Video Guide: Crafting Your Hot Honey Chicken Sliders

Watching a recipe come to life can be incredibly helpful! This concise video guide walks you through each step of preparing your Hot Honey Chicken Sliders, ensuring you achieve that perfect balance of crispy chicken and luscious hot honey sauce. Get ready to create these quick and delicious Nashville-style sliders with confidence.

Essential Ingredients for Perfect Hot Honey Chicken Sliders

Gathering the right ingredients is the first step to creating these mouthwatering sliders. While the recipe is simple, choosing quality components will elevate your sliders from good to absolutely amazing. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need:

• Frozen Boneless Chicken Bites: I highly recommend using fully cooked crispy boneless chicken bites, such as Tyson Anytizers, for speed and convenience. If your chosen brand isn’t fully cooked, remember to adjust your cooking time accordingly to ensure the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature. This shortcut is key to the 20-minute promise!
• Hawaiian Rolls: King’s Hawaiian rolls are my top recommendation. Their signature sweetness and incredibly soft texture are the ideal complement to the spicy-sweet hot honey sauce, making each bite an explosion of flavor. While you *can* use store-brand slider buns or potato rolls as a last resort, you will definitely miss the unique sweetness and pillowy texture that King’s Hawaiian provides, which is crucial for balancing the hot honey.
• Mayonnaise: Duke’s Mayonnaise is my absolute favorite, and I wholeheartedly believe it’s the best for this recipe due to its rich, tangy flavor and creamy texture. However, feel free to use any good quality mayonnaise you have on hand. If you’ve never tried Duke’s, this is a great recipe to give it a go – you might just become a convert!
• Garlic Powder: This simple seasoning adds a subtle depth of savory flavor to the mayonnaise spread, creating a delicious base for your sliders.
• Unsalted Butter: Stick to real butter for the best flavor and texture in your hot honey sauce. Avoid using butter spreads, as they often contain too much water and can affect the consistency and richness of your sauce.
• Honey: The star of the sweet side of our hot honey sauce! Any good quality honey will work beautifully here. For an extra layer of heat, consider using a pre-made hot honey if you can find it.
• Frank’s RedHot Sauce: I specifically enjoy the classic tangy heat of Frank’s RedHot in this recipe. Its vinegar base cuts through the sweetness of the honey perfectly. That said, feel free to swap it for your favorite hot sauce if you have a different preferred brand or flavor profile.
• Paprika: Adds a touch of mild pepper flavor and a lovely reddish hue to the hot honey sauce, enhancing both taste and appearance.
• Cayenne Pepper: This is where you control the heat! Cayenne pepper provides the authentic “hot” element to your sauce. Adjust the quantity to match your preferred spice level – a little goes a long way.
• Sliced Dill Pickles: Crisp, tangy dill pickle chips are an absolute must for these Nashville-style sliders. They provide a refreshing contrast and acidity that cuts through the richness of the chicken and sauce, completing the classic flavor profile.

See recipe card for exact quantities and measurements.

Step-by-Step Guide: Crafting Your Hot Honey Chicken Sliders

Creating these sensational sliders is surprisingly straightforward. Follow these steps for crispy, saucy chicken layered on soft, sweet rolls.

1. Cook the Chicken: Begin by cooking your frozen chicken bites. You can use an air fryer for extra crispiness or bake them in the oven. Follow the package directions for your specific brand to ensure they are cooked thoroughly and have a nice golden crisp (1).
2. Prepare the Rolls: While the chicken cooks, slice your Hawaiian rolls in half horizontally, keeping the top and bottom halves mostly intact.
3. Make Garlic Mayo Spread: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and garlic powder (2). Stir well until thoroughly mixed. This simple spread adds a creamy, savory layer that beautifully complements the hot honey chicken.
4. Spread the Mayo: Carefully spread the garlic mayonnaise evenly over the bottom half of the Hawaiian rolls (3).
5. Separate Rolls (Optional for Individual Assembly): At this stage, I prefer to separate the rolls and build each slider individually. This allows for easier handling and ensures each slider gets a perfect portion of chicken and pickles. If you prefer a faster assembly method or are making a large batch, you can keep the rolls together and refer to our alternate assembly instructions below.
6. Melt Butter for Sauce: Melt the butter in a large bowl. Make sure the bowl is big enough to comfortably toss all the cooked chicken in later (4).

