OVEN Baked Southern Hot Honey Chicken

Nashville Hot Honey Chicken is a thing. Who knew??? The chicken is tenderized by soaking in buttermilk before breading. Then it’s dredged in crushed corn flakes that are seasoned with thyme before being oven baked for 30 minutes to golden perfection. The magic happens when you brush the crazy crispy chicken with that sweet and spicy sauce. NO WORDS. Serve with a green salad and crispy potato wedges. OR…create a sandwich (see below) topped with lettuce and buttermilk ranch dressing. Think game day!!

Oven Fried Southern Hot Honey Chicken

Serves 6

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 cups finely crushed corn flakes
3 tablespoons white flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
extra virgin olive oil, for brushing

Hot Honey Sauce
6 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoons cayenne pepper/ or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
kosher salt

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.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Add the corn flake crumbs, flour, thyme, and a pinch of salt to a medium-sized bowl. Stir to combine.

Remove each piece of chicken from the buttermilk (make sure to let excess milk drip off before you move forward) and dredge through the crumbs, pressing gently to adhere. Place on the prepared baking sheet. 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

Meanwhile, make the hot honey. Melt together the butter, honey, cayenne, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt.

Brush or drizzle the chicken generously with hot honey sauce and serve warm.

Adapted from HalfBakedHarvest