Spicy Honey Chicken Fingers

I was in the mood to try something different.

This is based on Jessica's Crunchy Chicken Fingers. They're really good. I adjusted them some, can't leave well enough alone.

I wanted crunchy chicken fingers doused in heavy honey.

Then I took a walk on the wild side and threw some chili powder in.

Crazy talk!

It was gooood.

I soaked chicken tenders in buttermilk while I danced around the house listening to Adele.

Then I started with this glaze. I used about 4 tablespoons of honey and 1 large teaspoon of chili powder. You can taste as you mix it. I also used a dollop of BBQ sauce, just to give it some body. I'd say about a tablespoon.

Mix and taste, mix and taste.

Then make your mix. Use panko bread crumbs and flour. You can make your own breadcrumbs by making toast, letting it sit and then put it in a food processer until it's ground, but not too small.

Panko bread crumbs are larger than regular bread crumbs and give it more texture. Add some crushed corn flakes for more crunch. Also throw in some salt and pepper. I have added crushed saltines before instead and it works great, too. But you'd want to leave out the additional salt if you do this.

Then you grab a jelly roll pan and a wire rack on it!

Lightly spray your rack with Pam.

Coat your chicken in the bread crumb mixture very well and then place on the rack. Spritz the top of them with Pam as well.

Bake for 12 minutes at 450, then take them out and flip. Give another quick spritz of Pam.

And bake for another 12 minutes.

Once they're done, use a pastry brush and brush on your lovely honey concoction. Flip and dose the other side as well.

Don't you love the specks in it? It's pretty.

And tasty.

Go ahead and pop it back in the oven a few minutes to thicken and warm the honey.

Don't you love the specks in it? It's pretty.

And tasty.

Go ahead and pop it back in the oven a few minutes to thicken and warm the honey.

Can you see how they're crunchy? They really were!

I enjoyed these soooo much. I left a few unadorned with the lovely spicy-honey mix, then just let the girl dip them into honey or ketchup, whatever she wanted.

These are very versatile. Jessica, from How Sweet It Is makes Buffalo Chicken Fingers and I want to try that version sometime.

These would be great for a late night New Years Eve meal. We always have a table full of snack foods for New Years. We buy Taquitos and make Spinach Artichoke dip and Rotel cheese dip and have tons of chips and chicken fingers and potato skins.

Is that just us? Does anyone else do snack foods?

Maybe we're just strange.

No, I know we're strange.

Anyway, these are truly crunchy chicken fingers, made at home, with no frying.

Try 'em!

The Recipe:

1 lb chicken tenders
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups panko bread crumbs
1 cup finely crushed corn flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Spicy Honey
4 Tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon bbq sauce, 1 teaspoon chili (to taste)

Soak chicken tenders in buttermilk for at least 30 min, 2 hours is better. Preheat oven to 450.
Put a wire rack in a jelly roll pan and spray with Pam. Mix the flour, bread crumbs and corn flakes, salt and pepper. Coat chicken with bread crumbs and lay on wire rack. Spritz with Pam.
Bake for 12 minutes, flip, spritz, bake another 12 minutes.
Brush with spicy chili mixture, flip, brush, bake a few minutes, serve!

Happy New Years, folks!