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This is the baked hot honey chicken recipe I make when I want all the crunch without frying. The spiced cornflake-Parmesan crust gets beautifully crisp in the oven, and I drizzle it with a homemade sweet-and-spicy hot honey sauce made with smoked paprika, chili powder, and garlic. If you love crispy chicken, this one's for you.
The Crispiest Baked Chicken with Hot Honey
If you want the satisfaction of crispy fried chicken without the oil, the mess, or the frying, this baked hot honey chicken is exactly what you need! It's perfect for game day, the Super Bowl, March Madness, or easy weeknight meals - it comes together in about 35 minutes. Serve it alongside my baked chicken wings, kid-friendly baked chicken nuggets, fan-favorite pasta salad, cream cheese cheddar cheese ball, or corn dip.
Why This Recipe Works
- Everything bakes on one sheet pan with a wire rack, which means minimal cleanup, maximum crunch, and no deep frying required.
- The cornflake-Parmesan crust uses pantry staples to create a restaurant-quality, crispy coating that rivals anything from your favorite comfort-food spot. And don't miss my other easy, crowd-pleasing chicken dinners like stuffed chicken thighs, one-pot Greek chicken orzo, or chicken pesto pasta.
- It's also a great recipe for leftovers. I reheat slices in the air fryer or a hot oven, and they come back to life. It's honestly just as good cold, sliced over a fresh pear-and-mixed-greens salad, creamy Mexican street corn pasta salad, or tucked into a sandwich with coleslaw and pickles.
What is hot honey?
Hot honey is simply honey with a spicy kick. It's sweet, sticky, and a little fiery, which makes it especially good on savory dishes like crispy chicken. For this recipe, I make it from scratch using real honey, Frank's Red Hot sauce, red pepper flakes, and spices such as chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Expert Tip: Simmer the sauce gently over low heat. Honey scorches quickly at high temperatures and can turn bitter. You're not reducing it, just warming it through and letting the spices infuse. Two to three minutes is all it takes. Let it sit off the heat while the chicken bakes, and it'll be perfectly warm and ready to drizzle when you need it.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken breasts: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and slice them horizontally, which gives you thinner, faster-cooking pieces. You can also substitute chicken cutlets or boneless, skinless chicken thighs. There's no need to slice the thighs in half, so use about 8 pieces if replacing the chicken breasts.
- Cornflakes: Cornflakes bake up especially crisp, but you can use panko or breadcrumbs instead. The coating will be a little less crunchy, but it will still be delicious.
- Parmesan: Use finely grated Parmesan. You can also substitute Pecorino Romano or fontina.
- Seasonings: You'll use a mix of salt, black pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Hot sauce: I use a cayenne-style hot sauce. You can use any hot sauce you like, such as chile-garlic sauce, sriracha, or even chile crisp for a different kind of heat.
- Fresh thyme: Swap the thyme for fresh rosemary, fresh oregano, or fresh parsley.
- Oil spray: If you don't have spray oil, brush the rack with oil and lightly drizzle or brush the coated chicken with oil before baking.
- Flour + eggs: You'll need the flour for dredging and the eggs for helping the coating stick to the chicken.
About the Cornflake Crust
Cornflakes are a great shortcut for baked "fried" chicken because they create a crispy, crunchy coating without deep frying. Since they're already toasted, they bake up especially crisp and give the chicken that crunchy texture you want.
The key is in how you crush them. You want mostly fine crumbs with some larger, irregular pieces still in there. The variation in size is what creates that uneven, restaurant-style texture. A zip-lock bag and a rolling pin get you there in about 30 seconds. Alternatively, pulse them briefly in a food processor - just don't go too far.
Adding Parmesan directly to the cornflakes does two things: it adds flavor, and it helps the coating go a deep golden brown in the oven without needing oil to fry in.
Can You Make Baked Hot Honey Chicken in Advance?
This is a weeknight recipe for me, but it also works well for casual entertaining because the hot honey sauce is made separately and drizzled at the end. That means you can bake the chicken ahead, keep it warm in the oven, and sauce individual pieces as they're plated so nothing goes soggy sitting on a platter.
Serving Ideas
Perfect for guests and kid-approved, this hot honey chicken is easy to adjust for heat and pairs well with classic comfort sides like sweet potato fries, coleslaw, biscuits, savory scones, or mac and cheese. It's also great with something fresh and tangy - try it with my strawberry spinach salad or apple spinach salad with honey mustard dressing to balance the sweet heat.
You can also make my cilantro-lime black bean rice, my most-requested pasta salad, or a fresh Greek salad.
Crispy Baked Hot Honey Chicken (No Frying!)
