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
Made this last night and it was off the chain good!!! This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Haha I am so glad you loved this!! Thank you!
The dish was very good but I had the same problem another user mentioned; all the breading fell off the larger pieces! Next time I’ll try letting more buttermilk drip off.
Hi Maia! I am so sorry that happened! I hope this turns out better next time! Please let me know if you have any questions!
Oh my god. I just made this in the air fryer and it was amazing! I’m mildly embarrassed to say I ate the first batch in about 10 minutes. Also I know people have been raving about the hot honey, but I don’t think it’s talked up enough. I put some on my popcorn for tomorrow’s snack, and the hot honey butter kicked it quite a few notches! I’m so glad you seem to enjoy spicy foods as much as I do.
I am so glad you loved this! Thank you so much Erica!
I made this last night and I loved it!
I prepped the boneless skinless chicken thighs in the buttermilk and salt the night before. When I got home from work, I made the corn flake coating- (tried using rolling pin on a zip locked bag but ended up throwing it all into a food processor- quicker and easier. BTW I probably used 4-5 cups of uncrushed corn flakes to equal 3 cups of crushed corn flakes.). The coating adhered to the chicken really well but I did not brush on the oil because I think it would have brushed off the coating, so I just lightly drizzled oil over chicken.
Then, a friend stopped by! So, I never made the Hot Honey Sauce and it was still great! Next time, I won’t answer my front door so I can have my sauce.
Tonight when I reheated the leftovers, I used the oven so it would still have the crispy crust, yum!
I am so glad you loved this! Haha I hope you do make the sauce next time, I think you’ll enjoy it! Thank you Melissa!
I made this the other night and it was a HUGE hit with my family! My husband is an expert on fried chicken so I wasn’t sure how this would go over with him. He absolutely loved it and so did I! BTW I used tenders. Thank you!!
I am so glad you loved this!! Thank you so much!
Muito delicioso, suas receitas são maravilhosas.
Long time reader, frequent recipe tester, recipe book owner…I’ve never commented before but I had to after trying this recipe. It is SO good. Good amount of spice but perfectly balanced with the sweet of the honey. A great amount of crunch from the breading even after smothering it in the sauce. I’ve loved half baked harvest for a while but now I’m fully devoted. Thank you thank you thank you.
I am so happy to hear this Nina! Thank you so much!!
Made this tonight. We had my ‘Bonus son’ and his girlfriend over for dinner. And it was such a huge succes. Made the sauce a little less spicy. Also made oven roast potatoes tossed with homemade dry Ranch dressing mix and a coleslaw. It’s a keeper. And your honey-version is so much more delicious than with dark suger. I was stubborn and made it first with dark sugar. Tossed it and made your version with the honey. Thank you for this great recipe!
Greetings from The Netherlands,
Tessa
Hi Tessa! I am so glad this recipe turned out amazing for you and you all enjoyed it! Thank you so much!
While I was checking out the Strawberry Shortcakes I spied this recipe and had to make it too. The whole family loved it. Especially the picky one! I did scale back the cayenne to 1/2tsp which gave it heat at the end and was perfect for our tastes. I can confirm it was just as wonderful the next day for lunch too! I served with herbed baby potatoes and roasted corn on the cob. Love LOVE your recipes!
Hi Denise! I am so glad you loved this recipe and I hope you continue to enjoy others! Thank you so much!
Made this tonight and it was A M A Z I N G. I cut the cayenne down to 1 tsp and it was perfect for us. This is going into my rotation. I’ve made lots of HBH recipes and have loved them all, keep doing your thing Tieghan!!
It makes me so happy to hear that! Thank you so much Megan!
I made this recipe last night – my boyfriend and I both loved it! He said it is the new gold standard he will use to compare all other (oven) fried chicken.
My only question, is that after I flipped it, the bottom side of the chicken didn’t crisp up. Do you think I had too much buttermilk on the chicken when I dredged it? There were about 2 inches between pieces so I don’t think I overcrowded the pan. Any advice would be great for next time 🙂
HI! It is important to let most of the buttermilk drip off before breading, so that might have been the reason the bottom feel off. That said, it’s hard to know what happened without being there. Hope this helps! Please let me know if you have other questions. Glad you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Just made these (using leftover cornflakes from your Special K bars), and oh my goodness! They are SO good! (I subbed buttermilk for plain Kefir and it totally worked). You are 100% my favourite food blogger. Your recipes never disappoint AND I love the personal touch you add (take that Google). Seriously though, thank you for gracing the world with such deliciousness. 🙂
Awh you are too sweet!! Thank you so much, I am so glad you loved this recipe and hope you continue to enjoy others!
I’m making this for my mom for Mother’s Day! Quick question – should the butter be salted or unsalted?!
I usually use salted butter, but unsalted works fine too with a pinch of salt. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Hi Tieghan! Made this tonight & it was absolutely fabulous. Loved the corn flake crust and damn that sauce was sooo spicy and soooo delicious! I also made your hasselback potatoes au gratin because I had fresh thyme & the oven temp was the same as the chicken…haha. So it was the perfect excuse to make both. Thanks for the recipe. ?
Thank you so much Becca! I am so glad you liked this recipe!
This was so easy and so delicious! Even though it has buttermilk and a lot of butter in the sauce, it still seems healthier than actual fried chicken. Definitely going to make this again!
Thank you so much Lauren! I am so glad you liked this!