Spicy Honey Butter Chicken Sandwich Bake (Printable)

Crispy baked chicken tenders smothered in hot honey butter, layered with pickles and melted cheese on slider buns for irresistible pull-apart sliders perfect for gatherings.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Chicken

01 - 12 chicken tenders, approximately 1.5 lbs
02 - 1 cup buttermilk
03 - 1 large egg
04 - 1.5 cups panko breadcrumbs
05 - 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
06 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
07 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
08 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
09 - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
10 - 1 teaspoon salt
11 - 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
12 - Cooking spray or 3 tablespoons neutral oil for baking

→ For the Hot Honey Butter

13 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
14 - 0.25 cup honey
15 - 1.5 tablespoons hot sauce
16 - 0.5 teaspoon chili flakes, optional
17 - 0.25 teaspoon salt

→ For Assembly

18 - 12 slider buns or Hawaiian rolls
19 - 8 slices cheddar or pepper jack cheese
20 - 0.5 cup sliced dill pickles
21 - 2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing
22 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease.
02 - Combine buttermilk and egg in a bowl. Add chicken tenders and marinate for 10 minutes.
03 - Mix panko, flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and black pepper in a shallow dish.
04 - Remove each chicken tender from marinade, allowing excess to drip off, then coat thoroughly in breadcrumb mixture. Arrange on prepared baking sheet.
05 - Spray tops with cooking spray or drizzle with oil. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and cooked through.
06 - While chicken bakes, whisk together melted butter, honey, hot sauce, chili flakes, and salt in a small bowl.
07 - Once baked, toss hot chicken tenders in the honey butter sauce until fully coated.
08 - Lower oven to 350°F. Slice slider buns horizontally, keeping bottoms connected. Place bun bottoms in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
09 - Layer cheese slices, sauced chicken tenders, and sliced pickles over bun bottoms. Cover with bun tops.
10 - Brush bun tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds if using.
11 - Bake uncovered for 7 to 10 minutes, until cheese melts and buns are lightly toasted.
12 - Remove from oven and serve warm. Pull apart sliders and enjoy.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It looks impressive enough for company but requires almost no babysitting once the chicken goes in the oven.
  • The contrast of crispy, saucy chicken with cool pickles and melty cheese in one pull-apart slider hits every flavor note at once.
  • You can prep everything ahead and just bake it when you're ready, which means less stress and more time enjoying the moment.
02 -
  • Flip the chicken halfway through baking—I learned this the hard way when my first batch was golden on top and pale underneath, which taught me that even baking isn't truly even without that one flip.
  • Don't skip letting the pickles drain on a paper towel before assembling; excess liquid will make your buns soggy and you'll lose all that textural contrast you worked for.
03 -
  • Pepper jack cheese adds a welcome kick if you want to amplify the spice, but cheddar lets the honey butter flavor shine through without competition.
  • Make your honey butter sauce thinner or thicker depending on preference—add a splash of water if it seems too concentrated, or reduce it on the stove if it needs to coat better.
Go Back