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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!

overhead photo Oven Fried Southern Hot Honey Chicken

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.

overhead photo of Oven Fried chicken before adding sauce

close up photo of Oven Fried Southern Hot Honey Chicken

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.

side angle photo of Oven Fried Southern 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.

adding sauce to Oven Fried Southern Hot Honey Chicken

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?

angled photo of Oven Fried Southern Hot Honey Chicken that has been cut into

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

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
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.

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Ingredients

Hot Honey

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!
View Recipe Comments

horizontal photo of Oven Fried Southern Hot Honey Chicken

Sounds good to me.

This post was originally published on May 2, 2018
4.33 from 1346 votes (1,055 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I have tried a dozen oven fried chicken recipes from many places and they’ve never come through. This one did. This is legitimately one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Just make it!!!

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    One of the best chicken recipes I’ve tried! Chicken was delicious, and that sauce was amazing. The rest of the family agree – definitely keeping this in our regular rotation!

    Reply

    1. Hey Danielle,
      Awesome, I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

  4. 5 stars
    Made this a few weeks ago – it was SUPER delicious – already remaking it for friends this evening. 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hey Emily,
      Awesome, I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

  5. 5 stars
    This was SO good! When I was dredging the chicken through the crumbs it looked a little too much like shake and bake and I started to wonder if it would turn out but the chicken was so crispy and delicious! I shouldn’t have been surprised haha! The sauce was unreal! I cut down on the spices because my husband and I are semi-wimpy with spice but still had a good kick and tons of flavour. We used the chicken and sauce to make chicken sandwiches and we will definitely be making them again!! Another Half Baked Harvest winner!!

    Reply

    1. Hey Michelle,
      Awesome, I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Rhonda,
      Awesome, I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

  7. Is there a good way to flip over the chickens in the halfway point after taking the first 15 min out the oven? I used tongs and they basically scraped off half the crunchy toppings on one of the chickens. 🙁

    Reply

    1. Hey Amanda,
      My family likes to eat this with white rice and a veggie! I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan

      Reply

  9. Wow! I made this couple nights ago and my college son said it was the best chicken I’ve ever made. I couldn’t get the sauce right though, the butter kept separating and rising to the top of the mixture, so we might try a different sauce next time. Thanks for sharing this chicken method.

    Reply

  10. 5 stars
    So delicious and so easy! Make this chicken! I love the honey and the heat together. It’s spicy and sweet and crisp and juicy.

    Reply

  11. How do you keep the coating from coming off the chicken when flipping in the oven? The cornflake mix does not stick to the chicken as well as it appears in your photos.

    Reply

    1. Hey Marc,
      Sorry you are having issues with the coating, I really press the flakes into the chicken so it does not fall off as much. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan

      Reply

  12. 5 stars
    Just made this for dinner tonight and took a quick sample. So delicious!! I used boneless skinless chicken breast and it is moist and perfectly spicy! Another winning recipe!!

    Reply

  13. 1 star
    The sauce from this recipe is so hard and ridiculous to get to the correct consistency. I had to re-make this sauce two separate times and still the butter completely separated from the seasonings and was watery. I would try to come up with a different recipe for it! Just did not work and felt like I wasted my time on this meal. Definitely won’t make again.

    Reply

    1. Hey there,
      So sorry you had issues with the sauce. When a sauce separates that means it was cooked for too long. Next time, try just warming until the ingredients are combined, that should work better for you! xTieghan

      Reply

  14. 5 stars
    This is the first time I have tried one of your recipes. I have followed you on Instagram and this one I just had to try. My husband is obsessed with the sauce and even tried to pour it on his Mac and cheese as well. I would say use smaller chicken breasts, as the one ones I had on hand were pretty big but still turned out amazing. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply