Description
A crispy, oven-baked twist on classic Southern fried chicken, this Baked Crunchy Hot Honey Chicken brings together juicy buttermilk-marinated chicken, a golden, crunchy coating, and a sweet-and-spicy hot honey glaze. It’s a summer favorite that’s perfect for backyard dinners, weeknight meals, or your next potluck!
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
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6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or drumsticks)
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1 cup buttermilk
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2 tsp garlic powder
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2 tsp onion powder
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1 tsp smoked paprika
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1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
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1 tsp salt
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1/2 tsp black pepper
For the Coating:
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1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
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½ cup crushed cornflakes
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1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
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1 tbsp olive oil
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1 tsp dried thyme
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1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
For the Hot Honey Sauce:
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1/2 cup honey
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1 tbsp hot sauce (like Frank’s RedHot)
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1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
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1 tsp apple cider vinegar
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Pinch of salt
Instructions
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Marinate the Chicken:
In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1–12 hours. -
Prepare the Coating:
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a wire rack on top.
In a bowl, mix panko, crushed cornflakes, Parmesan, thyme, and chili flakes. Drizzle with olive oil and toss. -
Coat the Chicken:
Remove chicken from marinade. Press each piece into the coating until fully covered. Arrange on the wire rack. -
Bake:
Bake chicken for 35–40 minutes, or until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). -
Make the Hot Honey:
In a small saucepan, gently heat honey, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, vinegar, and salt until just warm and blended. -
Serve:
Drizzle hot honey over the chicken. Serve hot with your favorite summer sides!
Notes
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Want it spicier? Add extra cayenne or hot sauce to the marinade and honey.
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This recipe works great with boneless chicken too—just reduce baking time.
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Use gluten-free panko and cornflakes to make this recipe GF-friendly.
- Equipment
Mixing bowls
Baking sheet
Wire rack
Saucepan
Tongs
Meat thermometer (optional, but recommended)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 1 hour marinating time)
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American, Southern-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken piece
- Calories: ~480
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 115mg
Keywords: Baked Crunchy Hot Honey Chicken, oven-fried chicken, Southern chicken, spicy honey chicken