Hot Honey Butter Chicken (Printable Version)

Golden fried chicken tossed in a sweet and spicy hot honey butter sauce. Perfect balance of crispy exterior and tender meat.

# What You Need:

→ Fried Chicken

01 - 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
02 - 1 cup buttermilk
03 - 1 teaspoon hot sauce
04 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
05 - ½ cup cornstarch
06 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - 1 teaspoon paprika
08 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
09 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
10 - Vegetable oil for frying

→ Hot Honey Butter Sauce

11 - ¼ cup unsalted butter
12 - ⅓ cup honey
13 - 1 tablespoon hot sauce
14 - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
15 - Pinch of salt

# How to Make It:

01 - Combine buttermilk and hot sauce in a bowl. Add chicken thighs, turning to coat completely. Refrigerate for 20 minutes up to 4 hours for deeper flavor penetration.
02 - Whisk flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl until evenly distributed.
03 - Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Press each piece firmly into flour mixture, coating completely and shaking off excess.
04 - Pour 1 inch vegetable oil into large skillet or Dutch oven. Heat to 350°F over medium-high heat.
05 - Fry chicken in batches until golden brown and cooked through, 5-7 minutes per side. Internal temperature should reach 165°F. Transfer to wire rack over baking sheet to drain.
06 - Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in honey, hot sauce, cayenne, and salt until smooth and heated through.
07 - Arrange fried chicken on serving platter. Drizzle generously with hot honey butter sauce. Serve immediately while crispy.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The chicken stays impossibly crispy even after being coated in that luscious honey butter sauce, something I discovered by accident when I let the chicken rest on a wire rack instead of paper towels.
  • The heat level is completely customizable, so you can make it kindergarten-mild for the kids or properly fiery for your hot sauce enthusiast friends.
02 -
  • If your coating starts falling off during frying, your oil likely isnt hot enough, a mistake I made repeatedly until investing in a decent thermometer.
  • Let the fried chicken rest on a wire rack rather than paper towels to maintain that critical crispiness, otherwise the bottom gets sadly soggy within minutes.
03 -
  • For an extra layer of flavor, add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the hot honey butter sauce, creating a subtle tang that balances the sweetness perfectly.
  • If you find yourself with leftover chicken, chop it up and toss it into a salad with blue cheese dressing the next day, the combination is unexpectedly wonderful.
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