Description
This Hot Honey Chicken recipe features crispy baked chicken strips coated in a flavorful blend of spices and crushed cornflakes, topped with a spicy and sweet hot honey sauce made from honey, Sriracha, and butter. It’s a perfect combination of crunchy texture with a sticky, spicy glaze that’s quick to prepare and ideal for a delightful meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Crispy Baked Chicken Strips:
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ancho chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 large eggs
- 5 1/2 cups cornflakes cereal, crushed
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into strips about 1-inch thick
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Hot Honey Sauce:
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 1/2 Tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (or to taste, this is spicy!)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced into pieces
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a large oven-safe cooling rack with non-stick cooking spray, then place it over a rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheet and set aside.
- Prepare Flour Mixture: In a shallow dish, whisk together the all-purpose flour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, ancho chili powder, and onion powder until evenly combined.
- Whisk Eggs: In a second shallow dish, whisk the eggs until very well blended and smooth.
- Coat Cornflakes: In a third shallow dish, toss the crushed cornflakes with olive oil using your fingertips until the cornflakes are evenly coated with the oil.
- Season Chicken: Season both sides of each chicken strip generously with salt and black pepper. Working with one piece at a time, dredge all sides in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess flour.
- Dip in Egg: Transfer the floured chicken strip to the egg mixture and coat all sides thoroughly.
- Coat in Cornflakes: Next, transfer the chicken strip to the cornflakes and coat both sides completely. Use your hands to scoop some cornflakes over the top and press gently so they adhere well, ensuring a generous, even coating.
- Arrange on Rack: Place the coated chicken strips on the prepared cooling rack. Repeat the dredging, dipping, and coating process with the remaining chicken pieces.
- Bake Chicken: Bake the chicken strips in the preheated oven until fully cooked through with an internal temperature of 165°F, about 20 minutes. If the chicken begins to over-brown near the end, tent loosely with a sheet of foil without sealing.
- Prepare Hot Honey Sauce: In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the honey and diced butter together for about 30 seconds or until the butter is nearly melted. Remove from microwave, stir in Sriracha, add salt to taste, and mix thoroughly.
- Serve: Spoon the hot honey sauce over the baked chicken strips and serve immediately. For extra crispiness, serve the hot honey sauce on the side as a dip, and you may want to double the sauce amount if dipping.
Notes
- Use a rimmed baking sheet with a cooling rack to allow air circulation for extra crispy chicken.
- Adjust Sriracha quantity based on your spice tolerance; it can easily be reduced or increased.
- Crushing cornflakes finely helps the coating stick better and makes the texture more uniform.
- To prevent over-browning, tent the chicken with foil during baking as needed.
- Serve with extra hot honey sauce as a dip for added flavor and moisture.
- Leftover chicken strips can be stored in an airtight container and reheated in the oven for crispiness.
