Air Fryer Hot Honey Chicken
Crispy panko-coated chicken air-fried and drizzled with a spicy hot honey sauce.
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- air fryer basket
- Shallow Bowls
- Microwave
- Small Skillet
- plastic wrap or zip-top bag
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 poundchicken cutlets or thin-sliced chicken breasts pounded to 1/4-inch thick (4 pieces that are about 1/4 lb each)*
- 1 1/2 cupspanko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cupall-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoonsmoked paprika
- 1 teaspoondried parsley
- 1 teaspoonsalt
- 1/2 teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoononion powder
- 1/2 teaspoongarlic powder
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2 tablespoonshot sauce such as sriracha or to taste
- 1/2 cuphoney
- 2 tablespoonsunsalted butter
- 2 tablespoonshot sauce
- 1 teaspoonchipotle chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoongarlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoononion powder
- 1/2 teaspoonsalt
- 1/4 teaspooncayenne pepper
- Optional fresh herbs such as parsley or cilantro for garnishing if desired
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F.
- Prepare the chicken: Place the 1 pound chicken cutlets (4 pieces, about 1/4 lb each) between plastic wrap or in a zip-top bag and pound to 1/4‑inch thickness. Set aside.
- Make the dry dredge: In a shallow bowl combine 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Whisk to mix evenly.
- Make the egg wash: In a separate shallow bowl beat 2 large eggs with 2 tablespoons hot sauce (such as sriracha) until combined.
- Dredge the chicken: Working one piece at a time, dip a cutlet into the egg wash, coating both sides and allowing excess to drip back into the bowl. Then press the chicken into the panko mixture, coating both sides and pressing the crumbs onto the surface. Place coated pieces on a plate; repeat with remaining cutlets.
- Prepare the air fryer basket: Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray or use an oil mister. Arrange the coated chicken in a single layer in the basket without crowding (cook in batches if necessary).
- Air fry first side: Lightly spray the top of the chicken with cooking spray, close the basket, and air fry at 400°F for 5 minutes.
- Flip and finish: Open the basket, flip each piece, give a quick spray to the top, close the basket, and air fry for about 5 minutes more, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. If you prefer, start checking doneness about 3–4 minutes after flipping since the second side can cook faster. Repeat steps 6–8 for any remaining batches.
- Make the hot honey while the chicken cooks: In a microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring cup combine 1/2 cup honey, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons hot sauce, 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Cover loosely and microwave on high for about 1 minute, or until the butter melts; stir until smooth. (Alternatively, warm and stir together in a small skillet over low heat.)
- Serve: Immediately after removing chicken from the air fryer, drizzle hot honey over the pieces to taste. Garnish with optional fresh herbs such as parsley or cilantro if desired.
- Storage: Store leftover chicken airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months (crispy texture will diminish). Store extra hot honey airtight in the refrigerator for 1–2 weeks.
Notes
Notes
Chicken
The goal is 4 thinly sliced pieces of chicken that are about 1/4-inch each. Either buy
chicken cutlets
(also called
thin-sliced chicken breasts
) already sliced thin. You may or may not need to pound them. If in doubt, do so to ensure quicker and more even cooking.
Or buy two more
average-sized chicken breasts
that are about 1/2 pound each, halve them with a sharp knife, and then pound them if needed to 1/4-inch thick.
You can also use 1-pound of
chicken tenders
cuts of chicken which are usually about 1 to 2 inch-wide vertical strips. You don't need to pound these as their small surface area will cook quickly.
Oven Baking Rather Than Air Frying
I suggest my
Baked Parmesan Crusted Crispy Chicken
recipe or my
Baked Everything-Bagel Seasoned Chicken Tenders
as good posts to review in terms of the chicken cuts. For the oven temp – use between 400 and 425F. For the baking time – about 20 to 25 minutes, depending on size, flipping once midway through. Bake on a parchment lined or Silpat baking sheet.
Rather than adding Parmesan or Everything Bagel Seasoning, respectively, to the dry ingredients for dredging the chicken, you can follow the breading and seasoning ingredients for this hot honey chicken cutlets recipe (adding the smoked paprika, garlic and onion powders, etc.) along with the hot sauce-spiked egg dip.
Nutrition Stats
They are provided as a courtesy estimate only and take into account using every last drop of breading and dredging ingredients, as well as the hot honey, both of which are very unlikely. Therefore, I feel like they're skewing high but you can calculate by hand, if it's very important to you.
Chicken
The goal is 4 thinly sliced pieces of chicken that are about 1/4-inch each. Either buy
chicken cutlets
(also called
thin-sliced chicken breasts
) already sliced thin. You may or may not need to pound them. If in doubt, do so to ensure quicker and more even cooking.
Or buy two more
average-sized chicken breasts
that are about 1/2 pound each, halve them with a sharp knife, and then pound them if needed to 1/4-inch thick.
You can also use 1-pound of
chicken tenders
cuts of chicken which are usually about 1 to 2 inch-wide vertical strips. You don't need to pound these as their small surface area will cook quickly.
Oven Baking Rather Than Air Frying
I suggest my
Baked Parmesan Crusted Crispy Chicken
recipe or my
Baked Everything-Bagel Seasoned Chicken Tenders
as good posts to review in terms of the chicken cuts. For the oven temp – use between 400 and 425F. For the baking time – about 20 to 25 minutes, depending on size, flipping once midway through. Bake on a parchment lined or Silpat baking sheet.
Rather than adding Parmesan or Everything Bagel Seasoning, respectively, to the dry ingredients for dredging the chicken, you can follow the breading and seasoning ingredients for this hot honey chicken cutlets recipe (adding the smoked paprika, garlic and onion powders, etc.) along with the hot sauce-spiked egg dip.
Nutrition Stats
They are provided as a courtesy estimate only and take into account using every last drop of breading and dredging ingredients, as well as the hot honey, both of which are very unlikely. Therefore, I feel like they're skewing high but you can calculate by hand, if it's very important to you.