Hot honey is my go-to condiment for everything right now, and these beer battered chicken sandwiches with hot honey are downright DELICIOUS. Whole chicken cutlets are dipped in a hoppy beer batter and fried until crispy, then topped with a homemade hot honey sauce and served on soft buns. I always make these when I’m craving a little bit of sweet, a little bit of heat, and a whole lot of crunch!
I’ve yet to meet a single person who didn’t love these sandwiches! Homemade hot honey (which is just two ingredients, by the way) brings a spicy-sweet element to the crispy and juicy chicken. And using beer in the batter adds so much flavor and creates an extra crispy coating. I made these recently for a backyard BBQ, and I’ve never seen a plate empty so quickly – it’s safe to say they were a hit!
What’s in This Beer Battered Chicken Sandwiches with Hot Honey Recipe?
This recipe uses under 7 ingredients and takes less than an hour to make – the bulk of the time is waiting for the batter to rest! I usually prepare any sides and the hot honey during that time, and then it’s just a quick fry and assembly.
- Chicken: Thin chicken cutlets are the perfect size for these sandwiches. You can also use chicken breasts and cut them in half horizontally to make them thinner!
- All-Purpose Flour: Creates a crispy coating for the chicken.
- Spices: Mix some salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder into the beer batter for extra flavor.
- Beer: I usually use a light beer as it has a milder flavor and creates a crispier batter. A larger or pilsner are great options, but other beers also work well!
- Cooking Oil: Use an oil with a high smoke point, like peanut or canola oil, for frying the chicken.
- Honey: The base of the hot honey sauce.
- Hot Sauce: Use your favorite hot sauce to add some heat to the honey. My favorite is Frank’s RedHot!
Variations To Try
I usually use Franks RedHot for the hot honey, but I’ve tried some other hot sauces, and they all work great! A chipotle hot sauce added some smokiness, and a habanero hot sauce brought even more heat. One of my readers said they used a combination of honey and sriracha for the sauce and loved it!
Another way I mix up the flavors is by adding extra toppings like pickles, cheese, coleslaw, or avocado.
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How to Store and Reheat
Once fried, you can keep any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Store the hot honey separately in a jar or container. To reheat, place the chicken on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
Notes and Tips
- Avoid overcrowding the pan when frying the chicken, as this can cause the oil temperature to drop and result in soggy chicken.
- Use a candy or deep-fry thermometer to check the oil is at the right temperature for frying. For this recipe, the oil should read 325°F.
- If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test the oil by dropping small pieces of batter into the hot oil. They should sizzle and float to the surface.
- Choose even-sized chicken cutlets so they cook at the same rate. Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally and pound them to an even thickness if needed.
Top Reader Review
“I love this recipe. I subbed the Cayenne for Smoked Paprika & used 1 Teaspoon Sriracha for the Honey Sauce. Really good batter that could be used for other recipes. Fried in my deep fryer. Definitely make again.” – Victoria
Beer Battered Chicken Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds thin chicken cutlets or boneless chicken breasts
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 12 ounces beer
- cooking oil for frying
For the Hot Honey:
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cayenne, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and beer. Mixture should be thick but pourable. Let mixture rest for 20 minutes.1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 12 ounces beer
- If using whole chicken breasts, carefully slice each breast in half horizontally. If necessary, pound to an even thickness. The more uniform the chicken cutlets, the more evenly they will fry. The thinner the chicken cutlets, the quicker they will fry.2 pounds thin chicken cutlets or boneless chicken breasts
- Heat about ¾ inch of oil in a heavy bottomed skillet to 325°F. Dip chicken in beer batter mixture to fully coat and allow excess to drip off. Carefully place each battered piece into the skillet. Do not over crowd the pan. Fry in batches if necessary.cooking oil
- Fry for 12-15 minutes, turning once until chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack to allow excess oil to drip off.
- To prepare the hot honey, whisk together honey and hot sauce.¼ cup honey, 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- Brush each fried chicken cutlet with a generous amount of hot honey. Serve on your favorite buns.
Notes
How to Make Beer Battered Chicken Sandwiches with Hot Honey Step by Step
Make the Batter: Mix together 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 12 ounces of beer in a large bowl. It should be thick enough to coat the chicken, but still pourable. Set aside for 20 minutes to rest.
Cut the Chicken: Use 2 pounds of thin chicken cutlets OR 2 pounds of boneless chicken breasts. If using whole chicken breasts, you’ll need to cut them to size. Slice each breast in half horizontally to create two thinner pieces. You might need to pound them out a bit to get them even. If using chicken cutlets, they’re already the perfect size for sandwiches, and you won’t need to cut them.
Coat the Chicken: In a large, heavy bottoms skillet, heat about 3/4 inch of cooking oil to 325°F. Dip each piece of chicken into the batter, let the excess drip off, then carefully place them into the hot oil. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to do this in batches. Don’t overcrowd the pan!
Fry the Chicken: Cook the chicken for 12-15 minutes. Flip the chicken about halfway through cooking. The batter should be crisp and golden brown. You can check the internal temperature of the chicken with a thermometer; it should read 165°F when fully cooked. Remove the chicken from the oil and place it on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet to allow excess oil to drip off.
Prepare the Hot Honey: While the chicken is cooking, you can make the hot honey sauce. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of honey and 2 teaspoons of hot sauce. Mix well and set aside.
Assemble the Sandwiches: Drizzle the hot honey sauce over each chicken cutlet. Serve them in your favorite burger bun and enjoy!
I love this recipe. I subbed the Cayenne for Smoked Paprika & used 1 Teaspoon Sriracha for the Honey Sauce. Really good batter that could be used for other recipes. Fried in my deep fryer. Definitely make again.
I’m so happy to hear you loved this recipe, Victoria!