📋 Instructions

1. 1Make the hot honey — Warm the honey, cayenne, and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes until it bubbles gently at the edges and smells fragrant, then pull it off the heat. Do not let it boil hard or the honey will taste scorched.
2. 2Season the chicken — Pat the tenders dry and sprinkle them with half the kosher salt and pepper. Let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes while you set up the dredging station.
3. 3Set up three dishes — Whisk the buttermilk with the hot sauce in one shallow dish, stir the flour with the smoked paprika, garlic powder, and remaining salt and pepper in a second, and spread the panko in a third.
4. 4Dredge and coat — Roll each tender in the flour, shake off the excess, dip it in the buttermilk, then press it firmly into the panko until fully covered. Set the coated tenders on a rack and let them rest 10 minutes so the coating sets.
5. 5Heat the oil — Pour 1 inch of neutral oil into a deep 12-inch skillet and heat over medium-high to 350F (175C), about 6 to 8 minutes. A panko crumb dropped in should sizzle and float within 2 seconds.
6. 6Fry the first batch — Fry 4 to 5 tenders at a time for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown and the internal temperature reads 165F (74C) on an instant-read thermometer. Adjust the heat to keep the oil between 340F and 360F (170C and 180C).
7. 7Drain and salt — Lift the tenders onto a wire rack set over a sheet pan and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt while they are still hot. Let the oil return to 350F (175C) before starting the next batch.
8. 8Toss in hot honey — Drizzle the warm cayenne honey over the tenders, or brush it on for a lighter coat, and serve immediately while the crust is still crackly. If it goes wrong and the crust feels soft, a 2-minute pass in a 400F (200C) oven brings the crisp back.