Hot Honey Fried Chicken Sliders with Candied Jalapenos
Servings: 12
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!
