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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
Made this tonight and everyone loved it! I loved that I could prep it in the morning and it was very quick at dinner time. Chicken was very crispy and the sauce was so good, sweet and spicy! This one is a keeper!
I am so glad you loved this Deb! Thank you!
Oh my goodness, this chicken was so so yummy and came together very quick for a great weeknight meal. Let the record show, I love your blog and am a loyal follower of yours both here and on instagram 🙂
Thank you so much Meg! I am so glad you loved this recipe!
Made this chicken tonight and everyone loved it! Fantastic crunch from the corn flakes and the sauce was sweet and spicy. Delicious! Definitely a keeper.
Thank you so much Deb!
I’m so excited to try this recipe! I have never made something form your blog or cookbook and not LOVED it. What side would you recommend with this for dinner?
Hi Giovanna! That is so sweet, thank you so much! I would recommend potatoes, roasted vegetables, potato salad or rice! I hope you love this!
Made this tonight for my husband and it was a hit! Spicy and tasty! Couldn’t get the crispyness I’d like but with the flavor it was great.
I am so glad you liked this! Thanks Debbie!
I made this a couple days ago and I’m just popping by again to say how much we LOVED it 🙂 will definitely make it again!
Just one thing – I made about half the amount of chicken (for only 2 of us) and the whole amount of the Hot Honey and it was delicious! I recommend making extra of the Hot Honey it was perfect!
Thank you 🙂
I am so glad you loved this Michelle! Thank you so much!
Is there a good substitute for buttermilk?
You can use a nut milk or regular. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Just made this recipe tonight and it was off the hook!!! This is definitely a keeper.
Thank you so much Robbie! I am so happy to hear you loved this!
Made this tonight! Soooo good! Sauce is amazing! Will definitely make again!
Thank you so much Sara!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It’s going in this week’s lineup and I can’t wait to try it! What do you recommend paring it with?! Side note: your story telling is part of the experience when browsing around your site! It’s just as pleasant as is making your delicious recipes. So Thank you for taking the time to share that with everyone! 🙂
Hi Rachel! I hope you absolutely love this recipe! I would pair it with potatoes, rice, roasted vegetables, or potato salad! Also, so glad you are liking the blog! Thank you!
Make this chicken along side tacos, rice and beans for a family cinco de mayo dinner. Great dish! Everyone loved it!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you!
OH my gosh this was sooooo good! The spicy honey butter sauce is amazing. Another hit for you Tieghan.
Thank you!! SO glad you enjoyed this!
SEO is one of the most annoying parts of blogging for me – I feel like I can never figure it out. Im glad I’m not alone! you already have such a dedicated following and your content is so high quality that people naturally gravitate towards it (including myself) – once you master SEO there will be no stopping you! Can’t wait to make this recipe, it looks beautiful and delicious as always.
Thank you so much Katie! I am so glad you like my blog and the content I share!
Tasting it In my mind as I sm reading the recipe – yes, yes and yes. Will make next week. Thank you.
I hope you love it! Thank you Debbi!
I’ve been making a variation of this dish for years. We call if chippy chicken because i use BBQ chips. This recipe just took it to a whole ‘nuther level! I think it was the buttermilk and thyme! The honey sauce made it that much more delicious with a heat that was perfect. I will be making this again – thanks for sharing.
I am so glad you loved this!! Thank you so much Kimberli!