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Recipes Nugget Markets Signature Recipes

Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich

Prep time
30 minutes PT30M
Cook time
20 minutes PT20M
Yield
4 servings
Difficulty
3 out of 5 on the difficulty scale
Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich Nugget Markets signature recipes

Herbed hot honey, homemade refrigerator pickles, and a sweet apple slaw bring out the best in this classic crispy chicken sandwich. 

Ingredients

Pickles:

  • 4 Persian cucumbers, cut into ¼-inch strips
  • 1 serrano chili, halved
  • 1½ cups distilled white vinegar
  • ¾ cup honey
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Spiced Hot Honey:

  • 1 cup honey
  • ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons oregano
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cayenne pepper

Chicken:

  • 4 chicken thighs, skin on
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Cracked black pepper, to taste
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying

Slaw:

  • ½ head cabbage, shredded
  • 1 carrot, shredded
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 SugarBee apples, julienned
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 4 tablespoons vinegar
  • Kosher salt, to taste

Assembly:

  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 4 brioche buns

Preparation

To make the pickles, arrange cucumbers and serrano chili in a jar or storage container with a lid. In a small sauce pot, bring the vinegar, honey, and salt to a boil. Pour boiling vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and cover with a lid. Let cool to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator. Store in the refrigerator for 2–3 days before serving, or up to 30 days for any extra.

To make the honey, add all ingredients to small sauce pot and heat on medium heat until warm. Cool to room temperature and set aside.

For the chicken, start by removing the bone from the chicken thighs with a boning knife, leaving the skin intact. Heat a cast iron pan on medium heat. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place skin-side down in the pan. Render the skin until golden brown and crisp, then remove to a rack to drain.

Mix together the flour, corn starch, baking powder, garlic powder, and paprika in a work bowl. Pour the buttermilk in another bowl. Remove any grease from the chicken thighs with a paper towel, then dip the thighs into the buttermilk, followed by the flour. Repeat this step twice for each thigh.

Add oil to the pan that rendered the chicken. Place the dredged chicken in the oil and fry until golden brown on both sides with a minimum internal temperature of 170°F, then remove to a wire rack to drain. Pour honey mixture over each chicken thigh until thoroughly coated.

To make the slaw, add all ingredients to a work bowl and mix to combine, then season to taste with salt.

For the final assembly, add 2–3 tablespoons of the spiced honey to the mayonnaise and mix to combine. Assemble sandwich by toasting the brioche buns and spreading each half with the honey mayonnaise. Add the chicken thigh to the bottom bun, topped with cucumber slices, apple slaw, and top bun.