Basically, my Sticky Chicken Tenders recipe is similar to teriyaki-style chicken. It’s tangy and sweet with a slight hint of heat. It’s easily made in the oven or slow cooker with ketchup, honey, and brown sugar. The heat is added with red pepper flakes. You can serve this chicken dish with rice or noodles and a broccoli slaw side salad would be a great accompaniment.
Sticky Chicken can be made with tenders, thighs, breasts or drummies. Personally, I make them with tenders or breasts because I don’t think dark meat chicken was ever meant to be eaten. Just my little rule. This recipe can easily be adapted for the slow cooker, especially if you opt to use larger pieces of chicken like the breasts.
So here’s the thing about cooking. Use the recipe, especially the seasonings, as a guideline. I like to make a recipe pretty close to exactly how it’s written the first time. Even then for example, if I know I don’t like lemon pepper I’ll omit lemon pepper and just use regular black pepper. (Just an example there is not lemon pepper in this recipe.) Every body has different taste buds therefore, adjust the seasonings to your liking. If you’re baking, it’s a bit more complex and you really need to know what you’re doing to make substitutions then. But, if you’re not dealing with baking cakes, pies, muffins or breads feel free to make substitutions and adjustments to any recipe.
- 12 to 14 chicken tenders
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup honey
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray 9x13 inch casserole dish with non-stick spray.
- In a saucepan combine ketchup, honey, brown sugar, soy, garlic and red pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly 3 to 4 minutes.
- Place chicken in pan and sprinkle with black pepper.
- Reserve 1/4 cup sauce then pour remaining sauce over chicken, covering all parts.
- Bake chicken uncovered 35 to 40 minutes. Turn chicken halfway through cook time. (see notes for bone-in chicken.)
- Serve over rice with reserved sauce.
I used low sodium soy sauce.You can also use bone-in or boneless chicken breasts (4 to 6) or chicken legs or thighs (12 to 14)If you use chicken with the bone-in, you'll need to increase the cook time to 60 to 75 minutes. Check internal temperature of chicken with a thermometer. Temperature should be 160 degrees in the thickest part of chicken.©CallMePMc.com All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.
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Destiny M. says
Made this for the fam tonight, and it was a total hit! Thanks!! 🙂
Amy@Little Dairy on the Prairie says
The sauce on these chicken tenders looks like something I would eat with a spoon! I also love the quote about quitting at the bottom of your post! I needed that today!
Kelly says
Love these chicken tenders – they look so tasty! Sweet and tangy with some heat sounds perfect to me – pinning 🙂
Paula says
Thanks for pinning. I really enjoyed this tenders and very easy to make.
Deb@CookingOnTheFrontBurner says
I love how these look Paula! Would make a great weekend night meal for us…
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) says
“Tangy and sweet with a hint of heat” sounds wonderful to me . Pinned.
Joan - My Cookie Clinic says
Paula, These look fun and finger lickin’ and they would be great for an early spring cookout. I agree with you about dark meat. Pinning this to my chicken board. Have a great weekend!
Paula says
Thanks, Joan!