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Hot Honey Baked Chicken Breasts

Hot honey baked chicken breasts with a fiery glaze that caramelizes to a dark amber, sticky-sweet coating. Juicy baked chicken is brushed and basted with hot honey sauce for a glistening finish with visible red pepper flakes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp pepper to taste
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder to taste
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika to taste
  • 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
  • 0.25 tsp flaky sea salt for garnish
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme for garnish
  • 0.5 tsp hot honey extra drizzle, as desired

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and season
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and lightly oil a baking dish or cast iron skillet.
  2. 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, reserving some for basting.
  2. Bake for 20-22 minutes, basting with the remaining glaze once at the halfway point, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the glaze is caramelized.
  3. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes.
Finish
  1. Finish with flaky sea salt, fresh thyme, and an extra drizzle of hot honey.

Notes

For the stickiest dark-amber glaze, brush on a generous first layer and keep the basting to once halfway through so it caramelizes instead of burning. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a 350°F oven until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because the glaze can lose its glossy texture. For a lower-sugar option, use a reduced-sugar honey substitute and keep the hot sauce the same for the sweet-heat balance.