Description
Oven-baked, cornflake-crusted chicken that stays insanely crunchy, then gets drenched in a sweet–spicy hot honey—fried-chicken vibes with minimal mess.
Ingredients
For the crunchy baked chicken
6 cups cornflakes, finely crushed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tbsp hot sauce (stirred into the eggs)
2 lb chicken breast tenderloins (or breasts sliced into strips)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling (or oil spray)
Sea salt, to finish
Chopped fresh thyme, parsley, or cilantro, for serving (optional)
For the hot honey
1/2 cup honey
2–3 tbsp hot sauce
1–3 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste
3/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
- Make the crumbs: Pulse or crush cornflakes with Parmesan, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt until fine. Pour into a shallow dish.
- Egg mixture: In another bowl, whisk eggs with hot sauce. Pat chicken dry; toss in the egg mixture to coat.
- Bread (double-dip for max crunch): Dredge each piece in the cornflake crumbs, pressing to adhere. Dip back into egg and crumbs a second time. Arrange on the prepared sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil (or mist with oil spray).
- Bake 20–25 minutes, until deep golden, crisp, and the thickest piece reaches 165°F (74°C). Avoid moving the chicken during the first 10 minutes so the crust sets.
- Hot honey: While chicken bakes, gently warm honey, hot sauce, cayenne, chipotle, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan over low heat until fluid and combined (do not boil).
- Finish: Transfer chicken to plates, spoon over hot honey, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and herbs, and serve immediately.
Notes
Air fryer: Cook breaded pieces at 380°F (193°C) for 10–12 minutes, flipping once, then glaze.
Thighs instead of tenders: Cut boneless thighs into strips; bake 22–26 minutes.
Gluten-free: Use certified GF cornflakes and verify spice labels.
No-heat version: Skip cayenne and use mild hot sauce—or warm honey with a pinch of smoked paprika.
Extra-crispy tip: Lightly oil-spray the coated chicken before baking and use a wire rack set over the sheet for max airflow.
Coating security: Pat chicken very dry, press crumbs on firmly, and don’t disturb during the first 10 minutes of baking.
Sandwich style: Pile a cutlet on a toasted bun with slaw and pickles; drizzle with hot honey.
Make-ahead: Bread chicken and refrigerate uncovered on a rack up to 4 hours; bake when ready.
Storage: Refrigerate 3–4 days. Re-crisp at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes (or air-fry 8–10 minutes). Freeze cooked, un-sauced pieces up to 2 months; reheat and glaze.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 155 mg