Honey Chipotle Chicken Tenders

Let me start this out by saying that I am all about supporting local business, experiencing local flavor and culture, and taking part in businesses with philanthropic practices. So I'm a little embarrassed by how much I like Chili's. 

Ok, maybe not Chili's exactly. Just Chili's Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers. 
My goodness, y'all. I order them every time. They're even on the 2 for $20 menu so, yeah. 

Well, anyway, I drive past Chili's on my way to work and back home... and every time my stomach starts arguing with my brain.

stomach    "Hey brain, we need to go grab a to-go box of honey chipotle chicken crispers!"
brain   "Stomach, that's ridiculous. I work at a food park with lots of free food!"
stomach    "But braaaain, they're sooo tasty!"
brain   "Stomach, I don't have extra money for that."
stomach    "You are a liar."
brain   "I can probably make those myself."

So this round, brain won. I made my own. They were freakin amazing. And I made them with ingredients that I already had on hand! 

This is by no means a healthy meal. It is deep fried and tossed in sugar. Now that that's out of the way, I would highly recommend these for the Chili's lover in all of us. They are perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy and tender inside and tossed in a delicious spicy sweet sauce.

Save your eating out funds for another day and enjoy the next episode of Downton Abbey online while you devour these beauties. (Oh wait, Downton Abbey is the worst. Watch Parenthood or Breaking Bad reruns instead.)

What You'll Need:

For the chicken

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 6 cups vegetable oil 

For the Honey-Chipotle Sauce

• ⅔ cup honey
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons ground chipotle powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the Batter

• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ cup whole milk
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour

For the Breading

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ¾ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

What To Do:

Combine all sauce ingreints and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about two minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Heat oil in a deep pan or fryer. 

Whisk together all of the batter ingredients, excluding the flour, in a shallow bowl. Slowly whisk in the flour until completely smooth. Combine all of the breading ingredients together in another shallow bowl. Cut chicken into thin strips. Dip each piece of chicken into the batter and then toss in the dry breading, being sure to completely coat each piece. 

Carefully lower each piece into the fryer and fry for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown on each side. Remove each piece and allow to drain on a paper towel. 

One all of the chicken is cooked and drained, place all of the chicken in a plastic container and pour the sauce over the chicken. Place the lid on the container and shake until all of the chicken is covered in delicious sauce. 

Serve with corn on the cob and french fries to be just like a full Chili's experience, or be lazy like me and just serve alongside celery and ranch dressing!

From Fake Ginger, originally Food.com