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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 is a standard in our house! Made it for the first time back in 2020 and it’s my son’s favorite. I am actually online right now to use this recipe for my office holiday recipe exchange. I’ll buy a box of the crushed cornflakes, a jar of honey and one or two of the spices and hope that whoeover gets it in the exchange loves it as much as we do!
Wow thank you so so much! 🙂 xT
Thank you!!! My family absolutely loves this recipe! I’ve made a few times. My picky 10 year old son kept asking for more which almost never happens!! I’m not a fan of most chicken recipes but THIS is so good! Two quick questions please; why whole wheat flour and and tips on how to keep the breading from falling off? What am I doing wrong? Thanks much!
Hi there! Hmmm is there anything you’re doing differently? xT
Not that I know, except using regular flour. I saw someone else mentioned the breading came off too. I’m making it again toning my so I’ll get the breading really pressed up in and see if that makes a difference. I may try the air fryer too! I’ll let you know.
Do you think this recipe would work with drumsticks?
Yes, you would probably just have to change the cook time! xT
This is my favorite chicken recipe ever! I have made it so many times and it’s always delicious. Your recipes have so much flavor!
Hi there,
Happy Wednesday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it!☀️🌈 xT
Maybe the single most disgusting recipe I have ever made. Funny that this website’s called “half-baked harvest” because the chicken, after 25 minutes in the oven, was exactly that : HALF BAKED. The blood was coming out of it so I had to pan fry it and once I did, it seemed ok but when I ate it…the meat tasted like nothing, and was just awful with the corn flake breading breaking apart. Stick to the flour based recipes when making fried chilen. AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD : fry it, it has NO place in the oven.
Can you air fry this chicken?
Hey Andrea,
Sure, I bet that would work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope it’s a hit! xx
This chicken was delicious! Even my picky husband liked it!! Only problem was the sauce did not reheat well, but the chicken was still yummy!
Any suggestions on how to reheat the sauce, it just separates due to the butter
Hi Heather,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was delish!! I would reheat on the stove top and whisk well. xx
Could I use panko instead of cornflakes?😊
Hey Vickie,
Sure, panko would be just fine for you to use here! Let me know how this recipe turns out, I hope you love it! xx
I have probably made this a million times….and I’ve tried all of the other variations of “hot chicken” that you’ve shared! This sauce is by far my favorite out of all of them, but after trying the other recipes I do have the best luck dipping this chicken in an egg wash before putting it in the cornflakes. I don’t flip the chicken either, but that’s just my preference. I bake it for about 30-35 minutes and it always comes out perfect!
Hey Emma,
Happy Sunday!!🏈 I appreciate you making this recipe so often and sharing your review, so glad to hear it always turns out well for you! xx
Delicious and easy to put together! Family couldn’t believe it was homemade sauce and everyone came back for seconds. The chicken was perfectly crispy and not too spicy at all using 2 tsp cayenne.
Hey Robin,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was delish! xx
I made this as described using just 2 tsp Cayenne pepper and it was delicious! I love the crunch and the sauce was plenty sweet, savory, and spicy. It came together pretty quickly, too! I bet it would also be great with other sauces, like buffalo ranch.
Hey Mackenzie,
Perfect!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and thanks so much for trying it out! xx