Golden chicken strips with spicy hot honey over fresh romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, and crunchy seeds.
# What You Need:
→ For the Crispy Chicken
01 - 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 cup buttermilk
03 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
04 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - 1 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
07 - 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
08 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
09 - Vegetable oil for frying
→ For the Hot Honey
10 - 1/3 cup honey
11 - 1–2 tablespoons hot sauce such as Franks RedHot or Sriracha to taste
12 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
13 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
→ For the Salad
14 - 1 large head romaine lettuce chopped
15 - 1/2 cup cucumber diced
16 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
17 - 1/4 small red onion thinly sliced
18 - 1/3 cup roasted mixed seeds such as pumpkin sunflower or sesame
19 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley chopped optional
→ For the Dressing
20 - 1/4 cup olive oil
21 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
22 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
23 - 1 teaspoon honey
24 - Salt and pepper to taste
# Directions:
01 - Slice chicken breasts into strips. In a bowl combine buttermilk garlic powder smoked paprika salt and pepper. Add chicken toss to coat and marinate for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight.
02 - Place flour in one shallow dish and panko in another. Remove chicken from marinade coating each piece first in flour then in panko pressing to adhere.
03 - Heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken strips in batches for 3–4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
04 - In a small saucepan over low heat combine honey hot sauce apple cider vinegar and red pepper flakes. Warm gently stirring until just combined. Do not boil. Set aside.
05 - In a large bowl toss chopped romaine cucumber cherry tomatoes red onion and fresh herbs.
06 - Whisk together olive oil lemon juice Dijon mustard honey salt and pepper in a small bowl.
07 - Drizzle salad with dressing and toss. Top with crispy chicken strips drizzle generously with hot honey and sprinkle with roasted seeds. Serve immediately.
