Hot Honey Fried Chicken Sliders with Candied Jalapeños
Ordinary game day appetizers just aren’t on the menu… These Mini Fried Chicken Sliders got that Hot Honey glow-up with Candied Jalapeños and a Homemade Ranch to match!!
Ingredients you’ll need:
For the Homemade Sliders:
- flour
- whole milk
- eggs
- instant yeast
- butter
- honey
- salt
For the Fried Chicken:
- chicken tenders
- buttermilk
- flour
- cornstarch
- seasonings
- hot honey
TIPS to Making the Best Fried Chicken:
There’s two key tips to making the crispiest fried chicken:
- Allow time for the chicken to marinate in buttermilk. Preferably, you’d want to let marinate overnight but a few hours will also be bette than nothing! This helps to break down the chicken and make it very tender.
- Well batter and double fry. When making your fried chicken, you want to make sure the chicken is well coated in the flour so it looks shaggy on the outside. If needed, add back into the buttermilk and the toss in the flour for a second time. Same when it comes to frying, you may want to fry just until golden, then let rest a few minutes before frying a second time until deeply golden.
- Brush on the hot honey. Since the outside coating will be pretty thick and crispy, it’s best to brush on any glazes or hot honey spread rather than tossing around in a bowl to prevent the outside from breaking apart!
Ingredients you’ll need for homemade ranch:
- plain greek yogurt
- mayo
- hot honey (optional)
- onion powder & garlic powder
- fresh chives
- fresh dill
- lemon
- salt & black pepper
How to Prep Fried Chicken Sliders in Advance:
You can prep each component (slider buns, fried chicken, ranch, & candied jalapenos) the day before serving.
When ready to serve, reheat the fried chicken at 375F in the oven on a parchment paper lined baking pan until crispy on all sides again (about 6-10 minutes). You may also need to reheat the candied jalapenos in a saucepan so they’re easier to drizzle on top of the fried chicken.
Cook with me!
Hot Honey Fried Chicken Sliders with Candied Jalapenos
Ingredients
For the Homemade Sliders:
- 3 cups All Purpose Flour
- ½ cup Whole Milk warm
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 tsp. Instant Yeast
- 4 tbsp. Softened Butter
- 3 tbsp. Nature Nate’s Honey
- 1 tsp. Salt
For the Hot Honey Ranch:
- 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
- 3 tbsp. Mayo
- 3 tbsp. Nature Nate’s Hot Honey
- 1 tsp. EACH: Onion Powder Garlic Powder
- 2 tbsp. Fresh Chives chopped
- 2 tbsp. Fresh Dill chopped
- Juice of 1 Lemon
- Salt & Black Pepper to taste
For the Candied Jalapenos:
- 3/4 th lb. Fresh Jalapenos about 10-12, thinly sliced
- 1 ¼ cups Granulated Cane Sugar
- ½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- ½ tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1/8 tsp. Ground Turmeric
For the Fried Chicken:
- 1 ½ lbs. Chicken Tenders
- 1 ½ cups Buttermilk
- 1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
- ¼ cup Cornstarch
- 1 tsp. EACH: Garlic Powder Onion Powder, Salt, Cayenne, & Baking Powder
- ½ cup Nature Nate’s Hot Honey
- Frying Oil
Instructions
For the Homemade Sliders:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment, combine all ingredients and mix until a soft, pliable dough, about 5-6 minutes.
- Transfer to a greased bowl. Cover and rise 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
- Divide the dough into 12 equally sized pieces, then roll in the palm of your hands to shape into smooth balls.
- Place on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan 2-3” apart. Cover loosely with saran wrap and let rise another 30-40 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Brush the slider buns with a beaten egg, then garnish the tops with flaky salt or sesame seeds.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden on top but still soft.
For the Hot Honey Ranch:
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Whisk until well-combined. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
For the Candied Jalapeno:
- Combine all ingredients but the jalapenos in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Add the thinly sliced jalapenos, bring to a boil again, then simmer another 5-6 minutes, until liquids have thickened to a syrup. Let cool to room temperature.
For the Fried Chicken:
- Combine the chicken tenders and buttermilk in a large bowl. Cover and let marinate in the fridge at least 3 hours to overnight.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and seasonings. Mix well.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the marinated chicken tenders into the flour bowl. Toss until well coated in the flour. Transfer to a plate.
- Working one chicken tender at a time, dip back in the buttermilk then dredge in the flour mixture once more. The chicken tenders should have a shaggy dough on the outside.
- Bring the frying oil to 350F, until oil is hot and glistening (but not smoking).
- Fry in batches of 3-4 chicken tenders, until deeply golden and crispy, about 8-10 minutes.
- Generously coat each chicken tender in the hot honey.
To Assemble the Sliders:
- Slice the slider buns in half lengthwise, then add a generous spoonful of the hot honey ranch followed by the hot honey fried chicken and candied jalapenos. Sandwich with the top bun to serve and enjoy!
I truly hope you all enjoy this treasured recipe that has nestled its way into our hearts here in the ABM kitchen! ’till next time… xxL
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
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This recipe was kind of a bust for us, though we reallllly wanted it to work. The rolls were not the same as the video, and i made them 2 separate times just to be sure. They came out more like biscuits. The chicken was just okay, i thought the other chicken tender recipe she has with the panko was a lot better and use that regularly! The ranch was a little runny but great flavor, i added a little corn starch to thicken a smidge. The jalapenos were toned down by the ranch, which was okay, because they were a spicy bunch.
10/10 Reminded me of the vibe of the chick fila honey pimento sandwhich