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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!

overhead photo Oven Fried Southern Hot Honey Chicken

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.

overhead photo of Oven Fried chicken before adding sauce

close up photo of Oven Fried Southern Hot Honey Chicken

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.

side angle photo of Oven Fried Southern 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.

adding sauce to Oven Fried Southern Hot Honey Chicken

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?

angled photo of Oven Fried Southern Hot Honey Chicken that has been cut into

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

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
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

Hot Honey

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!
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horizontal photo of Oven Fried Southern Hot Honey Chicken

Sounds good to me.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Definitely a keeper! We made it with just over 1 lb of breasts, for just 2 of us we have leftovers but made the same amount of the hot honey sauce. I had some Mike’s Extra Hot honey and used that. I didn’t put any extra cayenne in but we like things spicy so think I’d add maybe a teaspoon next time. Great recipe!

    1. Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! 🙂 xTieghan

  2. I’d love to make this recipe but with drumsticks, since that is what I have at the moment. 🙂 How would the bake time be effected with this change?

    1. Hi Sheena! I have not ever made this recipe with drumsticks so I am not too sure unfortunately. I would probably use a similar baking time as the breasts (shown in the recipe) . xTieghan

  3. 5 stars
    This was so incredibly tasty and easy! Perfect for a rainy summer day when you can’t fire up a grill. Thank you for this recipe that we will use again and again!

    1. Hey Lynn,
      Happy Labor Day!?? Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan

  4. 5 stars
    I loved this recipe!
    OK, don’t beat me…I did change 1 thing, oK 2.

    I did not have corn flakes so I used rice krispies and no wings used drumsticks.

    Loved them! and really yummy dipped in a bit of tzatziki.
    Thank you for sharing.

    1. Hey Sue,
      Awesome! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a go! Have a wonderful week:) xTieghan

  5. 5 stars
    I absolutely love this recipe! I keep it in my rotation, such a hit with family and friends!

    1. Hey Allison,
      Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed and truly appreciate you giving it a try. Have the best week! xTieghan

  6. 5 stars
    I made this chicken with waffles for my daughter’s birthday! Such a hit! I didn’t have fresh thyme and used dried thyme – I might have used a little too much. But it was so crispy and crunchy – I didn’t miss that the chicken wasn’t fried. I also used 1/2 cup of flour to make sure the greasing actually stuck to the chicken definitely helped!!!
    The sauce was soooo good ?

    1. Hey Nina,
      Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed. Have a great weekend☀️ xTieghan

  7. 4 stars
    This was an easy recipe and my family liked it well enough. Somehow I bought some kind of crazy hot cayenne pepper so even though went for the lower amount – used 2 teaspoons, the hot honey was so crazy hot that no one could taste much. I will try again with much less cayenne. Also, I used a misto for the olive oil. It worked much better than drizzling.

    1. Hey Gina,
      Happy Wednesday! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan

    1. Hey Myrna,
      My family likes this with white rice or homemade French fries, coleslaw would also be delicious! I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan

    1. Hey Kristie,
      You could try using a dairy free milk. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

      1. 5 stars
        Used this recipe for hot honey chicken sandwiches on brioche buns with pickles, super good! Thanks for the recipe Tieghan!

    1. Hey Olivia,
      Yes, chicken tenders will work just fine here! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

  8. 5 stars
    This was excellent!! I can’t wait to make again. My 2 year old loved it and my husband said it’s at the top of the list for future meals. Thanks!

    1. Hey Emilie,
      Wonderful! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan

  9. 5 stars
    This is an amazing recipe! I made it for a family picnic last night, and served it on buns with homemade Greek yogurt ranch, pickles, carrots, and lettuce… with your chickpea, corn, tomato and avocado salad on the side. Such a yummy meal; everyone was raving about it!

    1. Hey Allison,
      I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Happy 4th of July!?? xTieghan

  10. Hi Tieghan! Do you measure three cups of corn flakes and then finely grind them, or ddoe you measure three cups after grinding? Looking forward to this one!

    1. Hey Hannah,
      You will measure the corn flakes after crushing them. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan