This Fried Chicken Sandwich with Hot Honey is made with buttermilk, flour, spices and is deep fried to perfection. The bun is OPTIONAL you and eat the fried chicken as is!
I put hot sauce on almost everything so being able to make a spicy chicken sandwich really made my heart happy (and my belly). Using buttermilk for your chicken is amazing because it really tenderizes the meat! This sandwich tastes so much better homemade, trust me!
This Spicy Honey Fried Chicken Sandwich is absolutely phenomenal – so crispy on the outside but juicy and tender on the inside. This sandwich can come together quickly. You can use brioche buns or potato buns, which is what I used. Don’t skip on the cornstarch because that is what helps the chicken come out extra crispy on the outside.
If you love this recipe, feel free to try my Caprese Sandwich or my Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Honey
- Butter
- Hot Sauce
- Chicken thighs
- FLour
- Cornstarch
- Chili powder
- Onion powder
- Salt
- Pepper
- Buttermilk
- Garlic cloves
- Oil
- Burger Buns
- Pickles
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Start by making the sauce. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the honey, butter and hot sauce. Do not stop stirring until all the butter melts and the honey becomes thin. Set aside.
Prep the chicken. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, 1 tablespoon chili powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. In another dish, add the buttermilk, remaining chili powder, and minced garlic. Stir each mixture with a fork until well combined. Dip each piece of chicken into the buttermilk mixture and then toss in the flour, and add on a clean plate. Repeat with the rest.
Heat up the oil. Heat a 2-inch depth of vegetable oil in a heavy large pot between medium and medium high heat. Use a thermometer! Oil must register to 375°F. Add the chicken into the oil and fry, turning once, for about 8 minutes, or until the chicken registers 170°F internal temperature.
Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and repeat with the rest of the chicken. When the chicken cools off a bit, dip into the spicy honey mixture!
Add each fried chicken tossed in the honey mixture onto a bun.
If you want, you can add mayonnaise as well as the pickles. Top with the bun and enjoy!
Substitutions
Honey: You can use honey your maple syrup. Both work perfectly.
Butter: I used salted butter but feel free to use unsalted and salt to your liking.
Hot sauce: I love using Cholula, Valentina or Frank's.
Chicken: Boneless chicken thighs are great for frying, and keep in the juiciness.
Seasonings: I love using chili powder and onion powder. Feel free to add old bay, paprika or chili powder. Cornstarch is essential to get that crispy exterior.
Buttermilk: If you do not have buttermilk, regular milk will work as well.
Buns: Potato buns are always the way to go. They taste just like a Chick-fil-A sandwich.
Variations
Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish, or banana peppers
- Deluxe - add guacamole, crispy onions or mayo.
- Kid friendly - add crushed potato chips (ketchup chips!)
Check out this Sausage Pita.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.
Storage
This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. You can freeze the chicken for up to three months.
Top tip
Use a candy thermometer to maintain the temperature of the oil to 375°F.
Hot Honey Fried Chicken Sandwich Recipe
- Total Time: 1 Hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Hot Honey Fried Chicken Sandwich is absolutely phenomenal – so crispy on the outside but juicy and tender on the inside. The chicken is drenched in a spicy honey sauce.
Ingredients
Spicy Honey Sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoons hot sauce, I’ve used Valentina and franks red hot
Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless thick chicken thighs (3 to 4 ounces each)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 4 potato burger buns
- 14-16 dill pickle chips
Instructions
- Start by making the sauce. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the honey, butter and hot sauce. Do not stop stirring until all the butter melts and the honey becomes thin. Set aside.
- Prep the chicken. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, 1 tablespoon chili powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. In another dish, add the buttermilk, remaining chili powder, and minced garlic. Stir each mixture with a fork until well combined. Dip each piece of chicken into the buttermilk mixture and then toss in the flour, and add on a clean plate. Repeat with the rest.
- Heat up the oil. Heat a 2-inch depth of vegetable oil in a heavy large pot between medium and medium high heat. Use a thermometer! Oil must register to 375°F. Add the chicken into the oil and fry, turning once, for about 8 minutes, or until the chicken registers 170°F internal temperature. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and repeat with the rest of the chicken. When the chicken cools off a bit, dip into the spicy honey mixture!
- Assemble the chicken sandwiches. Add each fried chicken tossed in the honey mixture onto a bun. If you want, you can add mayonnaise as well as the pickles. Top with the bun and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure to keep the temperature to 375°F! It is so important to use a thermometer when deep frying.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 561.0
- Sodium: 3,107.0 mg
- Fat: 14.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.0 g
- Carbohydrates: 76.7 g
- Fiber: 3.9 g
- Protein: 31.5 g
- Cholesterol: 66.5 mg
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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