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This Oven Fried Chicken is a slightly healthier, and much easier, take on the famous Nashville Hot Chicken. Breaded in corn flakes, oven baked, and finished with a beyond perfect sweet and spicy honey butter sauce, this is a chicken dinner that’s sure to be loved by all!
So you guys, those sentences up there above this first photo? I know, they’re so cheesy, but let me explain some things about the food blogging world that others might not tell you. There’s this thing called SEO, and then there are your Google rankings. I will not get into details about what these really mean, because if I’m being honest, I’m still trying to figure them out in full myself.
Basically, all you need to know is that there is a certain way Google would like me to write out my blog post every single day. Yes, Google ranks how I write my blog, and yes, it’s annoying. So, why do I even care what Google thinks you ask? Well, it’s simple, I really want to share my recipes with as many of you as possible. I work so hard to create new and exciting recipes day in and out, and I want anyone who might be interested in finding them to see them.
When you search in Google, it’s Google who decides what shows up front and center. And you know how you get on Google’s good side? You listen to them, and write your blog post in a very straight forward, kind of boring, and impersonal way. It’s not that cool, and that’s just the truth.
What does all this mean? Well, it just means that sometimes I have to write some cheesy things within the post to stay on Google’s good side. Google would also prefer I limit my story telling. As you might guess, I’m not going to do that. I think one of the things that makes HBH unique is my stories, and how they connect to my recipes. I don’t want to lose that just because Google says I should.
Over the years I’ve learned that you just have to be YOU, and stick to what works for YOU. So I’m listening to Google to a point, but at the same time, I’m sticking with my own personal style. It’s all about balance, right?
I certainly think so…obviously.
Alright, my ranting is now done. Let’s chat about this chicken.
You guys might not know this, but I actually find cooking chicken to be a little boring, so when I do cook with chicken, I have to make sure it’s extra flavorful and delicious. Kind of like the way I do up my salads.
When my brother, Creighton was in town last week, I knew I needed a good chicken recipe to serve him. The man loves himself some fried chicken, so I thought I would throw him a curve ball and turn one of his favorite greasy foods into a healthier recipe that he’d love all the same.
Enter this southern fried hot honey chicken.
I swear, this is just as good as fried chicken. Bold, but it’s true.
The key is to soak the chicken in a little buttermilk before breading. The buttermilk tenderizes the chicken while adding flavor at the same time. From here, you’ll bread the chicken in crushed corn flakes seasoned with herbs, and then oven bake. It’s pretty simple and straight forward.
The flavor is all in the hot honey sauce. Oh this sauce, it’s genuinely just so good.
The sauce was inspired by the famous Nashville Hot Chicken. It’s spicy, but balanced with a touch of sweetness. The classic way to add sweetness to this spicy sauce is with brown sugar, but you guys know I prefer using honey whenever I get the chance, so I made a few swaps and came out with one of my favorite sauces to date.
As soon as the chicken comes out of the oven, brush the hot honey over the warm chicken and allow it to soak into the crunchy coating. Then eat.
It. Is. SO. GOOD.
And I swear, you can’t even tell it’s not fried.
When I finally had the chicken perfected, I sent the leftovers home with my brother knowing he’d love them. Thing is, you can’t trust brothers to do anything because the chicken somehow managed to get burnt in the oven while re-heating. Either he burned it or my dad did, the stories are unclear, but either way, no one got any of this delicious chicken…well at least not the way it was intended to be eaten.
YES. Totally serious. My family everyone. I love um, but man they cannot cook.
Oh well, bottom line is that this chicken is delicious and you really need to give it a try. Today, tomorrow, this weekend, or maybe even this summer. This chicken would be perfect for warm picnics and summer parties.
Or how about all of the above?
If you make this Oven Fried Chicken and love it, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love, love, love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every one of you. Oh, and of course, if you do make this chicken, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram so I can see! I love looking at the photos of recipes you all have made. It makes my day!
Watch the How To Video:
Oven Fried Southern Hot Honey Chicken
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 651 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs (you can use skin on or off, but I used skin off)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 cups finely crushed corn flakes
- 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
Hot Honey
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2-3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt
Instructions
- 1. Add the chicken to a gallon size zip top bag. Pour the buttermilk and salt over the chicken. Toss well, cover and refrigerate 20 minutes or overnight.2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.3. Add the corn flake crumbs, flour, thyme, and a pinch of salt to a medium sized bowl. Stir to combine.4. Remove each piece of chicken from the buttermilk, and dredge through the crumbs, pressing gently to adhere. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the chicken has been used. Make sure not to crowd your pan, if necessary use two baking sheets. Lightly brush the chicken with olive oil. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, then flip the chicken over and continue cooking another 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. If using thighs, you may need to cook the chicken a little longer 5. Meanwhile, make the hot honey. Melt together the butter, honey, cayenne, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. 5. Brush or drizzle the chicken generously with hot honey and serve warm Enjoy!
Sounds good to me.
This post was originally published on May 2, 2018
I made this for dinner tonight and it was incredible! I can’t wait to make it again!
