Honey BBQ Chicken Fingers
These are not your ordinary chicken fingers. The seasoning and sauce are on the inside of the breading instead of being dredged in sauce after cooking. I used regular chicken breasts, cut into large pieces, and coated them in a layer of honey, then covered them in BBQ seasoned bread crumbs. The flavors hit you in layers, the honey is sweet, the BBQ is spicy, and then you get the tanginess of the honey mustard.
This is no basic Shake’n Bake. Which I vividly remember making as a child. Maybe this recipe was pulled from my subconscious of many nights of Shake’n Bake chicken. Except better. WAY better.
I made a bit of mess because honey isn’t exactly the easiest ingredient to coat onto chicken. Or, I’m not that graceful in the kitchen which is a good possibility. In the end, I just embraced the fact that my hands were a mess and my attempt at a “dry-hand”, “wet-hand” assembly line was a lost cause. Maybe you’ll make the process look prettier than I did. Either way, you won’t regret the outcome.
Honey BBQ Chicken Fingers Recipe
Serves 2-3.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 chicken breasts, cut into large pieces
- 1/3 cup flour, sifted (If you don’t have anything to sift the flour you can skip that step.)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3/4 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp BBQ seasoning
- 1/3 cup honey
Honey Mustard Dip
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise (substitute greek yogurt)
- 1/4 tsp BBQ seasoning
- 1/4 tsp white vinegar
Directions
Chicken
- Preheat the oven to 400.
- Cut the chicken breasts into large pieces.
- Prepare an assembly line:
- On a plate add 1/3 cup of flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Stir to combine.
- On a different plate, add 3/4 cup breadcrumbs, 1/4 tsp cumin, and 1 tsp BBQ seasoning.
- In a bowl, add 1/3 cup of honey. Warm in the microwave for about 20 seconds. (You can use a plate but I find a bowl works best.)
- Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Prepare yourself to make a sticky mess!
- Using your hands, cover the chicken lightly in the flour (it just needs a light dusty so the honey will stick).
- Then dredge the chicken through the honey to coat it, using your hands to spread the honey the best you can. If it is not entirely covered in honey that is okay; you don’t want too much glopped on each piece.
- Then add the chicken to the breadcrumbs and fully cover in crumbs.
- Add each chicken piece to the prepared baking sheet. Separate the pieces so they are not touching.
- You can go through this process in batches or all at once.
- Bake the chicken for 18 to 20 minutes.
Honey Mustard Dip (or substitute store bought honey mustard)
- In a bowl, combine 2 Tbsp honey, 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, and 2 Tbsp mayonnaise (substitute Greek yogurt). Whisk together. (If you want to make more dipping sauce, this is a 1:1:1 ratio so you can increase the amounts against that same ratio.)
- Add 1/4 tsp BBQ seasoning and 1/4 tsp white vinegar. Whisk together.
- Add additional honey or Dijon mustard to taste.
I had leftover chicken that I used on a lettuce salad the next day with the honey mustard dip as a dressing. It was delicious! You could also make it into a chicken sandwich.
Use the Extra Ingredients
I like to use dinner rolls or artisan breads to make my own breadcrumbs. Add the bread to a food processor until fine and fluffy. Using a buttery type of roll or sandwich bun makes for a lighter bread crumb. I usually make a a large batch of breadcrumbs in advance and store them in the refrigerator for when I need them.
Home
