Crispy Hot Honey Chicken (Print Version)

Golden chicken cutlets topped with creamy feta and spicy-sweet hot honey for bold, irresistible flavors.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken & Seasoning

01 - 2 chicken breasts (9 oz each), halved horizontally
02 - 2 teaspoons paprika
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
07 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
08 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

→ Breading Station

09 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
10 - 2 large eggs, beaten
11 - 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

→ Frying & Topping

12 - 6 to 8 tablespoons vegetable oil
13 - 7 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

→ Hot Honey

14 - 1/3 cup honey
15 - 1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce
16 - 3/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a small bowl, combine honey, chili flakes, and hot sauce. Warm gently on the stove or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, then set aside to steep and intensify the spice.
02 - Slice each chicken breast horizontally to create thin cutlets. In a small bowl, combine paprika, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Divide the spice mixture in half for the breading station.
03 - Mix half the spice blend into the flour. Mix the remaining half into the Panko breadcrumbs. Place spiced flour, beaten eggs, and spiced Panko in separate shallow bowls.
04 - Dredge each cutlet first in spiced flour, shaking off excess. Dip in beaten egg, coating both sides. Finally, coat thoroughly with spiced Panko, pressing gently to adhere the breadcrumbs.
05 - Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, fry chicken cutlets 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp. Transfer to a wire rack to drain.
06 - Place fried cutlets on a baking sheet. Top each cutlet evenly with crumbled feta cheese. Broil 1-2 minutes until the feta softens and begins to brown at the edges.
07 - Remove from broiler and drizzle hot honey generously over the feta chicken. Serve immediately while the cheese is warm and the honey is still spiced.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The contrast between crackling-crisp chicken and warm, tangy feta is genuinely addictive in a way that feels both indulgent and surprisingly balanced.
  • Hot honey might sound trendy, but once you taste spicy-sweet dripping over melted cheese and golden breading, you'll make it again and again without thinking.
  • It comes together in 35 minutes, which means you can pull off something that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when you actually didn't.
02 -
  • Don't overcrowd your pan—I learned this the hard way when I tried to fry three cutlets at once and ended up with steamed, soggy chicken instead of crispy treasure.
  • The hot honey's power comes from the melding time, so resist the urge to pour it over cold chicken or use it immediately after mixing.
  • Bulgarian feta truly does make a difference in creaminess, but honestly, the magic is in the ratio of spice and sweetness, not the exact cheese you choose.
03 -
  • Make your hot honey up to three days ahead and store it in a jar—it actually deepens in flavor as it sits, and reheating it gently before serving takes all of thirty seconds.
  • If you're nervous about your broiler heat, keep your hand near the oven and set a timer for exactly one minute, then check—every broiler runs differently, and feta can go from softened to scorched shockingly fast.
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