Hot Honey Chicken
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By Alyssa Rivers
on Nov 02, 2023 |
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.
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Popular: Cripsy hot honey chicken is all the rage right now! I’m so glad you found my recipe! This will be the best you’ve ever had!
- Flavorful: This spicy chicken recipe is loaded with intense flavors that will have your mouth watering—you won’t be able to stop!
- Easy to Make: Because we aren’t using oil to fry these, the baking process will make them so simple, juicy, and tender, to boot!
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: When soaked in buttermilk, these become incredibly tender and add 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: Helps the breadcrumbs stick to the chicken and create a delicious crispy texture.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Make sure to coat the hot honey chicken thoroughly for a crispy shell that’s just as good as deep frying.
- 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.
- Paprika: Gives the breading a punch of flavor.
- Garlic Powder: Garlic makes everything better! This adds a wonderful savory flavor to this chicken.
- Salt & Black Pepper: Enhance all of the other flavors, making everything pop!
- Olive Oil: Adds a healthy fat and helps keep the chicken tender while making the breadcrumbs crispy.
Hot Honey Sauce
- Honey: The secret to making everything taste incredible. The honey contrasts the spicy making an explosion of flavor in your mouth!
- Hot Sauce: I use Franks Red Hot, but you can use your favorite hot sauce.
- Chili Flakes: Adds a wonderful spicy heat that complements the sweet honey.
- Garlic Powder: Gives the sauce a delicious savory flavor.
How to Make Baked, Crispy, Hot Honey Chicken
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! This hot honey chicken is ridiculously good, and there’s no deep-frying involved. A win-win!
- Prep: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Sauce Mixture: To make the hot honey sauce, add the honey, hot sauce, chili flakes, and garlic powder to a medium bowl and whisk together. Cover and set aside.
- Soak Chicken in Buttermilk: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place 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 been in the buttermilk for at least 30 minutes, remove it from the bowl, one at a time, and allow any excess buttermilk to drip off.
- Coat: Place the chicken onto the flour and breadcrumb platter, and 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, generously coat each piece 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 are 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 airflow. Your chicken won’t be crispy if it’s too crowded.
Storing Leftover Chicken
Hot honey chicken is a great leftover! 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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Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and 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 it in 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 been 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, coat each piece generously with the hot honey sauce, and enjoy!
Calories: 515kcalCarbohydrates: 80gProtein: 34gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 1485mgPotassium: 813mgFiber: 4gSugar: 41gVitamin A: 2535IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 165mgIron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.