Baked Crunchy Hot Honey Chicken (Printable Version)

Crispy golden chicken with sweet spicy hot honey drizzle delivers maximum flavor in under an hour.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
02 - 1 cup buttermilk
03 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Crunchy Coating

05 - 2 cups cornflakes, crushed
06 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
07 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

→ Dredging

11 - 2 large eggs
12 - 1/4 cup water

→ Hot Honey Drizzle

13 - 1/2 cup honey
14 - 2-3 tablespoons hot sauce
15 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
16 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
17 - Pinch of salt

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set a wire rack on top.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk buttermilk, salt, and black pepper. Add chicken breasts, turning to coat. Marinate for at least 15 minutes, up to 2 hours in the refrigerator for enhanced flavor.
03 - Combine crushed cornflakes, panko breadcrumbs, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper in a shallow dish. In a separate bowl, beat eggs with water.
04 - Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Dip each piece first into the egg wash, then press firmly into the coating mixture, ensuring complete and even coverage.
05 - Place coated chicken on the prepared wire rack. Spray or brush lightly with oil for additional crispiness.
06 - Bake for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown and chicken is cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165°F.
07 - While chicken bakes, combine honey, hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, and salt in a small saucepan. Warm gently over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and slightly pourable. Do not boil.
08 - Remove chicken from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Drizzle generously with warm hot honey before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The buttermilk marinade works like magic, keeping the chicken ridiculously tender while creating the perfect base for everything else
  • That hot honey drizzle is the kind of finish that makes you pause between bites, savoring how sweet heat plays against salty crunch
  • You get restaurant level results with about 15 minutes of actual hands on time, leaving you free to sip wine while the oven does its job
02 -
  • The wire rack is not optional here, it lets air circulate underneath so every inch gets properly crispy without soggy spots
  • Let the chicken rest for those full 5 minutes after baking, or the honey will just slide right off instead of clinging to the crust
  • Do not boil the honey mixture, just warm it enough to loosen everything up, otherwise it will seize and become unworkable
03 -
  • Crush cornflakes by hand in a resealable bag for better texture control than a food processor
  • Bring chicken to room temperature for 20 minutes before baking for more even cooking

Go Back