Honey BBQ Chicken Tenders
These homemade honey BBQ chicken tenders are baked until crispy, then tossed in a sweet and smoky sauce. A delicious twist on barbecue chicken tenders—perfect for easy dinners or game day! My favorite recipe for baked BBQ chicken tenderloins in the oven!
Servings: 4
Calories: 253kcal
Equipment
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken tenders
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika optional
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Chicken Brine
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup pickle juice
Instructions
- Combine the buttermilk and pickle juice in a large bowl. Add the chicken tenders, making sure they’re fully submerged. Seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/4 cup pickle juice, 1 lb chicken tenders
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- After brining, remove the chicken tenders from the brine and discard the brine. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. In the same bowl used for the brine, add the olive oil, toss the chicken to coat, then season with garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika (if using), salt, and pepper, and toss again to ensure the chicken is evenly coated.1 lb chicken tenders, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp black pepper
- Place the seasoned chicken tenders on a lightly greased baking sheet or a baking rack (so they crisp around the edges). Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
- While the chicken is baking, heat the BBQ sauce and honey (or maple syrup) in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally until it starts to bubble around the edges. Then remove it from the heat and set aside to cool. The sauce will thicken as it cools.1/2 cup BBQ sauce, 1 tablespoon honey
- In the last 5 minutes of baking, remove the chicken tenders from the oven and set the broiler on high. Brush the chicken tenders on both sides with the BBQ sauce and return them to the oven for an additional 2-5 minutes so the sauce can caramelize.
- Remove them from the oven and serve with extra BBQ sauce for dipping.
Notes
- I like to add honey to my favorite BBQ sauce so I can control the sugar content and the type of sugar, but you can also purchase a bottle of honey BBQ sauce instead.
- If you already have chicken breasts on hand, you can slice them into 3 or 4 even strips.
- If you're short on time, you can skip the brine. They'll still be tasty, they're just more tasty if you have the time to brine!
- You can use maple syrup or agave syrup instead of honey.
Nutrition
Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 990mg | Potassium: 501mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 207IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg
