This Hot Honey Fried Chicken is mind-blowingly good! Super crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and served up with an addictively sweet and spicy sauce.
Hot Honey Chicken
Sweet, savory, spicy – this easy fried chicken recipe ticks all the important boxes! Coated with buttermilk and fried to golden perfection, hot honey chicken is bound to please!
The coating is seasoned with garlic, hot sauce, and paprika for the most delicious crunch in every bite!
Why You’ll Love this Hot Fried Chicken Recipe:
- Sweet and Spicy: An easy homemade hot honey sauce provides a finger licking mix of heat and sweet!
- Crispy: Fried in a large pot or Dutch oven, the chicken comes out super crispy
- Juicy: It’s coated in buttermilk to keep the chicken moist and tender
Looking for other spicy chicken recipes? Why not also try my Szechuan Chicken and my Green Chile Chicken Casserole Recipe.
How to Make Hot Honey Fried Chicken
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Marinate the chicken in your buttermilk mixture.
- Dredge your chicken in the dry coating mixture.
- In a Dutch oven with oil, fry your chicken in batches.
- In a small pot, melt the butter and add in the rest of the hot honey ingredients.
- Serve the chicken with the hot honey and enjoy!
Hot honey is honey infused with chile peppers. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and spicy!
To make this chicken even spicier, add a few extra dashes of hot sauce to the hot honey sauce, or ⅛ teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper to the flour and cornstarch mixture.
Yes! To make this fried chicken in the air fryer, lay the chicken pieces in a single layer in your air fryer basket (you may need to air fry in batches). Brush the chicken pieces with oil, then fry at 375°F for 20-25 minutes, or until golden and crispy, flipping halfway through cooking.
Chicken is cooked through when it reaches 165°F internally. If you do not have a thermometer, you can check the doneness by slicing into a piece of chicken. If the juices run clear, the chicken is cooked. If the juices are pinkish or reddish, the chicken needs to cook for longer.
The homemade hot honey sauce is utterly delicious! The perfect balance of spicy and sweet, it works perfectly drizzled over a crispy drumstick!
Storage Instructions
Store leftover hot honey fried chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the chicken pieces on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 12-15 minutes, or until 165°F internally.
Freezing Instructions
To freeze fried chicken, lay pieces in an even layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to an airtight container or Ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Allow chicken to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Serve hot honey fried chicken with a side salad, french fries, or buttermilk biscuits!
Fried Chicken Tips
For the best fried chicken, follow these simple tips:
- Pat the chicken dry before marinating to remove any residual packaging juices and allow the marinade to fully penetrate the chicken.
- Don’t try to fry too much chicken at once. Frying more than 2-3 pieces at a time will drop the temperature of the oil too much, leading to greasy chicken.
- Keep fried chicken warm by laying pieces on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet with space between them and placing them in a 200°F oven until ready to serve.
- You can dip the fried chicken in the hot honey sauce, or baste the sauce on with a pastry brush or by tossing the chicken pieces in a large bowl with the honey.
Hot honey chicken is the most wonderful mix of textures and flavors! Sticky hot honey sauce glistens on crispy fried chicken, every bite will bring a smile to your face. Cooking up a batch of these is also super easy, perfect for a weeknight treat or weekend party – any time really!
If you’ve made this recipe, please be sure to let us know by leaving a star rating or a comment below. Enjoy!
Hot Honey Fried Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1½ cups buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce such as Frank's RedHot
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 3 pounds assorted bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
For the Hot Honey Sauce
- ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup hot sauce such as Frank's RedHot
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Equipment
- Instant-Read Thermometer (optional)
Instructions
- Add about 2 inches worth of frying oil to a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and line a wire rack with paper towels. Set both aside.Vegetable oil
- While the oil heats, whisk the buttermilk, egg, hot sauce, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl. Nestle the chicken pieces in the liquid and allow it to marinate while you continue prepping.1½ cups buttermilk, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons hot sauce, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 3 pounds assorted bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, and remaining salt and pepper.2 cups all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup cornstarch, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon ground paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- One piece at a time, remove the chicken from the buttermilk and dredge it through the flour mixture, turning to coat and packing into crevices. Shake off excess flour and transfer to the prepared baking sheet, then repeat with the remaining chicken.
- When the oil reaches 325-350°F, fry the chicken in batches, 2 or 3 pieces at a time, turning often for 5-8 minutes until deep golden brown and 165°F inside. Drain fried chicken on a the prepared wire rack.
- While the chicken is frying, make the hot honey sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat until it begins to boil. Remove it from the heat and whisk in the honey, hot sauce, and red pepper flakes until combined.½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup honey, ¼ cup hot sauce, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Serve the chicken with the hot honey.
Notes
- Pat the chicken dry before marinating to remove any residual packaging juices and allow the marinade to fully penetrate the chicken.
- Don’t try to fry too much chicken at once. Frying more than 2-3 pieces at a time will drop the temperature of the oil too much, leading to greasy chicken.
- Keep fried chicken warm by laying pieces on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet with space between them and placing them in a 200°F oven until ready to serve.
- You can dip the fried chicken in the hot honey sauce, or baste the sauce on with a pastry brush or by tossing the chicken pieces in a large bowl with the honey.
- Serve hot honey fried chicken with a side salad, french fries, or buttermilk biscuits!
Leave a Review