Description
This Hot Honey Chicken recipe features crispy baked chicken strips coated in a flavorful cornflake crust and drizzled with a spicy, sweet hot honey sauce. Perfectly seasoned with smoked paprika and chili powders, these chicken strips offer a delightful combination of crunch and heat that’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
Scale
Crispy Baked Chicken Strips
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ancho chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 large eggs
- 5 1/2 cups cornflakes cereal, crushed
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch thick strips
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Hot Honey Sauce
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 1/2 Tbsp Sriracha hot sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare rack: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a large oven-safe cooling rack with non-stick cooking spray and place it over a rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheet.
- Mix dry coating: In a shallow dish, whisk together the all-purpose flour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, ancho chili powder, and onion powder.
- Prepare egg wash: In a separate shallow dish, whisk the eggs until very well blended.
- Prepare cornflake coating: In a third shallow dish, toss the crushed cornflakes with olive oil using your fingertips until evenly coated with oil.
- Season and coat chicken: Season both sides of each chicken strip generously with salt and black pepper. Dredge each strip in the flour mixture, shaking off excess flour, then dip and coat in the egg wash. Finally, press both sides into the cornflake mixture to ensure an even, generous coating. Place coated strips on the prepared cooling rack.
- Bake chicken: Bake the coated chicken strips for 20 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F. If the chicken begins to over-brown toward the end of baking, tent with foil to prevent burning.
- Make hot honey sauce: In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the honey and butter together for about 30 seconds or until the butter is nearly melted. Stir in the Sriracha and season with salt to taste.
- Serve: Drizzle the hot honey sauce over the baked chicken strips and serve immediately. For extra crispness, serve the sauce on the side as a dipping sauce, doubling the sauce if desired.
Notes
- To crush cornflakes, place them in a gallon-size resealable bag, remove excess air, then crush with a rolling pin until the pieces are nearly the size of panko bread crumbs.
- You can garnish the chicken with thinly sliced green onions for added color and flavor.
- If you prefer less spice, adjust the amount of Sriracha in the hot honey sauce to taste.
- Using a cooling rack allows air to circulate and keeps the chicken crispy while baking.
- The hot honey sauce can be made ahead and warmed before serving.
