Description
This Crispy Hot Honey Feta Chicken recipe features tender chicken breasts coated in a flavorful seasoned breadcrumb crust, fried to golden perfection, then topped with buttery soft feta cheese and drizzled with a sweet and spicy hot honey sauce. It’s a deliciously crispy, spicy, and tangy dish perfect for an impressive dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Hot Honey Sauce
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 1/2 tsp hot sauce (Frank's or Cholula)
- 3/4 tsp chilli flakes
Chicken and Coating
- 2 chicken breasts (2 x 250g / 9 oz each), horizontally sliced to create 4 pieces
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 35 g (1/4 cup) plain flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 65 g (1 cup) panko breadcrumbs
- 6-8 tbsp vegetable oil (for frying)
Topping
- 200 g (7 oz) feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Prepare Hot Honey Sauce: Combine honey, hot sauce, and chilli flakes in a bowl. Warm in the microwave for about 20 seconds until warm to help infuse the flavors. Stir well and set aside to cool. You may also heat on the stove until simmering then cool. Adjust spiciness by adding more chilli flakes or hot sauce after cooling if desired.
- Slice Chicken: Horizontally slice the chicken breasts through the center to create 4 even pieces. This helps the chicken cook evenly and develop more crispy surface.
- Mix Seasonings: In a small bowl or pot, combine paprika, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Divide this seasoning mix in half for coating steps.
- Set up Breading Stations: Arrange three large shallow dishes: first with flour mixed with half the seasoning, second with beaten eggs, and third with panko breadcrumbs mixed with the remaining seasoning. Also have a tray ready to place coated chicken.
- Coat Chicken: One piece at a time, dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour, then dip into the beaten egg, and finally coat thoroughly with the seasoned panko breadcrumbs. Place each coated piece on the tray. Ensure all pieces are well coated at each step, particularly the breadcrumbs for crispiness.
- Fry Chicken: Heat enough vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat to coat the base. When the oil is hot (test by dropping a breadcrumb, it should sizzle immediately), carefully add the chicken pieces. Fry 3-4 minutes each side or until deep golden and crisp on the outside, and cooked through to white and piping hot inside. Work in batches if necessary and add oil between batches as needed. Drain fried chicken on a wire rack set over a tray to keep crispy.
- Add Feta and Grill: Generously sprinkle crumbled feta over each piece of fried chicken, covering as much surface as possible. Place under a high grill until the feta starts to turn golden and becomes buttery soft with slight crispiness on top.
- Serve: Drizzle your preferred amount of the prepared hot honey sauce over the feta-topped chicken. Serve immediately with your choice of sides such as rocket/arugula and potato wedges for a perfect meal.
Notes
- Hot Honey: You can customize the heat of the hot honey by adjusting the amount of chilli flakes and hot sauce. Heating the honey helps infuse flavors faster.
- Baking Option: To bake instead of frying, toast the seasoned panko on a baking tray at 180°C (350°F) for 5 minutes until light golden, then coat chicken. Bake coated chicken at 220°C (430°F) for 10 minutes per side, spraying with oil before flipping, until crispy and cooked through. Finish with feta and grill as directed.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve with fresh greens like rocket or arugula and sides such as potato wedges for balanced texture and flavors.
- Calorie Note: The calorie count is a slight overestimate as not all flour, egg, and panko coating is absorbed fully by the chicken.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece (approx. 187 g)
- Calories: 460 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
