Spicy Honey Butter Chicken Sandwich (Printer Friendly)

Crispy baked chicken tenders smothered in hot honey butter, layered with pickles and sharp cheddar inside soft slider buns for a crowd-pleasing game day treat.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken Tenders

01 - 12 chicken tenders, approximately 1.5 pounds
02 - 1 cup buttermilk
03 - 1 teaspoon hot sauce
04 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
05 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
06 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
07 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
08 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
09 - 1 teaspoon salt
10 - 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper
12 - Cooking spray or oil for baking

→ Hot Honey Butter

13 - 0.33 cup unsalted butter, melted
14 - 0.25 cup honey
15 - 1 to 2 tablespoons hot sauce, to taste
16 - 0.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

→ Assembly

17 - 12 slider buns
18 - 1 cup sliced dill pickles
19 - 6 slices sharp cheddar cheese, halved
20 - 2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing buns
21 - 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, optional

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and lightly grease the surface.
02 - In a bowl, combine buttermilk and 1 teaspoon hot sauce. Add chicken tenders, toss to coat evenly, and marinate for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight for optimal flavor development.
03 - In a shallow dish, mix flour, panko, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper until well combined.
04 - Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Dredge each tender thoroughly in the flour-panko mixture, pressing gently to ensure even coating adherence.
05 - Arrange breaded tenders on the prepared sheet. Lightly spray with cooking oil. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and cooked through.
06 - In a small saucepan, combine melted butter, honey, hot sauce, and red pepper flakes. Warm over low heat, stirring occasionally, until fully combined and smooth.
07 - Once chicken is baked, brush generously with hot honey butter coating on both sides.
08 - Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
09 - Slice slider buns horizontally, keeping bottoms and tops connected if possible. Place bottom halves in a greased 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
10 - Layer half the cheese over bun bottoms, followed by pickles, then the hot honey butter chicken tenders. Drizzle with additional hot honey butter. Top with remaining cheese, then place bun tops over the layers.
11 - Brush buns with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Bake uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, until cheese is fully melted and buns are lightly toasted.
12 - Allow sandwich bake to cool slightly before pulling apart individual sliders. Serve warm.

# Pro Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like a gourmet spicy chicken sandwich but feeds a crowd without you losing your mind in the kitchen.
  • The hot honey butter is addictive—crispy, sweet, spicy, and buttery all at once.
  • You bake everything, so your hands stay clean and you can actually enjoy time with people instead of frying in batches.
02 -
  • Don't skip the marinating step—it's the difference between chicken that's juicy and tender versus chicken that's... well, baked chicken.
  • The hot honey butter is where all the flavor lives, so brush it on the hot chicken and don't hold back.
  • If your buns are thin or fragile, assemble them gently or they'll tear—thick slider buns are your friend here.
03 -
  • If you're serving a crowd and worried about timing, bake the chicken and make the honey butter ahead of time, then assemble and bake the final dish fresh—it comes together in minutes.
  • Swap cheddar for pepper jack if you want genuine heat, or use a milder cheese and compensate with more hot sauce in the honey butter for control.
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