Crispy Baked Hot Honey Chicken (No Frying!)

Crispy, sticky, sweet heat — this is how you do hot honey chicken without frying! The chicken breasts are baked on a sheet pan with a wire rack in the oven, and the cornflake-Parmesan crust gets perfectly crunchy, with the hot honey sauce dripping over the top. It’s hard to stop at just one piece.

📝 Ingredients

• 4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 large eggs (3 eggs if the chicken breasts are large)
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 6 cups cornflakes (crushed (mostly fine with some texture) 8 cups if the chicken breasts are large)
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Oil spray of choice
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons hot sauce (like Frank’s Red Hot)
• 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• Pinch salt
• Fresh thyme leaves
• Flaky sea salt

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- Prepare the chicken: ---
2. 2Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then place a wire rack on top. Spray evenly with cooking oil, then set aside.
3. 3Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then slice each breast horizontally. Using a rolling pin or mallet, pound the chicken breasts until they are even in thickness. They don’t need to be thin. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
4. 4--- Set up your breading station and bake the chicken: ---
5. 5Bowl 1: Combine flour, salt, pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
6. 6Bowl 2: Combine the eggs and hot sauce.
7. 7Bowl 3: Combine the cornflakes and parmesan cheese.
8. 8Working one at a time, dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, shaking off excess. Dip into the egg wash, letting any excess drip off, then press firmly into the cornflake mixture to fully coat. OPTIONAL: For even extra crunch, repeat the egg and cornflake steps once more. You will need at least 8 cups of cornflakes for this.
9. 9Place the coated chicken on the prepared wire rack. Lightly spray the tops of the chicken with oil, which helps the coating brown and crisp evenly.
10. 10Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the coating is slightly golden and the chicken is cooked through. OPTIONAL: For extra crisp edges, broil for 1–3 minutes at the end, watching closely to not let them burn.
11. 11--- Make the hot honey sauce: ---
12. 12While the chicken bakes, warm the honey, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a small saucepan over low heat. Simmer briefly, just until combined and infused.
13. 13--- Serve: ---
14. 14Drizzle the hot honey over the crispy chicken. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves and a generous pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve immediately on its own or with your favorite side of choice such as sweet potato fries, coleslaw, pickles, mac and cheese, or even biscuits.