Description
Crispy, golden-brown chicken nuggets coated in a flavorful seasoned breading and tossed in a sweet-spicy hot honey sauce. This irresistible appetizer combines deep-fried chicken with a luscious blend of honey, butter, and Sriracha, making it perfect for parties, game-day snacks, or a tasty family dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Nuggets
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ¾ teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 3 teaspoons garlic powder, divided
- 3 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 quarts vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
Hot Honey Sauce
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup Sriracha hot sauce
Instructions
- Season the chicken: Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and black pepper to taste over the chicken pieces ensuring even coverage for well-seasoned bites.
- Prepare dry coating (first part): In a shallow bowl, mix 1½ cups of flour, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons sugar, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika, 3 teaspoons kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper to create the first dry mixture for breading.
- Prepare wet batter and remaining dry ingredients: In another shallow bowl, beat the egg with buttermilk. Whisk in remaining ¾ cup flour, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and baking soda until smooth and combined.
- Coat the chicken: Add chicken pieces to the buttermilk mixture and toss to coat thoroughly.
- Heat the oil: Place a cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Fill a large, heavy pot with vegetable oil and attach a deep-fry thermometer. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 325°F.
- Bread and fry the chicken: Remove one piece of chicken from the wet batter, letting excess drip off, then dredge it in the dry flour mixture pressing gently to coat. Carefully add chicken to hot oil in batches, frying for 3-4 minutes and turning halfway until golden brown and internal temp reaches 165°F. Remove nuggets with a slotted spoon and drain on cooling rack. Maintain oil temperature at 325°F between batches.
- Make the hot honey sauce: While frying, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in honey and Sriracha until the mixture is smooth and heated through.
- Serve: Transfer the fried nuggets to a serving platter and drizzle with the hot honey sauce or serve the sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes
- For best results, maintain oil temperature consistently at 325°F to ensure crispy, fully cooked chicken without greasiness.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot for frying to ensure stable oil temperature.
- Adjust the amount of Sriracha in the sauce according to your desired spice level.
- Letting the nuggets rest on a cooling rack prevents sogginess by allowing excess oil to drain away.
- Leftover nuggets and sauce can be refrigerated separately and reheated; reheat nuggets in the oven to retain crispiness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 1050mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 115mg
