Description
Hot honey chicken brings a spicy-sweet kick to your dinner table that’ll have everyone asking for seconds. Glazed with a fiery honey sauce and perfectly crispy, this dish turns an ordinary meal into a flavor-packed experience your family will crave.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup honey
Wet Ingredients and Seasoning Base:
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Garnish and Frying Ingredients:
- Vegetable oil
- Sesame seeds
- Chopped green onions
- Pickle slices
Instructions
- Soak 2 lbs of chicken thigh pieces in 1 cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon hot sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 30-120 minutes.
- Whisk 1 cup flour, ½ cup cornstarch, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and optional ½ teaspoon cayenne in a large bowl.
- Heat vegetable oil to 350F in a heavy pot, creating 2-3 inches of oil depth.
- Drain chicken from marinade, letting excess liquid drip off.
- Thoroughly coat each chicken piece in flour mixture, pressing coating firmly onto meat.
- Carefully slide coated chicken into hot oil, frying 5-7 minutes per batch until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165F.
- Transfer fried chicken to paper towel-lined wire rack to drain excess oil.
- Combine ½ cup honey, 2 tablespoons hot sauce, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder in a small saucepan.
- Warm honey mixture over low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly without boiling.
- Toss hot fried chicken in prepared honey sauce until evenly coated.
- Plate chicken and sprinkle with sesame seeds, chopped green onions, and optional pickle slices.
Notes
- Marinate chicken longer for deeper flavor, up to 4 hours in the refrigerator to allow seasonings to penetrate fully.
- Use a candy or deep-fry thermometer to ensure oil stays at 350F, which guarantees perfectly crispy chicken without burning.
- Pat chicken completely dry before dredging to help flour mixture stick better and create a crunchier exterior.
- For gluten-free version, swap wheat flour with rice flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, maintaining the same measurements.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 522 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 870 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 37 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg