Hot Honey Chicken Recipe

This Hot Honey Chicken recipe will surely delight your taste buds and may even be your new favorite way to enjoy chicken that packs a punch.

A mouthwatering dish that perfectly blends honey sweetness with Chile pepper spiciness, an explosion of flavors is something this chicken recipe will never lack.

Serve it with easy veggie fried rice or Instant Pot mashed potatoes for a filling and satisfying meal, or even air fryer roasted vegetables for something more balanced. You will enjoy this recipe, given how many dishes go so well with it.  

I love trying out various chicken recipes because they are so easy and flavorful, and this chicken with honey drizzle best exemplifies it. So, if you’re looking for a great chicken dish, feel free to use this recipe.

Jump to:

• What is Hot Honey?
• SAVE THIS RECIPE!
• ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔀 Substitutions
• 🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins
• 🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools
• 🔪 How to Make Hot Honey Chicken
• 👩‍🍳 Pro Tips
• ❓ Recipe FAQs
• 🙏 Pairing
• SAVE THIS RECIPE!
• 📋 Recipe

What is Hot Honey?

Honey has long been used in cooking thanks to its ability to flavor dishes that go beyond plainly sweet. Plus, research proves honey has some health benefits like anti-inflammatory effects, along with anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties. 

But have you heard of hot honey? It’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s typically made by combining sweet honey and chili peppers, giving it sweetness and a pleasantly hot kick. 

You can buy hot honey sauce in most supermarkets and online stores (such as Mike’s Hot Honey or Momofuku Hot Honey Chili Crunch by David Chang). However, making hot honey sauce of your own is easy, too.

You can do so by adding honey and peppers to a small pot, letting it simmer for about 2 minutes, and then straining the mixture into a small jar. Making your own hot honey is an awesome idea since you can easily adjust the heat level to what you or your family prefers — from mild to spicy. 

Hot honey is so versatile you can add it to almost anything. It goes particularly well with pizza, breakfast sandwiches, roasted vegetables, and waffles. You can add it to Greek Yogurt to make an excellent dessert or snack.

But, our favorite dish to put hot honey on is fried chicken – which makes this crispy hot honey chicken a hit on our dining table.   

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This twist on regular fried chicken is fantastic. Here are some reasons why you’ll love this recipe as much as we do:

• Quick and easy recipe: You can make a delicious chicken dish serving 4 in less than one hour. Even those new to cooking will not find this recipe too daunting.
• It’s healthy: You will use olive oil to brown the chicken fillets, and then finish the cooking in the oven. There is no need to deep-fry the chicken and load it with so many oils and fats, making it a healthier dish. 
• Satisfying flavors: If you love sweet and spicy things, you’ll definitely love this recipe. It combines the best of both worlds in one fantastic dish.

If you find yourself looking for new recipes with honey, this Instant Pot honey Dijon chicken is another great recipe that you should try.

🥘 Ingredients

The best thing about this recipe is how easy it is to find the ingredients you need to make it.

For this dish, you will need:

• Chicken breasts: For this recipe, you will use chicken breasts (approximately 1.5 lbs.) cut into slices to make 4 fillets.  
• Hot BBQ Seasoning: This will make your chicken fillets even more flavorful.
• Hot Honey: This ingredient will make your fried chicken more delightful. 

See recipe card for complete list of ingredients and quantities.

🔀 Substitutions

If you don’t have the main ingredients, swap them out with these:

• Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are an excellent breast substitute. 
• Hot BBQ Seasoning: Chili seasoning can be a good alternative if you don’t have Hot BBQ Seasoning in your pantry.
• Hot Honey: No need to fret if you haven’t bought hot honey sauce from the store to make this spicy chicken. You can make the hot honey sauce by infusing regular honey with either diced jalapeno or ½ teaspoon hot sauce. 
• Flour: You can use gluten-free flour if preferred. 

🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins

If you like to give this baked hot honey chicken recipe a more personalized touch, you can try the following:

• Do a double coat: For a crispier texture, use a two-step coating process. Dip the marinated chicken in a seasoned flour mixture, then into a liquid mixture (such as buttermilk or beaten eggs), and back into the flour mixture. This double coating creates a crunchy exterior.
• Add bread crumbs: Make your dish extra crispy by making breaded chicken. Add panko breadcrumbs to the flour and BBQ seasoning mixture, then dredge the chicken breasts.
• Make your own hot honey: Prepare the hot honey sauce separately by combining honey, hot sauce, and a pinch of salt. Adjust the ratios according to your spice preference. Optionally, add minced garlic or other spices to add complex flavors.
• Bring on the cheese: Another variation is to add some freshly grated parmesan cheese to the flour mixture. This will make the recipe even more flavorful. 
• Air fry it: You can cook the chicken in the air fryer instead of baking it in the oven. Set it to 375 F and cook the chicken for about 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Just cook the chicken in batches so that you won’t crowd the fryer.

Do you want another of our favorite chicken recipes? This lemon chicken is another free recipe that you should try this week.

🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools

Alongside the ingredients, these are the tools you will need to make this fried chicken:

• Knife: This is what you will need to cut the chicken breasts into fillets. 
• Cutting Board: Using this as a surface will make cutting chicken breasts much easier. 
• Shallow Dish: This is where you will mix the flour and BBQ seasoning and dredge the chicken in. 
• Oven-Safe Skillet: You’ll initially cook the chicken in this and then use it as a baking dish inside the oven. 

🔪 How to Make Hot Honey Chicken

Making this delicious baked chicken is quick and easy! Here are the steps to create your own delicious hot honey chicken without breaking a sweat.

Step 1: Preheat the Oven

Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Step 2: Heat up the Skillet

Place the skillet over medium heat.

Step 3: Prepare the Chicken

Next, cut your skinless chicken breasts through the middle to create 4 pieces of thinner chicken fillets. Season each chicken fillet with ½ teaspoon BBQ seasoning and salt and pepper. Set aside.

Step 4: Make the Flour Mixture

In a shallow dish, combine flour with the remaining amount of BBQ seasoning. Mix well.

Step 5: Dip the Chicken Fillets

Next, dredge and coat the chicken fillets in the seasoned flour mixture.

Step 6: Fry the Chicken Fillets

Add olive oil to the preheated skillet. When the oil is hot, put the fillets in the skillet. Fry the chicken on each side for approximately 3-4 minutes per side or until they’ve turned brown.

Step 7: Bake the Fillets

Then, place the skillet in the oven. Bake the chicken for about 8-10 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reads 165 F.

Step 8: Drizzle with Hot Honey 

Once cooked, remove the chicken from the oven. Drizzle hot honey sauce over the chicken fillets, serve, and enjoy. 

👩‍🍳 Pro Tips

Make your hot honey chicken like a pro, try these tips:

• You can also tenderize the chicken fillets before coating them with the flour mixture. You can let them marinate in buttermilk, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and then refrigerate it for about 1 hour up to overnight. This step will give your chicken a great tangy flavor.   
• For best results, pat the chicken dry before coating them with flour. This will remove excess moisture from the meat and ensure it cooks and turns golden brown.   
• Toss the cooked chicken in the hot honey sauce immediately after it’s done to allow the sauce to adhere well. This ensures the chicken absorbs the flavors while still hot.
• Before serving, sprinkle freshly chopped herbs like cilantro, parsley, or chives over the hot honey chicken. This adds a burst of freshness and complements the sweet and spicy flavors.
• You can also serve this dish with some extra spicy honey on the side for drizzling or dipping.

❓ Recipe FAQs

🙏 Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Hot Honey Chicken:

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📋 Recipe