Crispy Chicken with Hot Honey Sauce

Golden crispy chicken, baked in the oven and smothered in a lip-smacking hot honey sauce. I cannot get enough of this spicy chicken!

The chicken is coated in a tasty spice mix, along with my secret weapon for extra flavourful crispness! No it's not panko.....

Cooking the chicken in the Air fryer

First ensure your air fryer is large enough for 8 chicken steaks. The chicken can overlap a bit, but you don't want to stack them in a big pile. My air fryer is fairly small, so I have to do this in 2 batches to cook the 8 chicken steaks. So it actually takes less time overall to cook in the oven.

Cook at 180C/350F for 13-16 minutes, until the chicken is piping hot throughout and no longer pink in the middle. Check a couple of times during cooking, to ensure the coating doesn't burn. You may need to turn to ensure even cooking.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts - (about 700g/1.5lbs altogether)
• 90 g (¾ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 eggs - whisked
• 150 g (5 cups) cornflakes - , crushed (cup measurement is before crushing)
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil - I use avocado or rapeseed

Hot honey sauce

• 180 ml (½ cup) runny honey
• 3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper - - add more if you like it spicier
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

To Serve (optional):

• Maldon salt flakes
• pickled gherkins

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400f (fan) and line a large baking sheet with baking parchment

Slice the chicken breasts in half, horizontally, to create 8 thin/flat chicken steaks

2. Add the flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and thyme to a shallow bowl and mix together.

3. Add the eggs to a second bowl.

4. Add the crunched cornflakes to a third bowl.

5. Drizzle the oil over the cornflakes and stir together until the oil is absorbed.

6. Dredge the chicken breast pieces through the flour mixture, then the eggs, then the cornflake mixture. Ensure the chicken breasts are completely coated with the flour, eggs and cornflakes.

Place the chicken breasts on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.

7. Place in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and golden.

While the chicken is in the oven, make the sauce.

8. Place all of the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan, and heat over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts. Turn off the heat.

9. When the chicken is ready, remove from the oven and divide between plates. Drizzle with a little of the hot honey sauce, and serve with the remaining hot honey sauce. I like to finish with a sprinkle of Maldon salt and serve with some pickles too.