Description
Baked crunchy hot honey chicken delivers a seriously tasty dinner that’ll have your family asking for seconds. Crispy chicken coated in sweet and spicy glaze makes weeknight meals feel like a special treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
Coating and Dry Seasonings:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Wet Ingredients and Garnishes:
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Fresh chopped parsley
- Sesame seeds or crushed peanuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Your preparation starts with creating the perfect crispy surface.
- Pat 4 chicken breasts completely dry using paper towels to ensure maximum crunch potential.
- Mix 1 cup flour with 1 teaspoon each of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and ½ teaspoon smoked paprika in a shallow dish.
- Whisk 2 large eggs in a separate shallow dish for coating the chicken.
- Pour 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs into a third shallow dish for the final layer.
- Dredge each chicken piece first in the seasoned flour, shaking off excess thoroughly.
- Dip the floured chicken directly into beaten eggs, ensuring complete coverage.
- Roll the egg-coated chicken in panko breadcrumbs, pressing gently to help crumbs adhere firmly.
- Arrange breaded chicken on the prepared baking sheet with slight spacing between pieces.
- Lightly drizzle or spray the chicken with olive oil for extra golden crispiness.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165F and the exterior turns a deep golden brown.
- While chicken bakes, combine ¼ cup honey, 2 tablespoons hot sauce, 1 tablespoon butter, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes in a small saucepan.
- Warm the honey sauce over medium heat, stirring until butter melts completely.
- Stir 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar into the sauce for a tangy brightness.
- Remove chicken from oven and immediately drench with the hot honey sauce.
- Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley and sesame seeds or crushed peanuts over the glazed chicken.
- Serve immediately while the chicken remains hot and wonderfully crisp.
Notes
- Pat chicken completely dry before breading to ensure maximum crispiness and help breading stick perfectly.
- Use fresh panko breadcrumbs and press them firmly onto chicken to create an extra-crunchy coating that won’t fall off while baking.
- Check chicken temperature with a meat thermometer to guarantee it’s safely cooked without becoming dry – 165F is the perfect internal temperature.
- For gluten-free adaptation, swap wheat flour with almond flour or rice flour, and use gluten-free panko or crushed gluten-free crackers as breading.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Baked
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 11 g
- Sodium: 540 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg