[Recipe] Nashville Hot Honey (baked) Chicken

The best damn chicken thigh you'll try

Nashville Hot Honey Chicken with a hot honey crostini and southern sweet corn. 

Nashville Hot Chicken has gained popularity in the last few years. It’s rare not to come across it on a brunch menu. I mean, what is not to like? Fried, spicy, and sweet! 

Now, if you’re like me and don’t know how to fry things, I have the solution for you! This Nashville Hot Honey (baked) Chicken! It has the crunch of a freshly fried chicken thigh without all the frying. 

Now, I’m not opposed to frying. Deep frying food is a delicious and fast way to cook food. However, I don’t know how to fry food. Seriously. It’s something I aim to get better at in 2023. 

The path to a Nashville Hot Honey (baked) Chicken started for me because I was throwing my wife a birthday party. We had been talking on and off since Red (Taylor’s version) came out about hosting a coursed dinner based on Taylor Swift’s albums. 

This became part of the “Country Era” course to represent Taylor Swift, Fearless, and Speak Now. 

It is now one of my favorite recipes. It’s low cost, high flavor, and just fucking delicious. 

Let’s get to it! 

Recipe: Nashville Hot Honey (baked) Chicken 

Active Time: 45 minutes

Inactive Time: 25 hours 

Ingredients: 

Marinade

• 2 lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs 

• 2 cups Buttermilk 

• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt 

• 1 teaspoon Fresh Black Pepper 

Chicken 

• 3 cups Crushed Cornflakes (Mid-fine crush) 

• 3 tbsp AP Flour 

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh Thyme 

• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt 

• EVOO for brushing 

Hot Honey Sauce

• 6 tbsp Butter

• 4 tbsp Honey 

• 3 teaspoon Cayenne Powder (add more if you like it spicy spicy)

• 2 teaspoon Red Chili Flakes (whatever variety you like) 

• 1/2 tsp Chilli Powder 

• 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika 

• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder 

The How

The Night Before

1. Place chicken thighs in a bowl or plastic bag and season with salt & pepper. Toss chicken. 

2. Add buttermilk, and toss well. Cover and marinate in the Fridge for 24 hours.

The Day Of

1. Preheat oven to 425F. For easy cleanup, line the baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2. In a large bowl, mix together: crushed cornflakes, flour, thyme, salt, and pepper. 

3. Grab your marinated chicken. Pick up a piece of chicken, and allow buttermilk to drip off. Dredge chicken through cornflake mix. The key is to press the cornflake mix into the chicken. Repeat until all chicken thighs are done. 

4. Place chicken on a baking sheet. Make sure not to clear the pan - give each thigh 1-2” clearance around it. If you have two baking sheets, use them both. Otherwise, work in batches. 

5. Lightly brush chicken with EVOO.

6. Place chicken pan in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. 

7. While the chicken is baking, it’s time to make the Hot Honey Sauce:

   1. In a small saucepan on low, add butter, apple cider vinegar, honey, cayenne, pepper flakes, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, and a bit of salt. You want to see small bubbles forming. No rolling boils here. Keep it on low. Otherwise, it will burn or harden. 

   2. Allow to slow simmer for 5-7 minutes. After 7 minutes, turn the burner off and cover the pot. It will stay warm until you’re ready to coat the chicken. 

8. Flip the chicken and cook an additional 10 minutes or until the chicken is done. 

9. Toss or brush the chicken with Hot Honey. Serve and enjoy!