These Hot Honey Chicken Cutlets are a delicious twist on the classic chicken cutlet. Coated in seasoned breadcrumbs, fried to crispy perfection, and then drizzled with a sweet and spicy hot honey sauce, they are the ultimate combination of crispy, juicy, and flavorful. Once you try these, they’ll quickly become a household favorite!

Full Recipe:

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

• 8 large chicken breasts (sliced in half to make 8 pieces total)

• Salt, to taste

• Pepper, to taste

• Garlic powder, to taste

• Onion powder, to taste

For the Egg Mixture:

• 2 eggs, whisked

• 1 tbsp Frank’s buffalo hot sauce (or hot sauce of your choice)

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

For the Breadcrumb Coating:

• 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs, seasoned

• ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

For the Hot Honey Sauce:

• ⅓ cup honey

• ¼ cup Frank’s buffalo hot sauce (or hot sauce of your choice)

Other:

• 1¼ cups peanut oil (for frying the chicken)

• Fresh parsley (for garnish, optional)

Directions

1. Prepare the Chicken: Slice the chicken breasts in half to make them thinner. Use a meat mallet to pound them to about ½ inch thickness. Season generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.

2. Prepare the Egg Mixture: In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, hot sauce, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.

3. Prepare the Breadcrumb Coating: In a separate bowl, combine the seasoned breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, and cayenne pepper.

4. Coat the Chicken: Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then coat it well in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to ensure an even coat.

5. Fry the Chicken: Heat the peanut oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, fry the chicken in batches for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden and crispy. Transfer to a wire rack to drain excess oil.

6. Make the Hot Honey Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the honey and hot sauce. Simmer for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

7. Assemble: Drizzle the hot honey sauce over the fried chicken cutlets. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired, and serve immediately.

Nutrients (per serving)

• Calories: 1394 kcal

• Carbohydrates: 45g

• Protein: 108g

• Fat: 86g

• Saturated Fat: 17g

• Polyunsaturated Fat: 25g

• Monounsaturated Fat: 37g

• Trans Fat: 0.1g

• Cholesterol: 380mg

• Sodium: 1733mg

• Potassium: 1803mg

• Fiber: 2g

• Sugar: 25g

• Vitamin A: 514 IU

• Vitamin C: 7mg

• Calcium: 240mg

• Iron: 4mg

The Crispy Coating: A Golden Crunch

The first step to making these Hot Honey Chicken Cutlets is ensuring the chicken is perfectly breaded and fried to golden perfection. By slicing the chicken breasts in half, you create thinner cutlets that cook faster and have more surface area for that crispy breadcrumb coating. After pounding the chicken to an even thickness, you’ll season it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to enhance the flavor before it even hits the breading.

The key to a perfectly crispy coating lies in the breadcrumb mixture. The seasoned Italian breadcrumbs, combined with grated Parmigiano Reggiano, create a flavorful crust that adds both texture and taste. The addition of cayenne pepper in the breadcrumb mixture provides a subtle hint of heat that complements the sweet and spicy hot honey sauce perfectly. By pressing the breadcrumbs gently into the chicken, you ensure an even coating that crisps up beautifully when fried.

The Egg Mixture: A Binding Agent for Flavor

The egg mixture serves as the perfect binding agent for the breadcrumbs, ensuring that the coating sticks to the chicken as it fries. The combination of whisked eggs, Frank’s buffalo hot sauce, and cayenne pepper not only helps the breadcrumbs adhere to the chicken but also infuses the chicken with a spicy flavor that enhances the overall taste.

The buffalo hot sauce adds a tangy, vinegary heat to the cutlets, while the cayenne pepper gives an extra kick. This egg mixture creates a flavorful base layer for the breadcrumbs, ensuring that the cutlets have a depth of flavor before they’re even fried. The hot sauce also adds a subtle heat that pairs perfectly with the hot honey sauce later on.

Frying the Chicken: Crispy and Juicy

Frying is the next critical step in achieving the perfect chicken cutlet. The peanut oil should be heated to the right temperature—hot enough to fry the chicken to golden perfection but not so hot that the outside burns before the inside cooks through. A large frying pan or skillet works best, and frying the chicken in batches ensures that each piece gets the attention it needs to cook evenly and become crispy.

Each piece of chicken should be fried for about 3 minutes per side, ensuring that the coating becomes golden and crispy while the chicken remains tender and juicy on the inside. Once fried, the chicken should be transferred to a wire rack to drain excess oil, allowing it to stay crispy while also preventing it from becoming greasy.

Making the Hot Honey Sauce: Sweet and Spicy Perfection

The real magic of this dish comes from the hot honey sauce, which combines the sweetness of honey with the heat of Frank’s buffalo hot sauce. The honey adds a rich, sticky sweetness, while the hot sauce gives the dish a fiery kick. When simmered together for just a minute, the flavors meld together into a sauce that coats the chicken perfectly.

The hot honey sauce is drizzled over the fried chicken just before serving, adding both a glossy finish and an extra layer of flavor. The combination of sweet and spicy is a true crowd-pleaser, making these Hot Honey Chicken Cutlets a flavorful and memorable meal.

Assembling the Dish: Drizzle and Garnish

Once the chicken cutlets are fried and the hot honey sauce is ready, it’s time to assemble the dish. Simply drizzle the sweet and spicy sauce over the crispy chicken cutlets, allowing the sauce to soak into the breadcrumb coating while still leaving a glossy finish on top. For an added burst of color and freshness, garnish the cutlets with fresh parsley.

The parsley not only adds a pop of color but also helps balance the richness of the fried chicken and the sweetness of the hot honey sauce. Each bite delivers a perfect blend of crispy, juicy, sweet, and spicy flavors that will leave you craving more.

A Flavor Explosion: Sweet, Spicy, and Crispy

What makes Hot Honey Chicken Cutlets so special is the balance of flavors and textures. The crispy, golden breadcrumb coating gives way to tender, juicy chicken, while the hot honey sauce adds a perfect balance of sweet and spicy. The cayenne pepper in both the breadcrumb coating and the hot honey sauce adds heat, while the honey brings a touch of sweetness that mellows out the spice.

The use of Frank’s buffalo hot sauce enhances the overall flavor profile, bringing a tangy, vinegary heat that complements the sweetness of the honey. This sweet-and-spicy combination creates a flavor explosion that’s both bold and satisfying, making each bite an irresistible experience.

Serving Suggestions

Hot Honey Chicken Cutlets are a versatile dish that pairs well with a variety of sides. For a lighter meal, serve the cutlets with a fresh salad or roasted vegetables. The sweetness and spice of the hot honey sauce are the perfect complement to a simple green salad, and the crispy chicken adds a hearty element to any meal.

You can also serve these cutlets with mashed potatoes, rice, or even a side of fries for a more indulgent meal. The hot honey sauce is so flavorful that it would work well as a dipping sauce for fries or any other side you choose to serve.

Conclusion: A Meal That Will Wow Your Taste Buds

Hot Honey Chicken Cutlets are the ultimate combination of crispy, juicy, sweet, and spicy. With their perfectly breaded coating, tender chicken, and irresistible hot honey sauce, these cutlets offer a bold and flavorful twist on the classic chicken cutlet. Whether you’re making them for a weeknight dinner or serving them at a gathering, these cutlets are sure to impress everyone at the table.

The balance of flavors—sweet, spicy, and savory—makes this dish a true standout, and once you try it, it will quickly become a household favorite. So, fire up your frying pan, whip up that hot honey sauce, and get ready to enjoy a meal that’s crispy, juicy, and packed with bold flavors!