Thank you so much Heidee! I am so glad you loved this! xTieghan
The flavor was really great, and it was pretty easy!! My only problem was that the coating just wouldn’t stick to the chicken and ended up pretty soggy.. other than that it was so good!
Thank you so much Emily! xTieghan
I forgot to take a photo! So sorry! But this was seriously amazing and easy! I made a combination of breast tenderloins and thighs. Both came out perfectly and the hot honey is to die for! What you don’t say is how good the chicken is before putting the honey on it! Delicious! You have a follower for life!
I am so glad to hear that Jen!! That is so great! xTieghan
Very easy to make and absolutely delicious! My picky toddler asked for seconds so I will be making this again! Thank you!
Thank you Priya! xTieghan
Hi! I would love to try this recipe- but I have a dairy allergy- what can I substitute for the buttermilk?
Hi Deena! I recommend using canned full fat coconut milk. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Hi,
any particular reason you used wheat flour and can this be substituted for normal, white flour?
As a side note – I’m from little New Zealand and have just discovered your site thanks to a USA friend – i’m currently obsessing and cooking my heart out 🙂 love the photography too –
half of me whats to tell all my friends out here about you and the other half just wants to keep you to myself for a little bit and bask in their praises when i serve them your tasty dishes 🙂
Hi Anthea! I just like wheat flour, but all-purpose flour will work great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! And THANK YOU so much! You are so sweet!! xTieghan
We LOVE this dish! So easy and delicious. Any tips on the hot honey? Mine separated a bit…wondering if there’s a good way to keep it together. xx
HI there! The hot honey separates once cooled, if you keep it warm it shouldn’t separate! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I was so excited to try this because of the good ratings. But we made it tonight and the sauce was remarkablely bad. The Cayenne pepper really overpowered it. No sweetness, just a hit of spicy blandness.
Hi Bethany! I am so sorry to hear that. Are there any questions I could help with? I hope you love some other recipes on my blog! xTieghan
I hate when people make tons of changes then leave bad reviews. I did make 2 minor changes. I used eggs instead of butter milk as you talked about in the comments and it wasn’t until I started cooking I realized I had Frosted Flakes.
I used my mincer to crush the flakes. This was DELICIOUS and easy!!
Adding it to my list!
Hi Nikki! I am so glad this turned out so well for you and you loved it! Thank you! xTieghan
So delicious! I come back to this again and again because it is easy and sooo good! The kids eat it without the hot honey, and the adults slather it on. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you so much Sarah! xTieghan
Just got off whole30 (made it 13 days, oh well) and I can’t wait to make this. Do you have recommendations on side dishes for this? Looking for a carb (was reeeeeally leaning towards some type of Mac and cheese but I’m open to potatoes) and a veggie dish.
Love your blog!
Hi Tobey! That is longer than I would have, haha! I personally love to do mixed vegetables and rice or potatoes! Honestly, mac and cheese sounds amazing as well! I will leave some links below for you! xTieghan
https://fett-weg.today/buttery-herbed-mashed-potatoes/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://fett-weg.today/crockpot-three-cheese-mashed-potatoes/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://fett-weg.today/baked-brie-mac-and-cheese/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://fett-weg.today/sneaky-zucchini-mac-and-cheese-with-everything-bagel-chip-crumbs/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
This is a good recipe. I used boneless, skinless thighs and breasts. Unfortunately, mine didn’t crisp in the oven as much as I would have liked—I didn’t want to keep it in too long to ensure the chicken didn’t dry out, so I switched on the broiler and it helped. I also misread the amount of cayenne (I read 2-3 tsp as 2/3 tsp) so it wasn’t spicy! The misread was on me. I plan to try again with a couple modifications. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Thank you Mary! I am so glad you loved this! xTieghan
I’m so not a person who comments or posts things on social media but I think it’s worth coming out of my internet anonymity to comment on this recipe. I learned about your site last month after having a conversation with my dental hygienist about “what in the world should I make for my family for dinner tonight” and she told me about all the recipes she’s made from your blog. I immediately found your site and since then have made at least 20 of your recipes. I have three young kids and everything I have made from your site appeals to all of them – which in itself is a miracle! I love your seasonal approach and mix of traditional with a twist, all the while having amazing flavors and contrast. This recipe (so far) is our favorite and my husband asked, “Can we please have this every other week!?”. I made two batches of the hot honey topping, one with spice and one dialed back for my kids. That’s why I love all your recipes because I can make one meal for the entire family (which is HUGE) and then make small alterations on the side for my kids to enjoy as well. It’s been a great way to introduce them to new flavors so thank you!
And your photography is spectacular!
I am so glad you found my blog and have been loving my recipes! I have a huge family as well, so I always try to create recipes that will feed them all haha! Thank you Kate! xTieghan
Delicious! If you have any of the honey butter left drizzle it on popcorn along with a bit of lime juice for some mind blowing popcorn.
WOW that sounds amazing and am totally trying it! Thank you Manson! xTieghan
Absolute new favorite recipe. Paired with some garlic mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus. We cannot get enough! Thank you!!
Thank you so much Kacie! xTieghan