Go Back

Hot Honey Baked Chicken Breasts

Hot honey baked chicken breasts with a fiery glaze caramelized to a dark amber, sticky-sweet finish with visible red pepper flakes throughout the glistening surface. This easy baked chicken method delivers juicy, evenly glazed breasts with a quick bake at 425°F.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 540
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breasts
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • salt
  • pepper
  • garlic powder
  • smoked paprika
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Hot honey glaze
  • 0.25 cup honey
  • 2 tbsp hot sauce (Frank's RedHot)
  • 1 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • flaky sea salt for garnish
  • fresh thyme for garnish
  • extra hot honey for serving drizzle

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and lightly oil a baking dish or cast iron skillet so the chicken won’t stick.
Season the chicken
  1. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
Make the hot honey glaze
  1. Whisk together honey, hot sauce, melted butter, apple cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder until smooth.
Bake and glaze
  1. Place the chicken in the prepared dish and brush generously with the hot honey glaze; reserve some glaze for basting.
Baste at halfway
  1. Bake for 20-22 minutes, basting once at the halfway point with the remaining glaze so it caramelizes evenly.
Check doneness and rest
  1. Bake until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, then rest for 5 minutes to keep the chicken juicy.
Finish and serve
  1. Finish with flaky sea salt, fresh thyme, and an extra drizzle of hot honey for a dark amber, sticky-sweet top.

Notes

For the stickiest, darkest amber glaze, apply a thick first layer and make sure the reserved glaze hits the chicken during the halfway basting. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days and reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through (microwave is okay but the glaze softens). Freezing is not recommended because the red pepper flakes and glaze texture can change. For a lower-sugar option, use honey-flavored sugar-free syrup and keep the hot sauce/butter the same for a similar sweet-heat finish.