1Season the chicken tenders generously with flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper, then mix well and allow them to dry out.
2For the batter, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and the same seasonings used for the chicken.
3Transfer one-third of the dry batter mixture into another bowl.
4Crack in some club soda or sparkling water to the transferred mixture until it resembles a thin pancake batter consistency.
5Dip the dry tenders into the wet batter, then into the dry mixture, then back into the wet, and finally into the dry mixture again.
6Prepare the honey barbecue sauce by combining ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and honey.
7Add nubs of cold butter to the honey barbecue sauce and mix until smooth.
8Drop the coated tenders into oil preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
9Fry the tenders for 5-6 minutes, then remove and allow them to rest.
10Return the tenders to the oil for 1 more minute to achieve a golden finish.
Ingredients
2 lbs chicken tenders
0.25 cup flour
to taste salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
0.5 tsp onion powder
0.5 tsp chili powder
0.5 tsp paprika
0.5 tsp cayenne pepper
3 cups flour
1.5 cup cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
0.5 tsp onion powder
0.5 tsp chili powder
0.5 tsp paprika
0.5 tsp cayenne pepper
12 oz sparkling water or club soda
0.5 cup ketchup
0.25 cup brown sugar
1 -2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp hot sauce
2 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp cold butter, cut into small cubes
Tips
Always remember the order for breading: wet, dry, wet, dry.
To make the BBQ sauce smooth, add cold butter at the end.