I love honey buffalo chicken as the spicy and sweet flavors are my favorite, but this dish comes with lots of calories. If you are someone who wants to taste the flavors but doesn’t want to consume all the extra calories from frying, then use this baked hot honey buffalo chicken recipe which has the calories but the same amazing taste. I’m not claiming it’s healthy, but comparatively healthier than the fried version.
What goes into honey buffalo chicken
Most important ingredient is obviously chicken. I used three chicken quarters which were separated into thighs and legs. I also removed the skin and added deep cuts for the marination to seep through the chicken.
Spices
Spices used in this recipe are very simple; I used salt, black pepper, onion, and garlic powder. I only used a very small quantity of salt as buffalo sauce is already salty. I also used some chili flakes in the sauce but feel free to skip those if you don’t like spicy.
Buffalo sauce
To choose the buffalo sauce of your choice, consider the spice level you can handle. I personally like hot, but if I’m making it for the kids, then I choose to stick to the milder version. Luckily, there are many options for buffalo sauce, so feel free to experiment around to see which one you’ll like more.
We need buffalo sauce to marinate the chicken and also to coat the chicken once it’s done baking.
Honey
To give this recipe sweetness, I used honey. You’ll only need about 2 tbsp of honey.
Butter
You’ll also need 2 tbsp of butter. Feel free to use less if you want.
Garlic
You’ll need 1 tsp of minced garlic. I like to use freshly grated minced garlic.
Parsley
I used a little bit of fresh parsley. Wash and finely chop the parsley before adding it to the sauce. You can also choose to add dried if fresh parsley is not available.
Baking time
You can air fry, bake, or even pan fry the chicken. I prefer to bake, and it took about 40 minutes for the chicken to fully cook at 425°F. For the air fryer, it will take around 30 minutes, and so it is in the pan.
How to serve honey buffalo chicken
Serve hot honey chicken right away; you don’t need any other sauce or sides, but if you want, then you can serve it with a side salad or ranch dressing.
How to store baked honey buffalo chicken
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Leftover chicken makes the best lunch the next day. You can also freeze this and serve it after defrosting and reheating as needed.
Baked Honey Buffalo Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken quarters legs and thighs
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/4 cup buffalo sauce
For sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp chili flakes or less
- 1/2 cup buffalo sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley or dried
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Remove the chicken skin and add deep cuts to your chicken.
- Combine all the ingredients of the marinade and coat the chicken pieces.
- Now bake the chicken for 40 minutes or until internal temperature reads 165°F.
- Melt butter in a pan. Add minced garlic, and give it a minute before adding chili flakes and buffalo sauce.
- Mix it well and add honey. Mix it and your sauce is ready.
- Now add cooked chicken to this sauce and coat it well. Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy.