Baked Hot Honey Chicken

A straight-on view of a cutlet of hot honey chicken that has been cut into strips and drizzled with hot honey sauce and is surrounded by more cutlets and butter pickles.

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 19

Total Time: 39

Servings:

Calories: 736kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

Baked Hot Honey Chicken is an explosion of flavor. You can easily control the heat levels with the amount of hot sauce and seasonings you include in the sauce. Baking the breaded chicken cutlets gets them perfectly cooked and extra crispy, but, it's also healthier than frying them in oil! See NOTES on how to prepare them in an air fryer.

Print Recipe

Equipment

1 baking sheet with baking rack

Ingredients

For the Chicken

3 lbs chicken breasts boneless, skinless, pounded to ¼-inch thickness
Salt and pepper
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon hot sauce ie, Frank's Hot Sauce
5 cups cornflakes crushed (5 cups uncrushed)
2 tablespoon olive oil

Hot Honey Sauce

½ cup honey
¼ cup hot sauce ie, Frank's Hot Sauce
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, increase for more heat
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, increase for more heat
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon thyme fresh, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F.
If your chicken breasts are large, use a sharp knife to cut the breasts in half, lengthwise. Then pound to ¼ to ⅓-inch in thickness. Liberally salt and pepper the cutlets all over.
3 lbs chicken breasts, Salt and pepper
Place the flour, brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a pan or bowl. Stir together with a fork or whisk until completely combined.
¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
In a separate pan (or bowl), add the eggs and lightly beat with the hot sauce.
3 large eggs, 1 tablespoon hot sauce
In a third pan (or bowl), add the crushed cornflakes. Add the olive oil and use your fingers to work the oil into the cornflakes.
5 cups cornflakes, 2 tablespoon olive oil
Working one cutlet at a time, dredge the seasoned chicken through the flour, turning it to completely coat. Lower into the egg mixture and turn to coat. Allow excess egg to drip off of the chicken. Place into the cornflakes and press to help them adhere. Turn over and use your fingers to help completely cover the cutlets with the cornflakes. Place on a baking pan that is lined with a baking rack. Continue with the remaining cutlets.
Bake the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reaches 165°F.
While the chicken is baking, add all of the sauce ingredients into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Simmer and keep warm until the chicken is ready.
½ cup honey, ¼ cup hot sauce, 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon salt
Serve the chicken with hot honey sauce drizzled over the top and garnished with chopped fresh thyme. Serve extra sauce on the side.
1 tablespoon thyme

Video

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel.

To cook the cutlets in an air fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Spray the basket and breaded chicken liberally with cooking spray. Working in batches, cook for 5 minutes, open the basket and flip the cutlets, cook for another 5 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.

The recipe, as written (including the teaspoon cayenne and teaspoon red pepper flakes) is a bit on the spicy side. To reduce to mildly spicy, eliminate the cayenne and red pepper flakes).

Leftovers will keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat (uncovered) on a baking sheet in a 325°F until heated through and lightly crispy again. These make amazing sandwiches! Reheat the sauce in the microwave.

Nutrition