Hot Honey Chicken

Published May 31, 2024

Hot Honey Chicken
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Total Time
1 hour
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(151)
Notes
Read community notes

Breaded with a seasoned cornflake mixture then baked, these chicken cutlets are spicy and sweet thanks to a drizzle of homemade hot honey. Making hot honey at home is simple and only requires a few pantry ingredients, but feel free to use your favorite store-bought brand if you have some handy. For the most tender, evenly cooked chicken, start by pounding your boneless, skinless chicken breasts with a meat tenderizer until they are the same thickness all over. You’ll bread the chicken in a cornflake mixture spiced with paprika, onion powder and garlic powder, then bake it on racks set over a sheet tray, allowing air to flow all around the chicken to ensure it crisps on all sides. Enjoy the cutlets on a bun, tucked into a sandwich or on their own with a side of coleslaw or potato salad. To prepare ahead of time and store the cutlets in the freezer, arrange them in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and then wrap in foil. To cook, simply unwrap and defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Cook the thawed cutlets from the fridge about 8 minutes longer than instructed in the recipe.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • ½cup honey
  • 1tablespoon red-pepper flakes
  • ½teaspoon ground cayenne
  • ½teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 4medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each)
  • 6cups/6 ounces cornflakes
  • cup grated Parmesan
  • teaspoons garlic powder
  • teaspoons onion powder
  • 1teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3tablespoons hot sauce
  • 3large eggs, beaten
  • cup all-purpose flour
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

708 calories; 13 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 83 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 40 grams sugars; 65 grams protein; 902 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a small saucepan, mix together the honey, red-pepper flakes and cayenne. Heat over medium until the honey begins to lightly simmer, then remove from the heat and let infuse for 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve set over a small bowl, discarding the solids. Stir in the vinegar. (Hot honey will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 months.)

  2. Step 2

    Heat oven to 425 degrees. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, place the chicken between 2 pieces of parchment paper or in a zip-top bag. Using a meat tenderizer, beat the chicken until about ½ inch thick. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

  3. Step 3

    Place the cornflakes, Parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and 1 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until fine. Place the crumbs in a large shallow bowl.

  4. Step 4

    In a separate shallow bowl, mix the hot sauce with the eggs. Place the flour in a separate shallow bowl.

  5. Step 5

    Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour, then dip completely in the egg mixture. Coat in the cornflake mixture and transfer to a plate. Fit a wire rack onto a sheet tray. (Alternatively, line a sheet tray with parchment paper, if you don’t have a rack.)

  6. Step 6

    Place the chicken on the rack in an even layer and bake until the cornflakes are golden and crisp and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing and serving with the hot honey.

Ratings

4 out of 5
151 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

I don’t have time in my life for nonsense, so when the fine mesh got clogged up with the red pepper flakes and the hot honey started overflowing, I aborted the mission, threw it all out and started again with the hot honey, this time omitting the red pepper flakes and fine mesh, and using 1/4 tsp of cayenne and the apple cider vinegar. That was perfect and everyone loved it.

The ingredients in this recipe are totally off! So much wasted bread crumbs, herbs and parmesan cheese was wasted! Very surprised. I even used it on more chicken cutlets

My wife will only eat boneless chicken breast. I am not a fan because it is usually bland and boring. This recipe is perfect! Without a doubt, my new favorite chicken dish. Made as written except I used panko instead of corn flakes. It is crispy and flavorful and perfect with some sautéed green beans.

Agree that this winds up a bit under-seasoned, but the idea is great and fun to eat. I'd recommend increasing all the seasoning by around a third. I think I'd also cut the cutlets in half and pound them thinner, or use tenders, to get more crust. Don't be shy with seasoning is my main suggestion! Hot honey was nice but unremarkable. If you know a good one I'd say use that, but at the store they wanted $14 so I was happy to make my own. Served with cole slaw and mac n cheese. Can't go wrong!

Nobody really liked it. The ACV in the honey totally not needed.

I was confused by the use of terms- 3T hot sauce vs referring to hot honey elsewhere in the recipe. We used the hot honey with the eggs, but there wasn't much left over after our meal. We did enjoy it, however.

This is an easy recipe that can be made ahead and can also be made gluten free if you use a gluten free flour for the initial coating. I was concerned that it might be too spicy for my 3 yr old grand kids so made a batch without the Tabasco for them but they happily ate 2nds from their parents plates which had the Tabasco.

ingredients are totally off! I used so much more chicken and there was so much waste of bread crumbs and herbs not to mention Parmesan cheese which was added left over. Really surprised

The ingredients in this recipe are totally off! So much wasted bread crumbs, herbs and parmesan cheese was wasted! Very surprised. I even used it on more chicken cutlets

I don’t have time in my life for nonsense, so when the fine mesh got clogged up with the red pepper flakes and the hot honey started overflowing, I aborted the mission, threw it all out and started again with the hot honey, this time omitting the red pepper flakes and fine mesh, and using 1/4 tsp of cayenne and the apple cider vinegar. That was perfect and everyone loved it.

Big hit with my family. I didn't measure my seasoning and know I went a little heavier on all 3 of the spices. I think that made a positive impact.

My wife will only eat boneless chicken breast. I am not a fan because it is usually bland and boring. This recipe is perfect! Without a doubt, my new favorite chicken dish. Made as written except I used panko instead of corn flakes. It is crispy and flavorful and perfect with some sautéed green beans.

Great twist on chicken cutlets! Made the recipe as written. Chicken was juicy, salty and sweet- yum. I did season the chicken liberally before coating with the flour (as recipe says- season cutlet all over) and I think it’s key to enhancing the corn flakes mixture. The hot honey is so good drizzled over. Our family likes a spicy hot honey so I will not drain the pepper flakes in the future. My family loved this dish and I will throw it into the rotation. Thanks for the recipe!

Made this for the family and they loved it. Will put in the rotation.

We haven't cooked it yet, but the chicken is breaded & ready. Just now I see that we are to serve the hot chicken with the hot honey. There is [no hot honey]. It was all added to the egg mixture! Supper is over and this chicken was delicious! I used boneless skinless & cooked for under 15 mins. Thank you - this for us is a keeper!

Delicious! Used panko and Mike's Hot Honey. My cooking note would be to broil on medium for another 5 mins - made it nice and brown and crispy, without compromising the juicy chicken! It was a hit :)

This recipe produced incredibly bland chicken cutlets - the seasoning needs to be doubled and I would sub panko for the cornflakes if I were to make it in the future - which I won’t. Very disappointing. That said, the hot honey was nice and the cutlets were very crispy.

This was easy to put together and delicious. Reminded my wife of chicken her mother used to make. I used thinly sliced breasts and did not pound them out and they worked perfectly.

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