Description
This hot honey chicken recipe is a perfect mix of sweet and spicy. Juicy chicken is cooked to golden perfection and glazed with a homemade hot honey sauce that will have everyone licking their fingers. Easy, quick, and totally irresistible, it’s the dinner your family didn’t know they were craving!
Ingredients
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1.5 to 2 pounds chicken thighs or tenders
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for frying or brushing)
For the Hot Honey Sauce:
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup hot sauce (like Frank’s RedHot or Cholula)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for extra heat)
Instructions
Instructions
-
Prepare the Chicken
Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. This helps the seasoning stick and keeps the meat juicy when cooked. -
Make the Sauce
In a small saucepan, mix together the honey, hot sauce, vinegar, garlic, butter, and cayenne. Warm on low heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally. Set aside. -
Cook the Chicken
You can grill, bake, or air fry. If baking, preheat the oven to 400°F and bake for 25–30 minutes. For air frying, cook at 375°F for 12–15 minutes, flipping once. -
Glaze and Serve
After cooking, brush or toss the chicken with the warm hot honey sauce. For extra flavor, drizzle more sauce on top when serving.
Notes
- Use bone-in chicken for extra juiciness, but adjust cook time slightly longer than for boneless.
- Avoid high heat on the grill to prevent burning the honey.
- Leftover sauce? It makes a great dip or can be used over pizza, veggies, or rice.
- The sauce flavor changes with the hot sauce used — try experimenting with sweet chili sauce or chipotle varieties.
- You can prepare the sauce ahead and refrigerate it for up to 1 week.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking, Air Frying, Grilling
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: hot honey chicken recipe, crispy chicken, spicy honey chicken, sticky chicken, air fryer hot honey chicken, grilled honey chicken, easy chicken dinner