Oven-Fried Hot Honey Chicken

Growing up, one of my favorite meals—I mean my absolute favorite—was fried chicken. My grandmother would carefully monitor it frying on the stovetop. As far as I can remember, it was always just right. 

Crispy deep-fried chicken relies on the perfect oil temperature. Too hot? The breading will burn while the inside remains raw (yikes!). Too cold? It’ll turn out greasy and not crispy. So I take a quick and easy route to perfectly crispy fried chicken: the oven! A good oven-fried chicken is just as rewarding, and a bit healthier than deep-fried chicken.

For this recipe, the chicken is marinated in buttermilk and dredged in panko breadcrumbs. It gets baked until golden brown and super crispy. Then it gets a delicious drizzle of sweet and spicy honey (aka hot honey). So good! 

My husband loves to cut it up for salads. I think it tastes wonderful in a buttery roll topped with fresh romaine lettuce and a spoonful of creamy ranch. No matter how you decide to serve it, you won’t be disappointed! 

I’m Obsessed With Hot Honey 

Hot honey is, first and foremost, wonderful! It’s simply honey infused with spices and chili peppers to make it spicy. Pick a honey you really enjoy. I use a darker honey for this recipe, but a light one will work well too!

Cayenne pepper, paprika, chili powder, and hot sauce are good options to add spice. For this recipe, I add thinly sliced fresh jalapeno peppers in addition to paprika and cayenne pepper. 

This recipe calls for three teaspoons of smoked paprika, which I know, sounds like a lot of smoked paprika, but it adds a truly wonderful flavor. That said, start with one teaspoon, you can always add more!

A little vinegar is added to brighten it up a bit and a pinch of salt brings out the flavors. With honey and some heat and you can make hot honey. From there you can adjust the spice level and seasoning to your tastes. It’s so versatile! 

Tips for the Best Hot Honey Chicken

• Marinate in buttermilk: The acid in the buttermilk and the salt need a bit of time to do their work. Allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes to yield the best results. For longer marinating, 24 hours is plenty of time. Beyond that, the texture of the chicken may get unpleasantly mushy. When planning for dinner, I marinate the chicken in the morning or even an hour before dinnertime. 
• Use panko breadcrumbs: The buttermilk marinated chicken gets dredged in panko breadcrumbs to achieve its crispy exterior. Panko breadcrumbs are flaky, light, and create a super crisp coating.
• Bread like a pro: The easiest way to bread the chicken is to place the breadcrumbs in a large bowl and dredge the chicken one piece at a time. Shake off excess buttermilk from the chicken before adding it to the breadcrumbs. Dip the chicken with one hand and dredge with the other.
• Pat the chicken: The buttermilk will help the breadcrumbs stick to the chicken but give it some help by gently patting the breadcrumbs on with your hands.
• Give the chicken space: Combat sogginess by giving each piece of chicken all the space it needs to crisp up. Two pounds of chicken breasts and thighs should fit on a large baking sheet. If you have smaller baking sheets, use two and placing them side by side in the oven, if you can. Line the baking sheet with parchment so that the crispy breadcrumbs don’t get stuck and left behind.
• Use a rack: Transfer the baked chicken onto a wire rack if you’re not serving it right away. Otherwise, it will steam on the bottom, losing some of that wonderful crispiness.
  

Is Your Chicken Cooked Through?

This chicken is baked for 30 minutes in a 425°F oven. This should be enough time for the chicken to cook all the way through without burning the breading. However, tent the chicken with foil if it starts getting too dark before it’s cooked through.

The easiest and most reliable way to test the chicken for doneness is to use a kitchen thermometer. The FDA recommends cooking chicken to 165°F. You can also check for doneness by cutting through a thick piece of chicken. It should appear white, not pink. 

Delicious Swaps and Substitutions

• Instead of panko breadcrumbs, use crushed cornflakes, saltine crackers (with only 1/2 teaspoon salt added), or even regular breadcrumbs. To finely crush the cornflakes or crackers, put them a large zip top freezer bag and use a rolling pin to pound them. 
• This recipe calls for jalapeños, but any spicy chili pepper can be used. Leave the seeds in for a hotter honey or remove them for a milder flavor. It’s okay to use a little extra cayenne pepper instead of fresh chili peppers or just omit them altogether. 
• This recipe calls for apple cider vinegar, but you could use any kind, even lemon juice.
• I use a mix of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and breasts for this recipe, but any cut of chicken works! Want to use bone-in chicken thighs, legs, or wings? Bake them for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the thickness. You can use skin-on chicken, but I find that skinless pieces get crispier.

What to Serve With Hot Honey Chicken

Serve it with a simple green salad and corn muffins for soaking up the hot honey—sounds like music to my ears! For a vegetable side, this roasted broccolini only takes 6 to 8 minutes under the broiler.

We Are Team Fried Chicken

• Nashville Hot Chicken
• Sweet Tea Fried Chicken
• Air Fryer Fried Chicken
• Buttermilk Fried Chicken
• Spicy Fried Chicken