by Bottom Line: The Hot Honey Sriracha Tenders from Golden Chick deliver some first-rate fried chicken with a tasty sauce, but I would sure like some more heat.
It seems like chicken slingers are on every corner these days (maybe even two or three), and I am getting a bit burnt out on the bird since the national chains think that is just about all they can spice up of late. But there is a particular chicken chain near me that I really like, and I usually keep an eye out if they add something spicy to the menu. Golden Chick got its start just down the road in San Marcos, and they have now spread throughout Texas and even to a few other states. They make some darn good fried chicken (and fried catfish as well), and their rolls can only be described as little bites of heaven, so if you have a location near you, I suggest stopping by.
Just recently, they decided to jump on the hot honey bandwagon and added Hot Honey Sriracha Tenders to the menu. These are “sauced and tossed” with the titular sauce, which they promise delivers a “tantalizingly sweet heat.” You can get an order of four tenders (plus a roll) for $6.99 in my area or six bone-in wings for the same price. And you can bump that up to a combo with a side and drink for $9.99.
Golden Chick does some of the best fried chicken in the business as far as I’m concerned, and that includes their tenders. These are sizeable breast meat strips that are nice and tender and plenty tasty. The breading adds some good flavor as well, but unfortunately, it loses its signature crunch and flakiness because of the sauce. But that sauce does kick up the taste with a nice sweetness that is not at all cloying and it brings a touch of peppery funkiness from the Sriracha. Basically, consider this an amped-up and more complex sweet and sour sauce, and you have an idea of what to expect.
But despite the good taste from the Hot Honey Sriracha, you don’t get too much heat. These deliver a little bit of a tingle, but they do not quite get to Mild on my scale. I realize a lot of people are coming to the drive-thru claiming they like spicy, though they really prefer the Mild range. But maybe Golden Chick could offer these at a couple or three levels of heat for those of us looking for more burn? I added some extra Sriracha to two of the tenders and Chili Garlic to two others (Underwood Ranches brand, more on that here), and that kicked them up quite nicely. I will probably get them again while still available because these are darn good tenders. But you need to supply your own heat if you want to bump them past the Mild level.
I don’t see the nutrition info for the Hot Honey Sriracha Tenders on their website, but four regular tenders run around 360 calories, and I would expect the sauced version to be over 500 (there’s a lot of calories in that honey). Still, that’s not bad for the drive-thru, though that roll (which you know you will gobble down) adds 160 cals, so be sure to go easy on the sides. I love their fried okra (a southern staple), but that adds 317 cals and puts me on track for paying some penance in the gym.
As you might expect, the Hot Honey Sriracha tenders are on loan from Limited-Time-Only-Ville. They don’t bring a lot of heat, but they are big on flavor, and a little extra Sriracha (or maybe a good habanero sauce) will certainly kick things up nicely. You can check if there is a location near you on their website, and I highly recommend paying a visit for some darn good southern-style fast food.
