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Sweet, sweet southern food.
M’m, M’m, good.
(No idea why the Campbell’s slogan just came out of my head – sorry, it’s been a long three days.)
Let’s talk about how I decide on a recipe, because for me it’s a hard task.
See, it all depends on my mood, that and if there happens to be someone I am feeding that day that I am trying to please.
More often than not, I go by my mood because I live in a family of picky, try nothing new, eaters. Except for little Asher, they are also all boys. So basically, beef and chicken are what’s frequently on their radar. They even had a little hissy fit over the pork from Monday.
Most of the time, I just make what I want and forget about the complainers. Well, I don’t forget about them, I will normally make sure they have something to eat. Pizza, chicken, steak or tacos typically do the trick.
But for some reason I was feeling like a simple classic dinner was in need.
That, and I really just wanted to stop my thoughts and decide on a recipe already!
I obviously make a ton of food and I try to make most of my dishes a little different, and hopefully something you haven’t seen too much of. You know just give it a little twist or something, but let me tell you a little secret.
My family? Sometimes they just want the normal stuff. Meaning cheese pizza, pasta with butter + salt (and nothing else), grilled cheese (you know with butter, bread and cheese). Basically nothing fancy, and I can’t blame them, sometimes the simplest foods are the very best.
I know this chicken has a fancy bourbon sauce, but aside from the sauce it’s your just basic, delicious, oven fried chicken. Oven fried because I have been frying too much this week, so I went with oven. It’s the bomb.
Oh and another thing, I really love making foods from different parts of the country, and the world (like my major exploitation of Mexico). It’s super fun to dive into different flavors. The flavors of the South are ones I do not touch on all that often.
I tend to sway towards Thai, Asian and (quite frequently) Mexican, flavors. But this southern food? Yea, it’s safe to say I am so on board with it. I have caught the southern food bug. I actually had another southern meal that I wanted make for today, but it’s heavy on the summer flavors, so I decided to hold off for a few weeks. I kind of can’t stop thinking of summer recipes. I am so ready (as it’s snowing outside my window right now – heck, I’ll even take spring!).
The sauce is honestly the best part. It’s this chicken’s better half. The two just need each other.
Kind of like bread and butter, fries and ketchup and milk and cookies. The honey sweet bourbon sauce with this chicken is one of those, “goes great together” kind of meals. They just work, and to me it screams southern comfort food.
Oven-Fried Southern Chicken With Sweet Honey Bourbon Sauce.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 827 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken
- 2 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 2 cups corn flake crumbs
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- a good pinch of salt & pepper
Sweet Honey Bourbon Sauce
- 3/4 cup bourbon
- 1 cup cold water divided
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons of your favorite BBQ Sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons tabasco
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 4-8 tablespoons melted salted butter
Instructions
Sweet Honey Bourbon Sauce
- In a bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water until smooth. Add the cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. In a medium sauce pan over low heat, combine the bourbon, 3/4 cup water, soy sauce, honey, BBQ Sauce, Tabasco and dijon. Bring up the heat to a simmer and slowly add the corn starch mixture, whisking vigorously as you go. When the mixture is well combined, cook about 1 more minute. Turn off the heat and add the butter. Set aside until ready to use. The sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve.
Chicken
- Add the chicken to a large bowl and pour the buttermilk over the chicken. Toss well, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- After 2 hours or the next day preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat, foil or parchment paper and spray or brush it with some olive oil.
- Add the corn flakes crumbs, Panko, flour, smoked paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- 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 spray the chicken with cooking spray or a mist of olive oil. Drizzle the melted butter over the chicken.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400 degrees F. Bake for 10-12 minutes more, then flip the chicken over and gently spray with olive oil. Place back in oven for another 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clean. Serve with a lemon wedge if desired and the bourbon sauce.
Which is good just about any time.
PS. Not my hands. Just another dirty brother (no seriously they had just come in from dirt biking in the snow/mud) dying for some food. Oven-fried chicken was a good lunch. They all approved. AND they loved the sauce!
This post was originally published on April 30, 2014
Seriously this recipe needs to happen in my kitchen, especially the sauce! I must compliment you on your AMAZING recipes! They always come out great!
Thanks!! Your comments are always the sweetest!
I never think of breaded chicken as a dinner recipe but now I know what’s on the menu tonight!
http://bakeitblonde.blogspot.co.uk/
Thanks! Hope you love this!
I am SO about bourbon sauce right now!! I used a butter bourbon sauce to make monkey bread a few posts back and it was unreaaal, I can only imagine how freakin’ good this tastes!!!
That Monkey bread sounds amazing!! Thanks Christine!
Oh, Wow! This looks so amazing! It’s morning and let me tell you, I would love a piece of this right now- even with my coffee! I can’t wait to try this:) I love that it’s oven fried too!
Thanks so much!
Best comfort food, ever! I love that this is baked and it still has that awesome crust on the outside. The honey bourbon sauce, oh my goodness…amazing!!
Thanks Julie!! Happy you are back!
Mmm … that sauce sounds (and looks!) absolutely delicious. I wish I was in your family, Tieghan. Yummy deliciousness on the table every single day!
Thanks so much, Helen!
I’m assuming, since you didn’t note otherwise, that you’re using skin on bone in chicken. Is that correct?
Hey Tiffany, I actually used boneless skinless chicken chicken breast and thighs with a few skin on drumsticks thrown into the mix as well. Fee free to use what ever you prefer. Hope you love this!
Pure perfection! I love that honey bourbon sauce and am in desperate need of a hunk of chicken. Thanks for the southern inspiration, dear!
Thanks Julia! Have a great weekend!
Love that the chicken is baked instead of fried…it looks fried though so I’m planning on fooling a few people with that. I hope to make the sauce if we have any bourbon leftover after the Derby!!!
Thanks! Have fun celebrating the Derby tomorrow!
I am confused about the second mention of the buttermilk too. I am sure you wouldn’t use the buttermilk where it had soaked possibly over night. do you rise that off then dip in buttermilk with the sauce added?
Hey Charlotte, sorry about that. I fixed the recipe so it makes sense!
Hope you love this chicken. Thanks!
I’m with your brothers….really picky. That honey bourbon sauce, bring it! Put me in coach! Yay for plain eating. Looks scrumptious.
Haha! Thanks!
LOVE this lightened up Southern oven-fried chicken, T! The honey sauce with a splash of bourbon is brilliant. Yes, please! I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love fried chicken. Pinning!
Thank you so much, Stacy!! Have a great weekend!
Hi Tieghan – I will be making this tonight! I do have a question or two tho –
in step 4 you mention putting the chicken in buttermilk and bbq honey mustard sauce (is there a recipe for this? or is it the bourbon sauce?). How much buttermilk? I’m assuming it’s not the same buttermilk the chicken was already soaking in right? Thanks Tieghan – this looks fantastic and what’s for dinner tonight! I love that it’s baked and not fried.
Hey Kathy! Sorry about the typo. I fixed the recipe so it makes sense!
Hope you love this chicken. Thank so much!!
Thanks Tieghan, can’t wait to try this!
Thanks Kathy!
I LOVE oven fried chicken – you’re right , sometimes the simplest things are just the best! That honey bourbon sauce? BEST IDEA. Pinned!
Thanks for pinning, Taylor!
My son loves fried chicken and this one’s a winner!
Thanks!