Hot ‘N Sweet Chicken Tenders

Hot ‘N Sweet Chicken Tenders

Servings: 2 Total Time: 4 hrs 30 mins Difficulty: Intermediate Hot 'n Spicy Hot 'n Spicy Smoke & Sear Fav. Smoke & Sear Fav.
Deep-Fried BBQ Chicken Tenders with a Kick

Hey there, BBQ enthusiasts! Today, I’m sharing one of my all-time favourites – Hot ‘N Sweet Chicken Tenders. These bad boys are marinated in a spicy blend and then deep-fried to golden perfection. While I love frying them on the BBQ for that extra smoky flavour, you can easily use an electric fryer for a safer option. Dive into this recipe and get ready for some finger-licking goodness!

Hot ‘N Sweet Chicken Tenders

Prep Time 4 hrs Cook Time 30 mins Total Time 4 hrs 30 mins
Difficulty: Intermediate Cooking Temp: 180  C Servings: 2 Estimated Cost: £ 10 Calories: Approximately 350 per serving Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

For the Marinade:

For the Dredge:

For Frying:

For Serving:

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Chicken Tenders:

    Slice two chicken breasts lengthways into 2cm wide strips.

  2. Marinate the Chicken:

    • In a large bowl, mix cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, salt, black pepper, buttermilk, and hot sauce.
    • Add chicken strips to the marinade, ensuring they are fully coated.
    • Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
  3. Prepare the Dredge:

    • In a separate bowl, combine flour, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, and salt.
    • Just before frying, dredge the marinated chicken strips in the flour mixture, ensuring an even coating.
  4. Frying:

    • Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or deep fryer to 180°C. Only fill the pot a third full to avoid overflow.
    • Carefully fry the chicken tenders in batches, ensuring not to overcrowd the pot. Fry each batch until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 75°C and is golden brown.
    • Place fried tenders on a wire rack to drain excess oil.
  5. Serving:

    • Drizzle the fried chicken tenders with JD’s Hot Honey Original.
    • Serve immediately and enjoy the crispy, hot, and sweet flavour!

Equipment

Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy a product using these links, we get a commission at no extra cost to you. Your support helps keep the BBQ magic alive, and we thank you in advance!

Note

  • Safety Tip: If frying on a BBQ, always have a lid nearby to smother any flames and a fire extinguisher on hand.
  • Alternative Cooking: These tenders can also be fried in an electric fryer if you prefer to avoid the risks associated with frying on a BBQ.
  • Additional Tip: For extra crunch, double dredge the tenders by dipping them back into the marinade and dredge mixture before frying again.
Keywords: chicken tenders, hot and sweet chicken, BBQ chicken, deep-fried chicken, spicy chicken recipe, buttermilk marinade
Love this recipe? Spread the word!
Tag #SmokeSearRecipes if you made this recipe. Follow @smoke.sear on Instagram for more BBQ tips and recipes.

Pin this recipe to share the BBQ love with your friends and followers.

pinit
EMBER Pork Belly Lollipops with Bright Orange Pepper Drizzle, Crackling Crumb & Spring Onion

This one stopped me in my tracks.

Without a doubt, this is the best thing I’ve ever cooked in my 5-year BBQ journey. I’m not even exaggerating. It completely shocked me.

Sticky, smoky pork belly cooked low and slow with @fourge.bbq EMBER rub, braised until tender, skewered, dunked in glaze and tacked back up on the @ninjakitchenuk FlexFlame until it went dark, glossy and savage. Then finished with that bright orange pepper drizzle, crackling crumb and spring onion.

The pork came from @thecateringbutcher , and the full step-by-step recipe is now live over on the Smoke & Sear website:

https://www.smokeandsear.world/BBQ-recipes/ember-pork-belly-lollipops-with-bright-orange-pepper-drizzle-crackling-crumb/

Honestly, this cook had everything. Smoke. Stickiness. Crunch. Colour. And that EMBER rub did exactly what it was built to do.

#BBQ #UKBBQ #PorkBelly #PorkBellyLollipops #ninjaflexflame
Just two more weeks and I’ll be back with my BBQ family at @millington.hall.farm for the Community Cookout 2026 and I honestly cant bloody wait! 

So the question is, who’s joining this year?

#ukbbq #community #secondfamily
🔥 THE ULTIMATE BBQ SHACK UPGRADE GIVEAWAY 🔥

Right then . . . since October I’ve been quietly turning the BBQ shack into a mini brewery 🍺

The legends over at @igulu_global sent me one of their smart brewing systems to test, and I’ll be honest . . . I didn’t know what to expect.

I’d never brewed beer before.

Turns out? It’s stupidly easy. Proper geeky. And the beer is genuinely class.

So . . . we thought we’d give one of you legends the full setup 👊

⸻

WHAT’S UP FOR GRABS? 👇

🍺 1 x F1 Smart Home Brewing System
🍺 2 x Brewing Kits
💰 Worth over £700

This version uses a built-in compressor cooling system (yeah . . . proper beer fridge vibes), so you’re sorted for fresh, perfectly chilled pints straight from your own setup.

BBQ on. Pint poured. Job done.

⸻

HOW TO ENTER:

1️⃣ FOLLOW @smoke.sear 
2️⃣ FOLLOW @igulu_global 
3️⃣ TAG a mate you’d love to enjoy a home-brewed pint with

👉 Every comment = another entry
(Tag more mates. More comments. More chances.)

⸻

🔥 BONUS ENTRIES 🔥

Share this post to your story and tag both accounts for +2 extra entries

⸻

📅 UK ONLY
⏰ Entries close at 11:59 PM on Monday 13th April 2026
🎉 Winner announced right here

⸻

⚠️ IMPORTANT:

The winner will ONLY be contacted by @smoke.sear 

If some dodgy “beer_giveaway_winner_999” account slides into your DMs . . . it’s not us. Block ‘em.

⸻

This giveaway isn’t sponsored, endorsed or affiliated with Instagram/Facebook – it’s just me and @igulu_global giving one of you the ultimate BBQ shack flex.

Good luck legends 🍺🔥