Next Post
Baked Egg Crepes with Spring Herbs and Avocado.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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 served this with a simple southern style cabbage slaw, and it was a slam dunk! family loved it, already planning the next time i can make it again. wish i would have taken a picture!
Hey Corie,
I am thrilled you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Since you cut the chicken breasts in half does that change the cooking time?
Hey Brooke,
You can follow the recipe as is:) xTieghan
We have this for dinner tonight and cannot wait! It’s a firm family favourite.. you’re amazing!
Hey Charlotte,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am delighted it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
I’ve made this twice now and both times the chicken stuck to the wax paper so bad that the whole layer of crumbs stuck to the paper and the chicken was bare. The second time I tried putting oil on the wax paper but it made no difference. Any suggestions?
Hey Stella,
So sorry about this…but you want to use parchment paper, not wax paper. You never want to use wax paper in the oven. Try using parchment and let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Same thing happened to me with foil :/ So I promptly ordered parchment paper lol. Looking forward to trying this again
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try making this. What sides would you suggest serving with this?
Thank you!
Hey Kara,
My family loves this chicken with white rice or homemade fries and a salad! I hope you love the recipe. Let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Can’t wait to try this! Suggestions on sides to serve with?
Hey Sarah,
I hope you love this recipe! My family loves the chicken with white rice or homemade fries and a salad! xTieghan
Hi my crust stuck to the parchment paper, I have lore chicken to make tomorrow, maybe I didn’t have enough oil or should have sprayed the sheet? Or should I try it without the parchment paper? Or air fryer?
I just found you a few weeks ago & your recipes have made cooking & eating fun again, frankly I was getting bored. Thanks!
Alicia
Hey Alicia,
So sorry about this! I would use more oil or spray your sheet. Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try:) xTieghan
What did I do wrong? My breading didn’t crisp up and just slid right off?! I want to try again, but want to fix the mistake!
Hey Becky,
So sorry about this, was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Did you press the breading into the chicken? Did you coat with olive oil? These are key! Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Made this tonight! Delish! Kept half of it without sauce as my young kids wouldn’t like, but my husband and I enjoyed it a lot! Thanks!
Hey Shannon,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
So I made the chicken and absolutely loved it. However the sauce was a problem. The butter separated from the rest and was gloppy. So grateful for any help you can offer ?
Hey Jen,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! So sorry about the sauce, I thinking it was overcooked, that is when it usually separates. xTieghan
Any reason i couldn’t use regular white flour instead of whole wheat?? Can’t wait to make it!
Hey Tracy,
Yes, that would work just fine. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Amazing! I’ve been cooking recipes from your blog for the last month and this is my favorite! So juicy & so good! Thank you!
Hey Kiley,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Absolutely fantastic! Will be making again!
Thanks so much Michelle! xTieghan
I made this recipe with chicken tenders and my husband and I loved it. My kids not so much. I made the mistake of drizzling all the tenders with the sweet and spicy butter sauce. Next time I will leave some plain for them. I also would encourage you to taste the sauce as you put in the cayenne pepper. I only put about a teaspoon and a half and hought that was plenty. I also added a little extra honey. The chicken is GREAT cold and I chopped up some leftover tenders and added the pieces to a salad.
Hey Megan,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy New Year! xTieghan
I can’t believe how good this recipe is it is a keeper and everything I have made from your site and on IG is impeccable.
Hey Joan,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Happy Holidays! xTieghan