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Your new favorite chicken recipe. This hot honey chicken is perfectly crispy and coated in a honey glaze that packs a punch! Honey, hot sauce, chili flakes, and garlic make the flavor so addictive, you won’t be able to get enough.
Fried chicken is the BEST comfort food. And if you’ve never tried making it at home, you really need to! Along with this hot honey chicken, you’ll have to try this recipe for chicken and waffles, or air fryer “fried” chicken if you want something in a snap!
Crispy Hot Honey Chicken
This fried hot honey chicken is an absolute flavor bomb that you don’t want to miss out on! First you’ve got these tasty chicken cutlets that get ultra-tender from being soaked in buttermilk. Then they’re coated in flour and panko breadcrumbs for the perfect crispy shell. But here’s the best part- you don’t need to fry the chicken in oil to achieve crunchy, golden brown deliciousness. This hot honey chicken is oven-baked but tastes just as good as regular fried chicken! Crispy, flavorful chicken without the fuss of deep frying. (And without all those saturated fats.)
Let’s talk about this sauce, though. So simple, but seriously amazing. I used Frank’s Hot Sauce for some heat, honey for that sticky-sweet effect, garlic (because garlic is always the answer,) and red pepper flakes for a little extra flavor in each bite. Good news is, you can swap out the Frank’s for any kind of hot sauce that you like to make it your own. That’s the beauty of making hot chicken at home! If you’re not already convinced, I’ve also included instructions on making your chicken in the air fryer so you can enjoy this recipe even if you’re short on time.
Ingredients for Hot Honey Chicken
To make the best hot honey chicken, you need to check all these boxes: thin and tender chicken cutlets, a crispy breading, and of course, a mouthwatering sauce that’s packed with flavor. Let’s dive into what each ingredient does in this recipe:
- Chicken Cutlets: These become incredibly tender when soaked in buttermilk, which also adds a subtle tangy flavor. Pat them dry before coating for the best results. You can also use chicken breasts, just cut them in half horizontally so they’re nice and thin.
- Flour and Panko Breadcrumbs: This combo gives your hot honey chicken that irresistible crunch. Make sure to coat the chicken thoroughly for a crispy shell that’s just as good as deep frying.
- Hot Honey Sauce: It’s what takes this recipe to the next level, combining Frank’s Hot Sauce for heat, honey for sweetness, garlic for savory flavor, and red pepper flakes for more kick. Feel free to use your favorite hot sauce to customize the spice level and taste.
- Buttermilk: Soaking the chicken in buttermilk tenderizes the chicken and also helps to boost its flavor. You’ll want to let it sit for at least 30 minutes to achieve the best results. (Trust me, it’s worth it!)
- Red Pepper Flakes: These add a burst of extra flavor to the sauce. Adjust the amount to taste.
How to Make Hot Honey Chicken in the Oven
Once you’ve got all of your ingredients ready, (exact measurements are in the recipe card below) it’s time to make some of the best chicken you’ll ever try! Not only is this hot honey chicken ridiculously good, but there’s no deep-frying involved. A win-win!
- Preheat Oven, Prep Pan: Preheat an oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Then line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Sauce Mixture: Make the hot honey sauce, in a medium bowl add the honey, hot sauce, chili flakes, and garlic powder and whisk together. Then cover and set aside.
- Soak Chicken in Buttermilk: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place them into a large bowl. Add the buttermilk to the bowl and cover. Refrigerate the buttermilk soaked chicken for at least 30 minutes.
- Dry Ingredients: In a large shallow dish, add the flour, breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk together.
- Remove From Buttermilk: Once the chicken has set up in the buttermilk for at least 30 minutes, remove it from the buttermilk bowl, one at a time, and allow any excess buttermilk to drip off.
- Coat: Place the chicken onto the flour and breadcrumb platter, coat the chicken in the breading completely.
- Transfer to Baking Sheet: Remove the chicken from the breading and then place it onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake the chicken for 30-35 minutes, or until the chicken is golden all around. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit. After the first 20 minutes, spray or brush both sides with a little olive oil.
- Serve: Remove the chicken from the oven and coat each piece generously with the hot honey sauce and enjoy! Hot honey chicken is great served on its own or used for sandwiches.
Using an Air Fryer
Want some hot honey chicken but you’re short on time? Break out your air fryer! Preheat it to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, then air fry the chicken for 15-20 minutes, or until it is golden brown and cooked through. You’ll want to work in small batches so each chicken cutlet has plenty of air flow. Your chicken won’t be crispy if it’s too crowded.
Storing Leftover Chicken
Hot honey chicken is great left over! You can easily pop your chicken cutlets in the oven later to crisp them up again.
- In the Refrigerator: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and cover it loosely with foil to prevent drying out. Pop it in the oven for about 10-15 minutes until it’s heated through. This way, you’ll enjoy that same crispy goodness and flavor, just like when it was fresh out of the oven!
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Hot Honey Chicken
Ingredients
Hot honey sauce
- ½ cup honey
- ⅓ cup hot sauce I use frank's red hot
- 1 tablespoon chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
For the chicken
- 1 pound chicken cutlets
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
- Make the hot honey sauce, in a medium bowl add the honey, hot sauce, chili flakes, and garlic powder and whisk together. Cover and set aside.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place them into a large bowl. Add the buttermilk to the bowl and cover. Refrigerate the buttermilk soaked chicken for at least 30 minutes.
- In a large shallow dish, add the flour, breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk together.
- Once the chicken has set up in the buttermilk for at least 30 minutes, remove it from the buttermilk bowl, one at a time, and allow any excess buttermilk to drip off.
- Place the chicken onto the flour and breadcrumb platter, coat the chicken in the breading completely.
- Remove the chicken from the breading and place it onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the chicken for 30-35 minutes, or until the chicken is golden all around. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165 degrees fahrenheit. After the first 20 minutes, spray or brush both sides with a little olive oil.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and coat each piece generously with the hot honey sauce and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Would it work if I replaced the chicken with tofu? Thhank you.
Looking forward to making this tomorrow. What do you suggest for side dishes?
I hope you loved it! My family loves having it with homemade coleslaw, biscuits or cornbread, and mac and cheese.