Hot Honey Chicken Biscuits (Printable version)
Crispy fried chicken on buttery buttermilk biscuits, finished with a spicy-sweet hot honey drizzle and optional pickles.
# What you need:
→ Buttermilk Biscuits
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
05 - 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
→ Fried Chicken
06 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally (4 cutlets)
07 - 1 cup buttermilk
08 - 1 teaspoon hot sauce
09 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
10 - 1/2 cup cornstarch
11 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
14 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
15 - Vegetable oil, for frying
→ Hot Honey
16 - 1/2 cup honey
17 - 1 to 2 tablespoons hot sauce, to taste
18 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
→ To Serve
19 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
20 - Pickle slices, optional
# How to make it:
01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in cold, cubed butter using a pastry cutter or fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
03 - Stir in cold buttermilk just until incorporated. Do not overmix.
04 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat to about 1-inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter. Place rounds onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush tops with melted butter.
05 - Pound chicken cutlets to even thickness if necessary. In a bowl, whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce. Add chicken, ensuring it is fully coated. Marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to 4 hours, refrigerated.
06 - In a shallow dish, combine flour, cornstarch, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
07 - Heat approximately 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet to 350°F. Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Dredge thoroughly in flour mixture, shake off excess. Fry chicken cutlets for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and fully cooked. Transfer to a wire rack to drain.
08 - In a small saucepan over low heat, combine honey, hot sauce, and red pepper flakes. Warm for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until flavors infuse. Do not boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
09 - Carefully split warm biscuits. Place one piece of fried chicken inside each biscuit. Drizzle generously with hot honey. Add pickle slices if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert tips:
01 -
- This combination of homemade hot honey, crunchy chicken, and, yes, homemade biscuits is like comfort food dressed up for a party.
- Makes for an unforgettable brunch or a weeknight dinner that feels just a little bit celebratory.
02 -
- Once, my biscuits fell flat because I lingered over the dough—work quickly for fluff, not toughness.
- Letting the chicken rest on a wire rack after frying keeps it supremely crunchy; stacking makes it soggy.
03 -
- Don’t neglect letting your fried chicken rest on a wire rack—it stays hot and crisp longer this way.
- Brush biscuits with butter the second they’re out of the oven for that bakery-style finish.