Gluten-Free Hot Honey Chicken Tenders with Homemade Ranch

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb chicken tenders (Cut into bite-sized pieces)
• 1 cup buttermilk (For marinade)
• 1 egg (For marinade)
• 1 tbsp hot sauce (For marinade)
• 1 tsp kosher salt (For marinade)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (For marinade)
• 0.5 tsp black pepper (For marinade)
• 0.5 tsp smoked paprika (For marinade)
• 60 g cornstarch (For dredging)
• 0.5 tsp kosher salt (For cornstarch dredge)
• 0.5 tsp garlic powder (For cornstarch dredge)
• 0.25 tsp black pepper (For cornstarch dredge)
• 120 g gluten-free cornflakes (Crushed; use a mixture of fine and chunky crumbs)
• 80 g gluten-free panko (For crispy coating)
• 40 g Parmesan cheese (Finely grated)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika (For crispy coating)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (For crispy coating)
• 1 tsp onion powder (For crispy coating)
• 0.5 tsp kosher salt (For crispy coating)
• 0.5 tsp black pepper (For crispy coating)
• 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper (Optional)
• avocado oil spray (Spray generously before and after flipping; amount varies)
• 0.5 cup honey (For hot honey)
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes (For hot honey)
• 1 tsp hot sauce (For hot honey)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (For hot honey)
• 1 tbsp butter (For hot honey)
• kosher salt (Pinch, for hot honey)
• 0.5 cup mayonnaise (For ranch)
• 0.5 cup sour cream (For ranch)
• 0.25 cup buttermilk (For ranch)
• 1 tsp gluten-free Worcestershire sauce (For ranch)
• 1 tsp lemon juice (For ranch)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (For ranch)
• 1 tsp onion powder (For ranch)
• 1 tbsp fresh dill (Chopped; for ranch)
• 2 tbsp fresh chives (Chopped; for ranch)
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley (Chopped; for ranch)
• 0.5 tsp kosher salt (For ranch)
• black pepper (To taste; for ranch)

Steps

1. 1

   Whisk the buttermilk, egg, hot sauce, kosher salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and smoked paprika together in a bowl until smooth.

2. 2

   Add the bite-sized chicken pieces to the marinade and toss until fully coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

3. 3

   In a shallow bowl, mix the cornstarch, kosher salt, garlic powder, and black pepper for the dredge.

4. 4

   In a second shallow bowl, combine the crushed gluten-free cornflakes, gluten-free panko, Parmesan, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and optional cayenne. Keep some cornflake crumbs fine and some chunky for varied crunch.

5. 5

   Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Do not overcrowd the basket; plan to cook in batches if necessary.

6. 6

   Remove a piece of marinated chicken, allowing excess marinade to drip off, and dredge it thoroughly in the cornstarch mixture.

7. 7

   Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken briefly back into the marinade.

8. 8

   Press the chicken firmly into the crumb mixture, turning to coat all sides and helping the crumbs adhere.

9. 9

   Arrange the coated chicken in the air-fryer basket in a single layer and spray generously with avocado oil.

10. 10

    Air fry at 400°F for 6–8 minutes, until the coating is crisp and the chicken is beginning to brown.

11. 11

    Flip each tender, spray the exposed side generously with avocado oil, and air fry for another 6–8 minutes, until deeply crisp and the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) internally.

12. 12

    While the chicken cooks, combine the honey, red pepper flakes, hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, butter, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan.

13. 13

    Warm the hot-honey mixture over low heat, simmering gently for 2–3 minutes. Remove it from the heat and let it steep so the pepper flavor develops.

14. 14

    Whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, gluten-free Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, chives, parsley, and kosher salt together for the ranch. Season with black pepper to taste.

15. 15

    Refrigerate the ranch until chilled before serving.

16. 16

    Brush the cooked chicken tenders with the hot honey rather than tossing them, which helps preserve the crisp coating. Serve immediately with the chilled ranch.

Notes

Marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Spray the chicken generously before and after flipping, avoid overcrowding the air-fryer basket, and brush on the hot honey instead of tossing to keep the coating crisp. Use certified gluten-free cornflakes, panko, and Worcestershire sauce for a gluten-free preparation.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• gluten-free
• air-fried
• chicken
• crispy
• spicy
• summer
• homemade-ranch