Baked Crunchy Hot Honey Chicken
Golden brown and crackling with crispiness, this baked crunchy hot honey chicken delivers bold Southern flavor and the guilt-free comfort of oven baking. Juicy, tender, and topped with a sticky-sweet spicy honey drizzle, it’s weeknight magic perfect for family dinners or game day.
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 50 minutes mins
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 480 kcal
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Lightly coat the rack with nonstick spray.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, hot sauce, garlic powder, and paprika. Add chicken breasts and marinate for at least 15 minutes or up to 8 hours in the fridge.
Prepare your breading station: place flour in one shallow dish, leave one shallow dish empty, and mix panko breadcrumbs with salt and pepper in a third shallow dish. Transfer chicken from buttermilk to the empty dish to let excess drip off.
Dredge each chicken breast in flour, then dip back into buttermilk mixture, and finally press into the panko breadcrumb mixture until thoroughly coated. Place on prepared wire rack.
Generously spray each coated chicken breast with nonstick cooking spray to help it crisp in the oven.
Bake for 28 to 32 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) and the outside is golden and crunchy.
While the chicken bakes, make the hot honey sauce: in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine honey, red pepper flakes, apple cider vinegar, and cayenne. Warm for 2 to 3 minutes, just until slightly thin and fragrant. Do not boil.
Remove chicken from the oven and drizzle with warm hot honey sauce. Serve immediately.
Calories: 480kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 35gFat: 20gSodium: 670mgFiber: 2gSugar: 17g
Keyword hot honey chicken, baked chicken, crispy chicken, oven fried chicken, weeknight dinner