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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
This chicken is amazing! Super easy to make, and not time consuming at all.
Love to hear that! Thank you for trying this Jessica! xTieghan
What would this be good to serve with??
Hi Ali! I would serve with your favorite green vegetables or salad! I hope you love this! xTieghan
I made this last night and it was amazing. Paired the chicken up with southern style Collard greens and buttery Yukon gold mashed potatoes.
Thank you so much KJ! xTieghan
This was sooo good! Made this tonight with panko (we didn’t have corn flakes in the house) and all purpose flour and it still ended up being delicious! The hot honey sauce was so good with this, and even my three year old enjoyed the chicken ?. Had this with a side of the crispy zucchini from the gnocchi recipe (sans gnocchi) and it was a perfect combo!
Love that!! Thank you so much Jess! xTieghan
Yummmm! Just made this, sauce is delish and I’m a sucker for any kind of breaded chicken. Just wish I could perfect the crunchiness, still working on it!
Made this tonight for dinner and it was amazing! Love how quick and easy it was too. Definitely would recommend and will be making again. I have leftover hot honey- any recommendations of what else I could use that on?
Hi Traci,
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, I would use it on pizza!! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
The flavor was great. But, mine did not get as I crispy as I thought it would. Therefore, we were disappointed. What did I do wrong?
Hi Mary,
So sorry you did not get the results that you were looking for. It is super important to drizzle with olive oil, you can even flip halfway through baking and drizzle the other side, this is key for the crispiness. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Made these tonight and they were so delicious! The whole family (including picky children) ate them and asked for more! Also made the cheddar cream cheese jalapeño biscuits to go with them and also another to die for recipe!
That is so amazing!! Thank. you so much Kate! xTieghan
Hi HBH
love your work here from Australia! My husband actually followed you first and now I’m a hug fan. Just on the chicken, do you need to use buttermilk or can Use yoghurt and milk which I usually do schnitzels with and much healthier than the sugar in buttermilk?
Hi Kristina,
Yes that will work too! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Looks great..can I use chicken tenders and regular white flour?
Hi Sue! Yes that should be fine! I hope you love this one! xTieghan
Would Panko be a suitable substitute for cornflakes?
Hi Susan! Yes that should work great! I hope you love this one! xTieghan
Hi from Nashville! This was so good and so easy. I love a recipe that even I can’t screw up!
Thank you so much! xTieghan
This is so different from the one used in the Cajun hot honey butter shrimp although that recipe references that it is. The ingredient amounts below are way off except for the chili powder & smoked paprika, they are the same. Amounts in italics are from Shrimp recipe. This didn’t make for a good sauce.
HOT HONEY
6 tablespoons butter (2 TBSP)
2 tablespoons honey (1/4 C)
2-3 teaspoons cayenne pepper (1 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
kosher salt
Hey Susan, what is it you are asking exactly? Yes, I adjusted the sauce recipe to fit the shrimp accordingly. It’s slightly different, but the very same ingredients and flavors. Was something the matter with your sauce? Let me know how I can help! I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Tried this last night and loved it! Sent it to family members. I absolutely LOVE the sauce.Huge win. I did have some issues keeping the breading on the chicken though. I had to make a few tweaks based on supplies I had available. I used buckwheat flour instead of whole grain, cut the chicken into nuggets instead of breasts, and put on foil instead of parchment paper. Any suggestions on what I should do differently next time to avoid it falling off? Honestly, still tasted great without, but I know a few people who would love it even more with that extra breading and crunch. Thanks!
Hi Jessica! I am so glad this recipe turned out well for you! I would suggest making sure the cornflakes are very crushed up, make sure there is not a lot of buttermilk still on the chicken, and press the crumbs into the chicken. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Made this tonight in my air fryer. 400 degrees, spray with Pam, flip halfway for 12-14 min, depending on the size of the chicken. Holy smokes was this good! Crunchy, juicy, spicy and sweet! Will definitely be making again!!
I am so happy to hear that Cheryl! Thank you so much for trying this one! xTieghan