Hot Honey Butter Chicken (Printable Version)

Crispy fried chicken coated with a luscious hot honey butter sauce for sweet heat and savory crunch.

# What You'll 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, approximately 1 inch for frying

→ Hot Honey Butter Sauce

11 - ¼ cup unsalted butter
12 - ⅓ cup honey
13 - 1 tablespoon hot sauce (e.g., Frank’s RedHot)
14 - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
15 - Pinch of salt

# Directions:

01 - Combine buttermilk and 1 teaspoon hot sauce in a bowl. Coat chicken thighs thoroughly and marinate for at least 20 minutes or up to 4 hours for enhanced flavor.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper until well combined.
03 - Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Thoroughly coat each piece in the flour mixture, pressing to adhere.
04 - Pour vegetable oil to a depth of approximately 1 inch in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Heat to 350°F (175°C).
05 - Fry chicken in batches without overcrowding, about 5 to 7 minutes per side, until golden brown and an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) is reached. Drain on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
06 - In a small saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Whisk in honey, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, and a pinch of salt until smooth and warmed through.
07 - Arrange the fried chicken on a serving platter and generously drizzle with the hot honey butter sauce. Serve immediately.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The contrast between crispy, golden chicken and a warm, silky hot honey glaze feels indulgent without being complicated.
  • You can adjust the heat level to match your mood or who's sitting at your table.
  • It comes together in under an hour, which means you can pull off something impressive on a weeknight.
02 -
  • Temperature control is everything—I learned this the hard way when my first batch came out greasy, and realized the oil had dropped below 340°F.
  • Double-dipping the chicken (buttermilk again, then flour again) is not overkill; it creates a second protective layer that fries into an almost shell-like crunch.
  • Honey behaves differently than regular sugar, so keep your cayenne modest until you taste; it intensifies as the sauce cools slightly.
03 -
  • A wire rack set over a baking sheet drains chicken better than paper towels and keeps everything elevated so steam doesn't make it soggy.
  • Room-temperature chicken fries more evenly than cold chicken straight from the fridge, and it only takes ten minutes to bring it up.
  • If you're making this for guests, you can fry the chicken ahead and reheat it gently in a 325°F oven for five minutes to restore crispness before saucing.
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