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Hot Honey Popcorn Chicken

Craving the perfect balance of sweet and spicy? Try this Hot Honey Popcorn Chicken recipe! Crispy chicken bites drizzled with homemade hot honey sauce - an easy high-protein meal that's ready in under 30 minutes!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Course: Chicken
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken, fried chicken, hot honey, one pan meal, popcorn chicken
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 2440kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds chicken breast diced
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup honey
  • ½ cup hot sauce
  • 4 cups vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

  • Add your oil to a large pot and let it heat up to 375°F on the stovetop over medium heat.
  • The oil is going to take about 10 minutes to heat up, which should be enough time to prep hour popcorn chicken. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and spices. Toss the chicken in the dry ingredients until evenly coated.
  • Beat your eggs in a small dish and dip each piece of chicken in the eggs.
  • Return your chicken to the dry ingredients and toss again.
  • Working in batches, fry up to 8 pieces of chicken at a time in the hot oil. Let your chicken cook for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer your chicken to a plate lined with paper towels and repeat the process for the remaining chicken.
  • Whisk together the honey and hot sauce in a small saucepan. Heat the sauce over medium heat until it just starts to bubble. Drizzle the hot honey sauce over your chicken.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • Vegetable, canola, and peanut oil can all be used to fry your chicken. Just make sure the oil is at about 350-375°F.
  • We like to coat our chicken in flour before the eggs as well as after to help thicken the coating, giving it a crispier shell.
  • We typically use chicken breasts, but you can also use chicken tenderloins. Boneless skinless chicken thighs will also work.
  • The cornstarch helps maximize the crunchiness of the fried shell.
  • Keep your leftover chicken in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat your popcorn chicken in the air fryer for 4-5 minutes at 380°F. The air fryer will help re-crisp your chicken. You can also reheat some popcorn chicken in the microwave for 45-75 seconds.
  • Feel free to use your favorite hot sauce. Frank's Red Hot sauce works great and is available at most major grocery stores.
  • You can easily control the spice level of your hot honey sauce. For a sweeter sauce, reduce the amount of hot sauce to 1/4 cup. For a spicier sauce, use 1/2 cup of hot sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 2440kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 226g | Saturated Fat: 35g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 126g | Monounsaturated Fat: 52g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 227mg | Sodium: 1672mg | Potassium: 964mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 237IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg