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Baked Crunchy Hot Honey Chicken

Baked crunchy hot honey chicken with a panko-parmesan crust and a glossy hot honey drizzle. Oven-baked chicken thighs or breasts stay crisp and golden while the hot honey adds sweet heat to every bite.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
marinating 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb boneless chicken thighs or breasts Use skinless; cut to even thickness if needed so the crust browns evenly.
Buttermilk marinade
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 0.5 tsp hot sauce For the marinade.
  • 0.5 tsp salt For the marinade.
Crunchy coating
  • 1.5 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 0.5 cup parmesan, finely grated
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp salt For the coating.
Hot honey
  • 0.33 cup honey
  • 2 tsp hot sauce For the hot honey.
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbsp butter

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 wire rack
  • 1 baking sheet

Method
 

Marinate
  1. Stir buttermilk, hot sauce, and salt together in a container, then add the chicken and coat well.
  2. Refrigerate the chicken for 1 hour to marinate.
Bake the chicken
  1. Preheat the oven to 425F and place a wire rack on a lined baking sheet, then spray the rack with cooking spray.
  2. In a bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, and salt.
  3. Dredge each marinated piece of chicken in the panko mixture, pressing firmly so the coating adheres, then set on the rack.
  4. Spray the tops generously with cooking spray, then bake 25-30 minutes until golden and cooked through to 165F.
Make hot honey and serve
  1. Warm honey, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, and butter together until the butter melts and the sauce looks glossy.
  2. Drizzle hot honey over the baked chicken just before serving.

Notes

For the crispiest crust, press the panko firmly onto the chicken and don’t skip spraying the tops before baking. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat on a rack in a 400F oven until hot. Freeze cooked chicken for up to 2 months, then reheat from thawed or partially thawed. For a lower-sodium option, use reduced-sodium parmesan and reduce the added salt in the coating.