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
Flour Dredge
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Egg Wash
- 2 large eggs 3 eggs if the chicken breasts are large
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
Cornflake Coating
- 6 cups cornflakes crushed (mostly fine with some texture) 8 cups if the chicken breasts are large
- ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Oil spray of choice
Hot Honey Sauce
- ½ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons hot sauce like Frank's Red Hot
- 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes to taste
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Pinch salt
For Serving
- Fresh thyme leaves
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
Prepare the chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then place a wire rack on top. Spray evenly with cooking oil, then set aside.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then slice each breast horizontally. Using a rolling pin or mallet, pound the chicken breasts until they are even in thickness. They don't need to be thin. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Set up your breading station and bake the chicken:
- Bowl 1: Combine flour, salt, pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Bowl 2: Combine the eggs and hot sauce.
- Bowl 3: Combine the cornflakes and parmesan cheese.
- Working one at a time, dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, shaking off excess. Dip into the egg wash, letting any excess drip off, then press firmly into the cornflake mixture to fully coat. OPTIONAL: For even extra crunch, repeat the egg and cornflake steps once more. You will need at least 8 cups of cornflakes for this.
- Place the coated chicken on the prepared wire rack. Lightly spray the tops of the chicken with oil, which helps the coating brown and crisp evenly.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the coating is slightly golden and the chicken is cooked through. OPTIONAL: For extra crisp edges, broil for 1-3 minutes at the end, watching closely to not let them burn.
Make the hot honey sauce:
- While the chicken bakes, warm the honey, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a small saucepan over low heat. Simmer briefly, just until combined and infused.
Serve:
- Drizzle the hot honey over the crispy chicken. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves and a generous pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve immediately on its own or with your favorite side of choice such as sweet potato fries, coleslaw, pickles, mac and cheese, or even biscuits.
Notes
- Use oil spray: Oiling the rack helps prevent sticking, and spraying the chicken with oil helps ensure browning and crispness.
- Cornflake texture: You'll want a combination of fine and larger flakes for optimal crunchy texture.
- Don't overcrowd: When baking the chicken, space them out for airflow and even browning.
- Sauce last: Drizzling the sauce after removing the chicken from the oven keeps it crunchy and crisp!
- Broiling: If you decide to broil your chicken, keep an eye on it! Don't walk away! Every broiler is different, so make sure to watch how fast the chicken is browning.
- Want a more tangy hot honey sauce? Add in 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar for more zing.
- Gluten-free? Feel free to use your favorite gluten-free flour and gluten-free corn flakes substitute.
Variations
- Herby: Need a herb boost? Chop up some of the thyme and add it to the cornflake mixture. You can also throw in some chopped-up rosemary as well.
- Extra hot: Looking to sweat? Add 1 teaspoon or more of cayenne pepper powder to every bowl used to dredge the chicken.
- Garlic-forward: Add 1-2 cloves of grated garlic to the hot honey if you'd like that extra punch.
Can I Eat This Hot or Cold?
Eat this hot out of the oven for the best experience! However, chopping up cold, crunchy chicken and putting it over a salad is also delicious. If you want to use the hot honey sauce as a "dressing," I highly recommend adding the apple cider vinegar.Storage, Freezing, Reheating Tips
- Fridge: Store cooled chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 days. For best results, store the chicken and the hot honey separately.
- Freezer: Store the cooled, unsauced chicken in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 2 months in the freezer. I recommend freezing the cooled cooked chicken in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transferring it to your container or freezer-safe bag.
- To reheat from fridge: Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 10-12 minutes.
- To reheat from frozen: Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 15-18 minutes.
- Reheating in an air fryer at 375°F (190°C) for 4-5 minutes also works well.
- I don't recommend microwaving the chicken if you care about texture - it softens the coating quickly. But if you do, I promise not to tell anyone.
- Reheat the sauce in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, or in the microwave in 20-second intervals.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
How to Make Hot Honey Chicken (Step-by-Step Photos)
- PREP: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place a wire rack on top, and spray with oil. Slice and pound the chicken to an even thickness, then season with salt and pepper.
- COAT: Set up the flour mixture, egg wash, and cornflake-Parmesan coating. Dredge each piece in flour, dip in the egg wash, then press into the cornflake mixture. Place on the rack and lightly spray the tops with oil.
- BAKE: Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and crisp. Broil for 1-3 minutes at the end if you want extra color and crunch.
- MAKE THE HOT HONEY: While the chicken bakes, gently warm the honey, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, and seasonings in a small saucepan over low heat until combined and infused.
- SERVE: Drizzle the hot honey over the crispy chicken, then finish with fresh thyme and flaky salt.
- RECOMMENDED SIDES: Pickles, sweet potato fries, biscuits, coleslaw, or your favorite side.
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