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–+ servings
Hot honey chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper next to a ramekin of hot honey sauce.

Crispy Baked Hot Honey Chicken

easyhealthyrecipes.com/hot-honey-chicken/
Tender chicken breasts breaded with cornflakes and a blend of spices, oven-baked until crispy, then smothered with an incredible and simple hot honey sauce.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Marinate: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 45 minutes
Recipe makes approximately 6 servings

Equipment Needed

  • large bowl with lid (or plastic wrap to cover)
  • 2 whisks
  • Oven
  • large baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • shallow bowl
  • Fork
  • Cooking spray
  • Tongs
  • Internal meat thermometer
  • Small saucepan
  • stovetop

Ingredients Needed

For the Chicken

  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or boneless, skinless chicken thighs)

For the Breading

  • 3 cups cornflakes (finely crushed, or panko breadcrumbs)
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Hot Honey Sauce

  • ½ cup honey
  • 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
  • ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

  • Add 1 cup buttermilk and 1 teaspoon salt to large bowl. Whisk to incorporate ingredients, then submerge 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts in buttermilk mixture and cover bowl. Place bowl in refrigerator and let chicken marinate at least 1 hour, but no more than 8 hours.
    Chicken submerged in a buttermilk mixture.
  • Toward end of marinating time, preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Add 3 cups cornflakes, ½ cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon ground mustard powder, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to shallow bowl. Mix with fork to blend cornflakes and spices together.
    Breading mixture for hot honey chicken in a shallow bowl.
  • One by one, remove chicken from buttermilk mixture. Let any excess buttermilk drip back into bowl, then dredge chicken in cornflake mixture. Lightly press down on chicken to make sure breading covers completely, then flip chicken over and repeat on other side. Transfer coated chicken to baking sheet and repeat until all chicken has been coated.
  • Lightly spray tops of breaded chicken with cooking spray. Place baking sheet in preheated oven and bake 15 minutes.
    Breaded hot honey chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • After 15 minutes, carefully remove baking sheet from oven. Use tongs to flip chicken breasts over. Return baking sheet to oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, or until chicken reaches internal temperature of 160° Fahrenheit.
  • While chicken bakes, heat small saucepan over medium-low heat. When saucepan is warm, add ½ cup honey, 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, and ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar to saucepan. Whisk constantly until mixture begins to simmer, then remove saucepan from heat. Set saucepan aside to cool, or transfer honey to small bowl or glass jar and let cool.
    Hot honey sauce in a small ramekin.
  • Once chicken reaches internal temperature of 160° Fahrenheit, remove baking sheet from oven and set aside. Let chicken rest on baking sheet 5 minutes, then divide chicken into desired portions. Top with hot honey sauce and serve with desired sides.
    Hot honey chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Recipe Notes

  • Make it Keto: Use 1 cup whole milk mixed with 1 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice, instead of using buttermilk. Replace the cornflakes with crushed pork rinds and use a honey-flavored keto sweetener instead of honey.

Nutrition Info (Approximate)

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 379kcal | Protein: 36g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Total Carbs: 46g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Net Carbs: 45g | Vitamin C: 5mg | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 1490mg | Potassium: 701mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 6mg