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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 turn golden and stay juicy, with a flavor hit from hot sauce in both the marinade and the topping.
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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
Buttermilk marinade
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 0.5 tsp hot sauce
  • 0.5 tsp salt
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
Hot honey
  • 0.33 cup honey
  • 2 tsp hot sauce
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbsp butter

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 wire rack

Method
 

Marinate
  1. Mix buttermilk, hot sauce, and salt in a container, then add chicken and coat well. Marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Prep oven and crust
  1. Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet, then set a wire rack on top and spray it with cooking spray. This helps the crust crisp from all sides.
  2. In a wide bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, and salt until evenly mixed. The coating should look uniformly speckled.
Coat and bake
  1. Dredge each chicken piece in the panko mixture, pressing firmly so it adheres. Place coated chicken on the rack in a single layer.
  2. Spray the tops generously with cooking spray. This promotes even browning and crispiness.
  3. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 425F until the chicken is golden and cooked through, reaching 165F. The coating should look firm and crisp, not pale.
Make hot honey and serve
  1. Warm honey, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, and butter together until the butter melts and the sauce turns glossy. Keep it warm so it drizzles easily.
  2. Drizzle hot honey over the chicken just before serving. Finish with any extra red pepper flakes if desired.

Notes

For best crunch, press the panko firmly onto the chicken and avoid crowding the rack so air can circulate. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat on a rack in a 400F oven to re-crisp. Freeze cooked chicken up to 2 months for best quality. For a lower-sodium option, use a reduced-sodium salt in both the marinade and coating while keeping the hot honey balanced.