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
My chicken came out great but a good amount of the breading came off! Any suggestions on getting the breading to stick?
HI! Make sure you are really allowing the buttermilk to drip off the chicken before coating. If you use to much milk, the breading will fall off. Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
I had my doubts as I was making this…BUT it was soooo good! My family went nuts over it. I will make this again and again. Great to just have it in fridge as hungry kids are running in and out all the time. I do have to say I used way more cornflake mix then it called for? But no big deal, I just made more to cover all the chicken. MAKE THIS TODAY…I am again 🙂
Hi Bernadette! I am so glad you loved this recipe and it turned out so well for you! Thank you so much!
I made this tonight with blue cheese mashed potatoes and collard greens, my husband loved it (and so did I!) thanks for another great recipe!
Thank you so much Kelsey! I am so glad you and your husband loved this!
I made this last night for dinner and it was fantastic. Rave reviews from all.
Thank you Meri!
Tonight is the 3rd time I have made this wonderful dish in the last 3 months. Made as is. Truly Delish!!
Thank you Kim!
FInally had a chance to try this tonight. Used chicken tenders and 1 tsp of the cayenne. Absolutely fantastic! Everyone loved it.
I am so glad you loved this! Thank you so much Jo!
Can you use regular white flour instead of wheat flour? I know it’s not as healthy but wondering if it will change the flavor.
Hey Janice! Yes, you can use white flour, that will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
Sorry!!! Forgot to rate it!!!! 5 STAR for sure!!
Thank you!!
So delicious!! I made as directed but toned down the heat a little bit. Next time I will just make as directed. I agree on doubling the sauce for sure!!
Thank you so much Kim!
Sooooo gooood!
Even my 4year old thought so(minus the delicious spicy honey of course) but the child who has to be cajoled into eating his dinner had two helpings at dinner two nights in a row and ate it for lunch!
May make our own chicken fingers this way too since it was such a hit.
I have been following you for a while but this is my first comment, took me a while to make any of the dozens of recipes I’ve book marked and then just this week I’ve made 3!!
Keep up the great work and lovely posts! Cheers
Thank you so much Jacque! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!!
Making this tonight with three large chicken breasts and was wondering if you had cut the breasts you used into smaller pieces? Thank you!
Hi Kailey! I did actually. I halved the chicken breasts. I hope you enjoy this!
Delicious! However, I think 3 tsp cayenne is too much — even for people who like a lot of heat. I would start with 1 tsp next time.
Hi Natalie! I am so sorry about that, but I am glad you still enjoyed this!
Delicious! My 3 yo niece helped me make this recipe and she had so much fun dredging the chicken. It got a little messy but was fun to make with her. Bonus, she and my 5 yo nephew LOVED the chicken and each ate a whole thigh, with no bribing needed 😉
That is amazing! Thank you Becky!
I was so excited to make this recipe as I am with any of your recipes. Unfortunately I am so disappointed that I have to post. The chicken was not crispy at all. The sauce was OK. I love spicy but the combination of spices was overwhelming and the honey was lost.
Hi KJ! I am so sorry that this recipe did not work out for you! I hope you still try some other recipes on my blog and enjoy them!
So I made this last night – but just as honey butter oven fried chicken – my boyfriend had a canker sore so I didn’t want to make it spicy at all (but I look forward to remaking this as shown!). It was fantastic and so delicious. My boyfriend loved it too. Thanks for the great recipe.
Thank you so much Kara! I am so glad you and your boyfriend loved this!