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Baked Crunchy Hot Honey Chicken

Baked crunchy hot honey chicken with a panko-parmesan crust and a sweet-spicy drizzle. Chicken marinates in buttermilk, then bakes on a wire rack until deeply golden and cooked through.
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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: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb boneless chicken thighs or breasts
For buttermilk marinade
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 0.5 tsp hot sauce
  • 0.5 tsp salt
For 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 hot honey
  • 0.33 cup honey
  • 2 tsp hot sauce
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbsp butter

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. Combine buttermilk, hot sauce, and salt, then add the boneless chicken thighs or breasts and marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Keep it covered so the chicken stays submerged for even coating.
Set up the baking station
  1. Preheat the oven to 425F, then place a wire rack on a lined baking sheet and spray the rack with cooking spray. This helps the crust stay crisp as moisture escapes during baking.
Make the crunchy coating
  1. Combine panko breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, and salt in a bowl. Mix until the seasonings are evenly distributed through the crumbs.
  2. Dredge each marinated chicken piece in the panko mixture and press firmly so it adheres, then set the chicken on the rack. For best crunch, ensure the surface is well coated.
Bake until golden
  1. Spray the tops generously with cooking spray, then bake at 425F for 25-30 minutes until golden and cooked through to 165F. The crust should look crisp and browned by the end.
Warm the hot honey and serve
  1. Warm honey, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, and butter together until the mixture is hot and smooth. Turn off the heat as soon as it looks glossy.
  2. Drizzle the hot honey over the baked crunchy hot honey chicken just before serving. Add extra red pepper flakes if you want more heat on top.

Notes

Pro tip: Press the panko firmly into the surface so the crust bonds before baking. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat on a wire rack at 400F for 8-12 minutes to re-crisp. Freezing is not recommended because the breadcrumb crust softens after thawing. For a lower-sodium option, use reduced-salt butter and skip the extra salt in the coating while keeping the marinaded chicken salted to taste.