Huge Hot Honey Chicken
Prep
20m
Cook
18m
Total
38m
Bigly says
Folks. FOLKS. Hot honey chicken. We're doing it. The HUGEST hot honey chicken in the history of hot honey chicken — and let me tell you, the history is LONG, the history is RICH, the bees have been making honey for millions of years, MILLIONS, and not one of those bees, not a single bee, ever drizzled it on a piece of fried chicken until somebody figured it out and that person is a HERO, a national treasure, we should put their face on money. Maybe. We'll see.
Now most hot honey chicken out there is sad. Soggy crust, weak honey, no heat — they call it 'hot' but it tastes like a warm hug. We're after CRUNCH. We're after a crust so loud you can hear it from another room. People will come in from the yard, from the garage, from down the street, they'll say 'what is that NOISE' and you'll say 'that's the chicken, that's the BIGLY CHICKEN.' Trust me. Scientists — and I've talked to scientists, very smart people, the smartest — they've measured the decibels on a properly fried thigh, and the number is BIG. Off the charts.
The secret — and again, no popup, no newsletter, no twelve-step cookie consent form where you have to opt out of 'legitimate interest' which is a phrase invented by LAWYERS to confuse you, total disaster, who reads that, nobody — the secret is hot honey made fresh. Not the bottled stuff. The bottled stuff is fine. Fine is the enemy of huge. We make our own. Honey, chili, a splash of vinegar, ninety seconds on the stove. It's not even cooking. It's a miracle. It's a slaughter. Other so-called chefs would charge you forty dollars at a restaurant for this. Here, you get it free. End of discussion.
Ingredients
- 2 lbboneless skinless chicken thighs(thighs, always thighs, breasts are for amateurs)
- 2 cupsbuttermilk
- 2 tbsphot sauce (Frank's or Crystal)
- 2 tsp, dividedkosher salt
- 1.5 cupsall-purpose flour
- 1/2 cupcornstarch(this is what makes the crust loud)
- 1 tbspsmoked paprika
- 1 tbspgarlic powder
- 1 tsponion powder
- 1 tspcayenne pepper
- 1 tspblack pepper
- 6 cupsneutral oil for frying (peanut or canola)
- 3/4 cuphoney(real honey, not the bear-shaped corn syrup)
- 2 tspred pepper flakes
- 1 tbspapple cider vinegar
- 1 tspfresh thyme leaves
- a pinchflaky sea salt (to finish)
Steps
- 1
Combine buttermilk, hot sauce, and 1 tsp of the salt in a large bowl. Add chicken thighs and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
- 2
When ready to fry, whisk flour, cornstarch, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, black pepper, and the remaining 1 tsp salt in a large shallow dish.
- 3
Drizzle 2 tbsp of the buttermilk marinade into the flour mixture and rub it through with your fingers to create shaggy clumps — these are the crunchy bits.
- 4
Heat oil in a heavy Dutch oven or deep skillet to 350°F (175°C). Set a wire rack over a baking sheet near the stove.
- 5
Lift a piece of chicken out of the buttermilk, let excess drip off, then press it firmly into the flour mixture. Turn and press again so every surface is coated. Set aside on a plate.
- 6
Working in batches of 3-4, fry the chicken 6-7 minutes, turning once, until deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Transfer to the wire rack.
- 7
While the chicken fries, combine honey, red pepper flakes, vinegar, and thyme in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat for 90 seconds, just until fragrant — do not boil.
- 8
Drizzle the warm hot honey generously over the chicken. Finish with flaky salt and serve immediately.
One more thing
You make this once and it's over. Other dinners are done for you. Done. People will text you the next day, 'when are you making the chicken again,' and you'll say 'soon,' and you'll mean it, because once you've had the BIGLY CHICKEN, the other chickens look at you with shame in their eyes. The other chickens know. The chicken kingdom knows. The bees know. The bees are happy. Everyone is happy. Save me a piece.
★ QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ONE? ★
Ask Bigly about Huge Hot Honey Chicken.
Substitutions, what to serve it with, why other chefs are wrong about it. He's got opinions.
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