7. Prepare the Hot Honey Sauce: To the melted butter in the large bowl, add the honey, hot sauce, paprika, and cayenne pepper (5). Whisk or stir vigorously until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the sauce is smooth (6).
8. Coat the Chicken: Once the chicken bites are cooked and crispy, transfer them immediately to the bowl with the hot honey sauce (7). Gently toss the chicken using tongs or a spoon until every piece is evenly coated in the sweet and spicy mixture (8).

✨ Pro Tip: Measuring Honey Without the Mess! ✨

Honey can be notoriously sticky to measure. For effortless clean-up, spray your measuring cup or spoon with a non-stick baking spray (or lightly coat with a neutral oil) before adding the honey. The honey will slide right out, leaving barely any residue!

Customize Your Hot Honey Sliders: Spice It Up or Tone It Down!

One of the best things about these Nashville-style hot honey sliders is how easily you can adapt them to your personal taste. The base recipe offers a mild to medium heat level, but don’t hesitate to adjust it to your liking. Here are a few ways to customize the flavor:

• For More Heat:
  • Amp Up the Hot Sauce: Increase the amount of Frank’s RedHot sauce (or your chosen brand) to 3-4 tablespoons for a more fiery kick.
  • Boost the Cayenne: Add an extra ½ to 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Remember that cayenne is potent, so add gradually and taste as you go.
  • Spicy Honey: Use a store-bought hot honey in place of regular honey for an all-encompassing heat.
  • Pickle Power: Swap the dill pickle chips for sliced pickled jalapeños or even a spicy bread and butter pickle for an added punch.
• For a Milder Experience:
  • Reduce Hot Sauce: Decrease the amount of hot sauce to 1 tablespoon or even half a tablespoon.
  • Limit Cayenne: Omit the cayenne pepper entirely or use just a pinch for a very subtle warmth.
  • Cooling Additions: Consider adding a thin slice of a creamy cheese, like provolone or Monterey Jack, to the sliders to help mellow the heat.
• Add a Cool Contrast: For a true Nashville hot chicken experience, keep the heat as is and add a small scoop of creamy coleslaw on top of the chicken before adding the pickles. The cool, crunchy slaw provides a fantastic textural and temperature contrast to the warm, spicy chicken.
• Extra Crunch: Toasted sesame seeds sprinkled on top of the buns or a sprinkle of fried onions for added texture.

Storage and Advance Preparation Tips

These Hot Honey Chicken Sliders are best enjoyed fresh, but sometimes you might have leftovers or want to get a head start on prep. Here’s how to manage them:

Storage: Any leftover sliders can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. While the chicken might lose some of its crispiness, the flavors will still be delicious. To reheat, a few minutes in an air fryer or oven will help revive some crispness, or a quick zap in the microwave will warm them through.

Freezing: This recipe is generally not recommended for freezing. The texture of the crispy chicken bites and the Hawaiian rolls can become soggy and unappetizing once thawed, and the sauce can separate. For the best experience, always aim to prepare and serve these sliders fresh.

✨ Pro Tip: Smart Advance Preparation ✨

If you’re planning to make Hot Honey Chicken Sliders for a gathering and want to save time, you can definitely prepare some components in advance. I recommend making both the garlic mayonnaise spread and the hot honey sauce up to 24 hours ahead of time. Store each in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. For the absolute best results and that irresistible crispy chicken, only bake the chicken bites, warm up the hot honey sauce, and assemble the sandwiches just before you plan to serve them. This ensures maximum freshness, crispness, and flavor!

Hot Honey Chicken Sliders

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