Hot Honey Chicken – Plain Chicken

Baked Hot Honey Chicken Recipe – spice up your weeknight meals with this delicious dish!  Juicy chicken marinated in a flavorful mix of buttermilk, honey, and hot sauce, then coated in a crispy cornflake and Parmesan crust. Top it off with a drizzle of irresistible hot honey sauce for a flavor explosion that’ll leave your taste buds buzzing. Perfectly sweet, spicy, and crunchy – it’s a must-try dish for any food lover.

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Baked Chicken in Hot Honey Sauce

This Hot Honey Chicken is bursting with layer upon layer of irresistible flavor. First, the chicken takes a luxurious soak in a buttermilk bath infused with hot sauce, honey, and a medley of tantalizing spices. Then, the chicken is coated in a crunchy layer of cornflake crumbs and Parmesan cheese, seasoned to perfection. But the pièce de résistance is the hot honey sauce—a harmonious blend of honey, hot sauce, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic. It’s a delicious combination of sweet, spicy, and savory, drizzled generously over the crispy chicken. One bite, and you will be coming back for more!

How to Make Hot Honey Chicken

This dish is easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag. Whisk together buttermilk, hot sauce, honey, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the chicken. Seal the bag and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator.

Combine crushed cornflakes, grated parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or plate. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and drain the excess. Dredge the chicken in the panko mixture on both sides. 

Place a wire rack on top of a baking tray. Place coated chicken on the wire rack. Lightly spray with cooking spray. Bake in a preheated oven until the juices run clear and reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer. 

While the chicken is baking, prepare the hot honey sauce. Combine honey, hot sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small saucepan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat. 

Drizzle honey sauce over the baked chicken and garnish with parsley.

Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

• You can use any cut of chicken that you prefer.
  • Chicken breasts, boneless skinless chicken thighs, and chicken tenders work great.
  • You can use boneless chicken or bone-in chicken.
    • Chicken drumsticks or wings are delicious.
    • The bone-in chicken will take longer to cook. Use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature.
• What does soaking chicken in buttermilk do? Buttermilk is slightly acidic, so as the chicken marinates, the buttermilk breaks down the proteins in the chicken, tenderizing it.
  • There is no need to use all-purpose flour to coat the chicken. The thick texture of the buttermilk helps completely coat the chicken in the breadcrumbs so it crisps up well when baked.
• Don’t like cornflakes? You can substitute breadcrumbs, panko bread crumbs, or crushed pork rinds.
• Feel free to adjust the spices in the cornflake mixture.
  • Cayenne pepper
  • onion powder
  • cajun seasoning
  • thyme
• Is Hot Honey Chicken gluten-free? For a gluten-free meal, use gluten-free cornflakes.
• Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • Reheat leftover chicken in the air fryer or microwave.
  • Leftovers are delicious served as a sandwich on a brioche bun topped with coleslaw.

What to Serve with Hot Honey Chicken

This chicken is a favorite at our house. Everyone loves the sweet and spicy combination! When it comes to what to serve alongside this dish, I have some delicious options for you. 

No matter what you serve with this chicken, it is sure to earn a spot in your dinner rotation. Looking for more side dish ideas? Here are some popular recipes from the website:

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Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

The BEST Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes – hands-down the BEST mashed potatoes I’ve ever eaten. They are super creamy and…

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Teriyaki Asparagus

Teriyaki Asparagus and Mushrooms – our favorite asparagus recipe. SO delicious!! Fresh asparagus, shallot, mushrooms, garlic, teriyaki sauce, and sesame…

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Smothered Green Beans

Smothered Green Beans – canned green beans baked in bacon, brown sugar, butter, soy sauce, and garlic. This is the…

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Quick Potato Rolls

Quick Potato Rolls – ready in 15 minutes!! No rising! Mix, press, cut, and bake. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, or…

Hot Honey Chicken

Yield: 6 people

Baked Hot Honey Chicken Recipe – spice up your weeknight meals with this delicious dish!  Juicy chicken marinated in a flavorful mix of buttermilk, honey, and hot sauce, then coated in a crispy cornflake and Parmesan crust. Top it off with a drizzle of irresistible hot honey sauce for a flavor explosion that’ll leave your taste buds buzzing. Perfectly sweet, spicy, and crunchy – it’s a must-try dish for any food lover.

Chicken Coating

• 2 cups crushed cornflakes
• ¼ cup grated parmesan
• 1½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• salt and black pepper, to taste

• Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag. Whisk together buttermilk, hot sauce, honey, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the chicken. Seal the bag and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

• Preheat oven to 475ºF.

• Combine crushed cornflakes, grated parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or plate. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and drain the excess. Dredge the chicken in the panko mixture on both sides. 

• Place a wire rack on top of a baking tray. Place coated chicken on the wire rack. Lightly spray chicken with cooking spray.

• Bake for 12 to 25 minutes, until the juices run clear and reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer.

• While the chicken is baking, prepare the hot honey sauce. Combine honey, hot sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small saucepan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to just to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat. 

• Drizzle honey sauce over the baked chicken and garnish with parsley.

• You can use any cut of chicken that you prefer.
  • Chicken breasts, boneless skinless chicken thighs, and chicken tenders work great.
  • You can use boneless chicken or bone-in chicken.
    • Chicken drumsticks or wings are delicious.
    • The bone-in chicken will take longer to cook. Use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature.
• What does soaking chicken in buttermilk do? Buttermilk is slightly acidic, so as the chicken marinates, the buttermilk breaks down the proteins in the chicken, tenderizing it.
  • There is no need to use all-purpose flour to coat the chicken. The thick texture of the buttermilk helps completely coat the chicken in the breadcrumbs so it crisps up well when baked.
• Don’t like cornflakes? You can substitute breadcrumbs, panko bread crumbs, or crushed pork rinds.
• Feel free to adjust the spices in the cornflake mixture.
  • Cayenne pepper
  • onion powder
  • cajun seasoning
• Is Hot Honey Chicken gluten-free? For a gluten-free meal, use gluten-free cornflakes.
• Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • Reheat leftover chicken in the air fryer or microwave.
  • Leftovers are delicious served as a sandwich on a brioche bun topped with coleslaw.

Steph