Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers: How to Make Them Crispy
Tired of boring chicken dinners? Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers spice things up with sweet heat and crunch. Learn how to make them now!
Ingredients
- Chicken tenders or chicken breast cut into strips 1.5 pounds Ensure they’re similar in size for even cooking
- Buttermilk 1 cup Helps tenderize the chicken and adds flavor
- All-purpose flour 1 cup Can use gluten-free flour as a substitute
- Cornstarch 1/4 cup Creates extra crispiness
- Baking powder 1 teaspoon Helps the batter become light and airy
- Salt 1 teaspoon Adjust to taste
- Black pepper 1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground works best
- Garlic powder 1 teaspoon Adds savory notes
- Paprika 1 teaspoon Adds color and subtle flavor
- Eggs 2 large Beaten
- Vegetable oil For frying Or any high smoke point oil
- Honey 1/2 cup Local honey offers more complex flavors
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce 2-3 peppers Adjust for desired heat level
- Adobo sauce from the can 2 tablespoons Adds smokiness
- Ketchup 1/4 cup Adds body to the sauce
- Garlic cloves 2 Minced
- Apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon Balances sweetness
- Brown sugar 2 tablespoons Deepens sweetness
- Butter 2 tablespoons Adds richness
- Salt 1/2 teaspoon To taste
Instructions
- Preparing the Chicken Foundation❶ Begin your honey chipotle chicken crispers by trimming any excess fat from the chicken and ensuring all pieces are cut to approximately the same size (about 1-inch wide strips). Uniformity ensures even cooking.❷ Place the chicken strips in a large bowl and pour buttermilk over them, ensuring each piece is fully submerged. Allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes at room temperature or, for best results, refrigerate for 1-2 hours. The buttermilk’s enzymes gently tenderize the chicken while infusing moisture. Pro Tip: Elevate your honey chipotle chicken crispers by adding 1 teaspoon of hot sauce and ½ teaspoon of garlic powder to the buttermilk marinade for an additional layer of flavor complexity.❸ While the chicken marinates, prepare your dredging station. In a spacious bowl, thoroughly whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika until completely combined.❹ In a separate medium bowl, beat the eggs until they reach a smooth, uniform consistency.❺ Set up your breading assembly line in this order: marinated chicken, flour mixture, egg wash, flour mixture again, and finally a clean plate or baking sheet.❻ Remove chicken pieces from the buttermilk one at a time, allowing excess liquid to drip off. This prevents your honey chipotle chicken crispers coating from becoming too soggy.❼ Roll each piece in the flour mixture, ensuring complete coverage. Shake off excess, then dip into beaten eggs, allowing extra to drip away. Finally, return to the flour mixture for a second coating, pressing firmly to create a textured surface. Pro Tip: For extra-crunchy honey chipotle chicken crispers, press the final flour coating firmly onto each piece, creating little flaky bits that will become incredibly crispy when fried.❽ Place the coated chicken pieces on a baking sheet, spacing them apart so they don’t stick together. Allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes. This resting period helps the coating adhere better to the chicken and results in less coating falling off during frying. Achieving the Perfect Crispy Texture❶ While the coated chicken rests, begin heating your oil. Pour 3-4 inches of vegetable oil into your heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer and heat to exactly 350°F (175°C). The precise temperature is crucial for perfect honey chipotle chicken crispers—too hot and they’ll burn before cooking through, too cool and they’ll absorb excess oil.❷ Working in small batches of 4-5 pieces (to avoid overcrowding), carefully lower chicken strips into the hot oil using tongs. Overcrowding causes the oil temperature to drop dramatically, resulting in soggy honey chipotle chicken crispers.❸ Fry each batch for 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally, until the coating turns a beautiful golden brown and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).❹ Using tongs, transfer the fried chicken crispers to a wire rack positioned over a baking sheet. Using a rack rather than paper towels keeps your honey chipotle chicken crispers crispier as air can circulate underneath.❺ Allow each batch to drain for 1-2 minutes while you continue frying the remaining chicken. Maintain oil temperature between batches by allowing it to return to 350°F before adding more chicken. Creating the Signature Honey Chipotle Sauce❶ While the chicken fries, prepare your honey chipotle sauce. Place chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, minced garlic, honey, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar in a blender or food processor.❷ Blend until the mixture achieves a completely smooth consistency, with no visible pepper pieces remaining. This ensures your honey chipotle chicken crispers have a silky, professional-quality sauce.❸ Transfer the blended mixture to a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.❹ Once the sauce begins to bubble around the edges, reduce heat to low and add butter, stirring continuously until completely melted and incorporated. The butter adds a glossy finish and rich mouthfeel to your honey chipotle chicken crispers sauce.❺ Allow the sauce to simmer gently for approximately 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a slightly thickened consistency that will coat the back of a spoon.❻ Remove from heat and taste, adjusting seasoning if necessary. If you prefer a thinner sauce for your honey chipotle chicken crispers, add 1-2 tablespoons of water and stir until incorporated. Bringing It All Together❶ For serving, you have two options for your honey chipotle chicken crispers: toss the chicken pieces directly in the sauce for full coverage or drizzle the sauce over the top to maintain maximum crispiness.❷ For the coated approach: place honey chipotle chicken crispers in a large bowl and pour about half the sauce over them. Gently toss until evenly coated, adding more sauce as desired.❸ For the drizzled approach: arrange honey chipotle chicken crispers on a serving platter, generously drizzle with sauce, and serve remaining sauce on the side for dipping.❹ Garnish your honey chipotle chicken crispers with finely chopped fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, or a light sprinkle of sesame seeds for visual appeal and flavor contrast.
Notes
Nutritional Information
The following nutritional breakdown represents approximate values per serving (4 pieces) of honey chipotle chicken crispers:
- Calories: 425 kcal
- Protein: 28g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fat: 18g
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 680mg