Honey Garlic Chicken Tenders

Chicken Tenders. I love cooking chicken tenders not only because they are tender and delicious, but they cook more quickly than other cuts of chicken.
Made in One Pan. Skillet meals are the easiest, especially for busy nights. You’ll have less dishes to do because we’re cooking everything in one pan.
Dinner is Ready Fast. I mentioned that chicken tenders cook quickly. This recipe takes 20 minutes, start to finish.
Perfectly Delicious Sauce. The mixture of soy, garlic, and honey glazes these chicken tenders perfectly. It’s a well balanced blend of sweet, salty, and umami that everyone will enjoy.
Key Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Chicken Tenders: Use fresh or frozen chicken tenders (they’re called mini chicken fillets in the UK). If using frozen, let them thaw in the fridge overnight. This recipe uses 1 ½ lbs (650g) of chicken tenders. A bit more or less is fine too.
Flour, Salt, and Pepper: We will dredge the chicken tenders in a seasoned flour before cooking. This helps them to get brown and delicious, and the flour will thicken the sauce.
Butter: Like any good sauce, this one starts with some creamy butter.
Garlic: Minced fresh garlic is one of our star ingredients, and will give you the best flavor. 2 cloves is plenty, but a little more won’t hurt anything.
Honey: I always have a jar of local honey in the cupboard to add to my tea, and it gets new life in this sweet and savory chicken recipe.
Soy Sauce: You can use a low sodium soy if you prefer. For a gluten free option, choose Tamari instead of soy.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Either vinegar or lemon juice can be used. This bit of acidity balances out all of the other flavors in the chicken sauce.
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: We have so many flavors going on in this sauce, but I promise they all work. Red pepper adds the perfect amount of heat.
How To Make Honey Garlic Chicken Tenders
Prep Chicken: In a shallow dish combine the flour with the salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken tenders in the flour mixture and shake off any excess.
Cook Chicken: In a skillet (I linked the skillet that you see me using in the pictures), over medium-high heat, melt two tablespoons of butter, then work in 2 batches and cook the chicken tenders on both sides until a golden brown crust forms. The chicken is ready when the internal temperature reaches 165°F/74°C. Remove onto a plate. Melt the rest of the butter, and cook the remaining chicken tenders.
Make Honey Garlic Sauce: Deglaze the pan by adding about ¼ cup of water, and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Allow the liquid to reduce. Then add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Then add honey, soy sauce, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes so the sauce is heated up and starts to thicken. Return the chicken to the pan and flip to coat it well with the chicken sauce.
Serve: Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve over jasmine rice, noodles, or cauliflower rice.
Chicken Tenders Tips
Don’t overcook the garlic. Garlic cooks very quickly (about 30-60 seconds), and burnt garlic tastes terrible so keep an eye on it as you cook.
Don’t overcook the chicken tenders, they cook so quickly and if they’re overcooked they can turn out stringy, dry, and tough.
On the other hand, don’t flip the chicken over too soon. Make sure the first side is nice and browned before cooking the second side.
To create a flavorful sauce, make sure to deglaze the pan with a splash of water as that’s where the flavor is.