Ingredients (~6 servings)
- ~2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 quarts vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
Hot Honey Sauce
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 3/4 cup honey
- 3/4 cup Sriracha hot sauce
Season the Chicken and Set Up Your Dredging Station
Season the chicken pieces all over with 1/2 tsp of the salt and some black pepper.
In a shallow bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. This is your dry dredge.
In a separate shallow bowl, beat the egg with the buttermilk. Whisk in the remaining 3/4 cup flour, remaining 1 tsp garlic powder, remaining 1 tsp sugar, remaining 1/2 tsp paprika, remaining 1/4 tsp cayenne, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, remaining 1/2 tsp black pepper, and the baking soda.
The wet mixture should be thick but pourable – like pancake batter.
Add all the seasoned chicken to the buttermilk mixture and toss to coat well. Let it sit while you heat the oil.
Heat Oil to 325F and Set Up Your Draining Station
Set a cooling rack inside a rimmed sheet pan – this prevents soggy bottoms.
Attach a deep-fry thermometer to a large, heavy pot and add the oil over medium-high heat.
You need the oil to stay at 325F; any hotter and the outside burns before the inside cooks through.
Dredge and Fry the Nuggets in Small Batches
Once the oil hits 325F, work with one piece of chicken at a time.
Remove from the wet mixture, let excess drip off, then roll through the dry flour mixture, pressing to make sure it sticks.
Fry in small batches – about 6-8 pieces at a time so the oil temperature doesn’t drop too much.
Cook for ~3-4 minutes, turning halfway through, until deep golden brown and the internal temp hits 165F.
The nuggets will float when they’re close to done, but use a thermometer to be sure.
Transfer to the cooling rack and let the oil return to 325F between batches.
Make the Hot Honey Sauce While the Nuggets Fry
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
Whisk in the honey and Sriracha until smooth.
Keep this warm but don’t let it boil – the honey can get bitter if it overheats.
Taste and add more Sriracha if you want it spicier; the sauce should be sweet with a good kick.
Toss with Sauce and Serve
Transfer the hot nuggets to a serving bowl and pour the sauce over top, tossing to coat.
Alternatively, serve the sauce on the side for dipping if people want to control their heat level.
These are best eaten immediately while the coating is still crispy and the sauce is warm.
Hot Honey Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
Ingredients (~6 servings)
- ~2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 quarts vegetable or peanut oil for frying
Hot Honey Sauce
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 3/4 cup honey
- 3/4 cup Sriracha hot sauce
Instructions
- Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
- Mix flour, spices, and seasonings in two separate shallow bowls.
- Dip chicken in buttermilk mixture, then dredge in seasoned flour.
- Heat oil to 325F in a heavy pot.
- Fry chicken in small batches 3-4 minutes until golden and internal temp reaches 165F.
- Drain on cooling rack.
- Melt butter in saucepan, whisk in honey and Sriracha.
- Toss hot nuggets in sauce or serve sauce on side.
