Description
Crispy honey chipotle garlic chicken sliders layered with tangy pickles and creamy homemade chipotle ranch, served on buttery garlic parsley slider buns. This recipe combines spicy, sweet, and savory flavors for a crowd-pleasing appetizer or meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Marinade / Wet Batter:
- 2 lb chicken breast, pounded to 1/2 inch thick, cut slider sized
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup pickle juice
- 1/4 cup hot sauce
Chicken Dry Batter:
- 300 g all purpose flour
- 150 g cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp chipotle powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Honey Chipotle Sauce:
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup chipotle adobo sauce
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Garlic Butter Slider Buns:
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 1 pack slider buns (about 12 buns)
For Assembly:
- pickles, sliced
Homemade Chipotle Ranch:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 packet Hidden Valley Restaurant Style Ranch seasoning (0.4 oz)
- 2 tsp chipotle powder
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken Marinade: Pound chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness then cut into slider-sized pieces. In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, pickle juice, and hot sauce. Add the chicken pieces, cover, and refrigerate to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight, allowing the flavors to infuse and tenderize the meat.
- Make the Chipotle Ranch: Whisk together mayonnaise, buttermilk, Hidden Valley ranch seasoning, and chipotle powder in a bowl until smooth. Cover and chill in the refrigerator while the chicken marinates to let the flavors meld.
- Prepare the Dry Batter: In another large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, chipotle powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Mix well to ensure even seasoning in the batter.
- Batter the Chicken: Remove the chicken from the marinade. For each piece, dip first into the dry batter, then back into the marinade, and again into the dry batter. Handle gently to avoid compacting the batter; it should have some wet spots visible for a crisp texture.
- Fry the Chicken: Heat oil in a deep fryer or heavy pot to 350–365°F (175–185°C). Carefully place the battered chicken pieces in the hot oil. Avoid moving them for the first 2–3 minutes to allow the crust to set. Fry until golden brown and fully cooked through, about 6-8 minutes per batch, then transfer to a wire rack to drain and rest. For extra crispiness, double fry the chicken by returning the rested pieces to hot oil briefly.
- Make Honey Chipotle Sauce: In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add chipotle adobo sauce, honey, ketchup, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer gently, stirring often until the sauce thickens slightly and develops a glossy texture.
- Coat Chicken in Sauce: Toss the hot fried chicken pieces in the honey chipotle sauce until evenly coated, ensuring each slider gets flavorful, sticky goodness.
- Prepare Garlic Butter Buns: Melt butter in a small saucepan, then stir in garlic powder and finely chopped parsley. Brush the mixture onto split slider buns. Place the buns on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 5–10 minutes until golden and slightly toasted. Optionally, broil for 1 minute for extra color but watch carefully to prevent burning.
- Assemble the Sliders: Spread a generous amount of chipotle ranch on the bottom half of each bun. Layer pickles over the ranch, then place a piece of sauced fried chicken on top. Close the slider with the top bun and brush with additional garlic butter for extra flavor and shine.
Notes
- Marinating the chicken overnight will yield more tender and flavorful results.
- Double frying the chicken enhances crispiness but can be omitted if short on time.
- Adjust the chipotle powder and cayenne pepper quantities to control the heat level.
- Use a thermometer to maintain oil temperature for perfectly fried chicken.
- Slider buns can be substituted with small dinner rolls if unavailable.
Keywords: honey chipotle chicken sliders, fried chicken sliders, chipotle ranch, garlic butter buns, spicy chicken sliders