Description
This Baked Hot Honey Chicken features a super crunchy cornflake crust with juicy and tender chicken thighs inside. The dish is coated in a sweet and spicy hot honey sauce that perfectly balances heat and sweetness, creating a delightful blend of flavors and textures. It’s an easy, flavorful baked chicken recipe that’s perfect for a crowd-pleasing main dish.
Ingredients
Chicken and Coating
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp hot sauce
- 4 cups cornflakes
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tsp paprika or smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Hot Honey Sauce
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup hot sauce (or more to taste)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp chili flakes (optional)
- 3/4 tsp chili powder (optional)
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- Prepare Crumb Coating: In a food processor, combine cornflakes, grated Parmesan, paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt. Pulse until the mixture becomes a fine, crumbly texture. Transfer these crumbs into a shallow bowl for dredging.
- Coat the Chicken: In another bowl, beat the eggs with hot sauce thoroughly. Dip the chicken thighs into this egg mixture until fully coated. Then, dredge each piece of chicken in the crumb mixture, ensuring all sides are completely covered to create a thick crunchy crust.
- Arrange and Drizzle Oil: Place the coated chicken thighs onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle each piece with olive oil evenly to help achieve a golden brown and crispy exterior during baking.
- Bake Chicken: Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the crust is crispy and golden.
- Prepare Hot Honey Sauce: While the chicken bakes, whisk together honey, hot sauce, garlic powder, chili flakes, chili powder, and salt in a large bowl until everything is fully combined to create a sweet and spicy sauce.
- Drizzle and Serve: Just before serving, drizzle the hot honey sauce over the baked chicken thighs for a flavorful finishing touch, then enjoy your crispy, juicy Hot Honey Chicken.
Notes
- If you prefer less heat, adjust the hot sauce amount in both the egg wash and the honey sauce to your taste.
- For extra crispiness, you can lightly crush the cornflakes instead of fully pulverizing them in the food processor.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs work best for even cooking and tenderness.
- Serving this dish with a side of simple steamed vegetables or a fresh salad balances the richness well.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven to retain crispiness.
