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Hot Honey Chicken Nuggets

Crispy hot honey chicken nuggets drizzled with spicy sweet glaze on a plate, served with extra hot honey sauce for dipping
  • Serves:  4
  • Prep Time:  15 min
  • Cook Time:  30 min

Ingredients

Chicken Nuggets

  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 4 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • ¾ teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 3 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
  • 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

Method

  1. Season the chicken all over with 1 teaspoon of the salt and black pepper to taste. 
  2. In a shallow bowl, stir together 1½ cups of the flour, 2 teaspoons of the garlic powder, 2 teaspoons of the sugar, ¼ teaspoon of the cayenne, 1 teaspoon of the paprika, 3 teaspoons of the remaining salt, and ½ teaspoon of the black pepper. In a separate shallow bowl, beat the egg with the buttermilk. Whisk in the remaining ¾ cup flour, remaining 1 teaspoon garlic powder, remaining 1 teaspoon sugar, remaining ½ teaspoon paprika, remaining ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, remaining ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and the baking soda until combined. Add the chicken to the buttermilk mixture and toss to coat well.
  3. Set a cooling rack inside a rimmed sheet pan. Attach a deep-fry thermometer to the side of a large, heavy pot. Add the vegetable oil to the pot over medium-high heat. 
  4. Once the oil reaches 325°F, working with one piece at a time, begin removing the chicken from the wet mixture, allowing any excess to drip off. Roll it through the dry mixture, pressing to adhere. Carefully add the chicken to the hot oil in small batches and cook, turning halfway through, until deep golden brown and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted metal spoon, transfer the chicken to the cooling rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining chicken, allowing the oil to return to 325°F between batches. 
  5. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the honey and sriracha until well combined. 
  6. Transfer the nuggets to a serving platter and pour the sauce over top, or serve the sauce alongside for dipping.