Southern Fried Chicken with Hot Honey (Print View)
Golden fried chicken pieces finished with a sweet and spicy hot honey glaze. A beloved Southern classic that's crispy, juicy, and irresistible.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (legs, thighs, breasts, or a mix)
02 - 2 cups buttermilk
03 - 1 tablespoon hot sauce
→ Breading
04 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
05 - 1/2 cup cornstarch
06 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt
07 - 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
08 - 1 teaspoon paprika
09 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
→ For Frying
11 - 50 fluid ounces vegetable oil for deep frying
→ Hot Honey
12 - 1/2 cup honey
13 - 2 tablespoons hot sauce
14 - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
15 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
# How to Make It:
01 - In a large bowl, combine 2 cups buttermilk with 1 tablespoon hot sauce. Add 8 chicken pieces, ensuring thorough coating. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
02 - In another bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup cornstarch, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
03 - Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Coat each piece thoroughly in flour mixture, pressing to ensure adherence. Place on wire rack and rest for 10 minutes.
04 - Heat 50 fluid ounces vegetable oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven to 350°F.
05 - Fry chicken pieces in batches without crowding, turning occasionally, until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F, approximately 12-15 minutes per batch. Drain on wire rack set over baking sheet.
06 - In a small saucepan over low heat, combine 1/2 cup honey, 2 tablespoons hot sauce, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter. Stir until melted and combined without boiling. Remove from heat.
07 - Drizzle hot honey glaze over fried chicken immediately before serving, or serve separately for dipping.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The overnight buttermilk soak might seem fussy, but it transforms ordinary chicken into something so tender it practically falls apart between your teeth.
- This recipe strikes that magical balance between crispy exterior and juicy interior that makes you close your eyes with the first bite.
02 -
- Never cover hot fried chicken immediately after cooking unless you want to say goodbye to that perfect crispy exterior youve worked so hard to achieve.
- The chicken should bubble vigorously when first placed in oil, but if the bubbles are violent or oil spatters aggressively, your oil is too hot and will burn the coating before the chicken cooks through.
03 -
- For chicken pieces of different sizes, start the larger pieces (breasts, thighs) a few minutes before adding smaller ones (wings, drumsticks) so everything finishes cooking at the same time.
- The hot honey can be made days ahead and reheated gently, in fact, the flavors meld better after sitting overnight in the refrigerator.