Spicy Honey Butter Chicken Sandwich (Printable Format)

Crispy chicken tenders with hot honey butter, layered with pickles and cheese in soft slider buns.

# What's Needed:

→ 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 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
12 - Cooking spray or oil for baking

→ Hot Honey Butter

13 - 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
14 - 1/4 cup honey
15 - 1 to 2 tablespoons hot sauce, to taste
16 - 1/2 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

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and lightly grease.
02 - In a bowl, combine buttermilk and 1 teaspoon hot sauce. Add chicken tenders, toss to coat, and marinate for at least 15 minutes, or up to overnight for best flavor.
03 - In a shallow dish, mix flour, panko, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
04 - Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off. Dredge each tender in the flour-panko mixture, pressing firmly to adhere.
05 - Arrange breaded tenders on the prepared sheet. Lightly spray with cooking oil. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and cooked through.
06 - In a small saucepan, combine melted butter, honey, hot sauce, and red pepper flakes. Warm over low heat, stirring, until combined.
07 - Once chicken is baked, brush generously with hot honey butter 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 with half the cheese, followed by pickles, then the hot honey butter chicken tenders. Drizzle with extra hot honey butter. Top with remaining cheese, then place bun tops over.
11 - Brush buns with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Bake uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and buns are lightly toasted.
12 - Cool slightly, then pull apart and serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • One pan holds everything, so cleanup won't steal your joy after the meal.
  • The hot honey butter soaks into soft buns while the chicken stays impossibly crispy, which is the textural dream nobody talks about enough.
  • It feeds twelve people without making you feel like you're running a restaurant in your kitchen.
02 -
  • Don't skip the halfway flip when baking the chicken; one side will brown faster than the other, and flipping ensures even crispiness and cooking.
  • If your buns are thin or fragile, don't cut them all the way through—leaving them attached at the edges stops them from falling apart during assembly and baking.
03 -
  • Press the breading onto wet chicken with intention—it'll stick better and give you that satisfying crunch that separates good from forgettable.
  • Letting the marinated chicken sit in the fridge overnight transforms the texture from good to actually memorable, and the salt in the coating has time to season deeper into the meat.
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