 3/4 cup flour. Whisk thoroughly but avoid over mixing; some small lumps are acceptable.
Marinate Chicken: Submerge the chicken pieces in the wet batter. Cover and marinate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight to tenderize and infuse flavor.
Toast Buns: Preheat the broiler. Spread 3 tablespoons melted butter on the inside of the slider buns. Place under broiler until golden brown, then flip the top buns, spread them with garlic parsley butter (made by mixing minced garlic and fresh parsley with butter) and broil for an additional minute. Set toasted buns aside.
Heat Oil: Pour oil into a deep pot or Dutch oven to a depth of about 4 inches. Attach a thermometer and heat the oil to 350°F.
Batter and Coat Chicken: Remove chicken pieces one at a time from the wet batter, allow excess batter to drip off, then dredge thoroughly in the prepared dry flour mixture, ensuring both sides are well coated.
Fry Chicken: Fry chicken in batches, placing 4-5 pieces into the hot oil at a time. Cook until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F, approximately 4 minutes per batch. Transfer fried chicken to a cooling rack to drain excess oil.
Prepare Hot Honey Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine honey, ketchup, water, cornstarch slurry (water and cornstarch mixed), hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, butter, minced garlic, and fresh parsley. Simmer gently until warmed through and slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Coat Chicken with Sauce: Place fried chicken tenders in a large bowl. Pour the warm hot honey sauce over them and toss to evenly coat each piece.
Assemble Sliders: On each toasted bottom bun, place about two sweet heat pickles, add one chicken tender coated in sauce, then top with the toasted bun. Serve sliders with ranch dressing for dipping.

Notes

Marinating the chicken overnight results in more tender and flavorful sliders.
Use a thermometer to maintain oil temperature for perfectly crispy chicken.
The hot honey sauce can be adjusted for more or less heat by varying the amount of hot sauce and red pepper flakes.
Sweet heat pickles add a delicious tangy crunch that complements the spicy honey sauce.
Brioche or Hawaiian buns work best for their soft texture and sweetness, balancing the spice.
Prepare the dry flour mixture a day ahead to save time.

Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 4 hours to overnight marinating)
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Sandwiches
Method: Frying
Cuisine: American

Keywords: hot honey chicken sliders, spicy chicken sliders, fried chicken sandwiches, party sliders, sweet heat pickles, homemade ranch dipping sauce