Description
Hot Honey Chicken is a flavorful and crispy baked chicken recipe featuring tender chicken breasts coated in a crunchy cornflake breading and drizzled with a sweet, spicy hot honey sauce. This easy-to-make dish balances sweetness and heat perfectly, making it a crowd-pleaser for weeknight dinners or casual gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Breading
- 3 large boneless/skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ lbs.)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Nonstick cooking spray
- ½ cup flour (use a generous ½ cup)
- 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, whisked very well
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 5 cups cornflakes, crushed
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Hot Honey Sauce
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup hot sauce (Frank’s recommended)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
Instructions
- Prep Work: Crush the cornflakes using a food processor, rolling pin, or your hands until they are crumbly but still retain some texture.
- Prepare Bowls: In three shallow bowls, place the flour mixed with brown sugar, the whisked eggs mixed with hot sauce, and the crushed cornflake mixture combined with paprika, salt, chili powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Prepare Chicken: Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to create thinner fillets. Tenderize the smooth side of each piece with a meat mallet until about ½-inch thick. You can cut the pieces smaller if desired.
- Preheat Oven: Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Season and Bread Chicken: Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge each piece in the flour mixture, then dip into the egg mixture, shaking off excess. Coat generously with the cornflake mixture. If any spots need more coating, dip again in egg and then cornflakes. Place the breaded chicken on a lightly greased, light-colored baking sheet or on oven-safe cooling racks set over the sheet for extra crispiness.
- Spray and Bake: Lightly spray the breaded chicken with nonstick cooking spray, then bake for 15-16 minutes until the chicken is golden and cooked through.
- Make Hot Honey Sauce: While baking, combine honey, hot sauce, butter, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, and mustard powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until butter melts, then bring to a boil and reduce to low, keeping warm.
- Serve: Remove the baked chicken from the oven and drizzle with the hot honey sauce. Reserve some sauce on the side for dipping. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- For extra crispy chicken, place oven-safe cooling racks on the baking sheet before placing the breaded chicken.
- Use light brown sugar to balance the sweetness without overpowering the heat.
- You can adjust the amount of hot sauce in the breading and sauce to make the dish milder or spicier.
- Make sure to tenderize the chicken evenly so it cooks uniformly without drying out.
- Leftover hot honey sauce can be refrigerated and gently reheated before serving.
