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My homemade hot honey chicken sandwich features crispy and juicy buttermilk fried chicken with a hot honey sauce on top. It’s even better than takeout!
Love homemade sandwiches and burgers? Try my spicy chicken sandwich, chopped cheese, or smoked salmon bagel next.
My family and I LOVE a good chicken sandwich, and Wendy’s hot honey chicken sandwich was a favorite. See, they stopped making it, but that did not stop me. Oh no, it didn’t.
My spicy chicken sandwich looks like the takeout version but is much more delicious.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- There is an epic amount of CRUNCH. There’s nothing quite like sinking your teeth into a gorgeously golden and crunchy piece of fried chicken. My family BEGS me to make it for a treat.
- It features out-of-this-world flavors. Each element in this sandwich, from the crispy chicken to the honey sauce to the toppings, brings balance and complements each other perfectly. It’s an indulgent meal that’s savory, spicy, and sweet!
- You can play with the toppings. There are plenty of topping and sauce options you can add to a crispy chicken sandwich. Check out the Variations section for plenty of delicious ideas!
Ingredients needed
- Hot honey sauce. You can use store-bought hot honey, but making my homemade version is very easy. All you need is honey, apple cider vinegar, and red pepper flakes.
- Chicken thighs. I like to use skinless and boneless chicken thighs. I’ve tested this recipe with two chicken breasts sliced in half if you prefer white meat.
- Buttermilk. Marinating chicken in buttermilk helps to break down the protein structures so the meat is extra tender and juicy. No buttermilk at home? No problem. Combine one tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar with 1 cup of milk, and let the mixture stand for about 5 minutes before using it.
- Spices. Salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, and onion powder are used to season the buttermilk and the flour.
- All purpose flour. To coat the chicken after soaking it in the buttermilk.
- Oil. For frying the chicken. Use an oil with a high smoke point, like vegetable oil, sunflower, or peanut oil.
- To assemble. Brioche burger buns, mayonnaise (or my spicy mayo!), lettuce, and tomato.
How to make hot honey chicken sandwiches
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1 – Marinate. Whisk the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place the chicken in the bowl, cover, and place it in the fridge for 1 hour.
Step 2 – Coat in flour. Whisk the flour, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic, and onion powder together in a separate bowl. Dip each piece in the flour mixture, making sure to coat both sides.
Step 3 – Fry. Heat the oil in a deep pot on the stove, and then fry the dredged chicken on both sides.
Step 4- Cool. Transfer the fried chicken thighs to a paper towel-lined plate to allow the excess oil to drain.
Step 5 – Make the hot honey sauce. If you haven’t already, make the hot honey sauce by heating the honey and apple cider vinegar in a saucepan over low heat. Take it off of the heat when it simmers, then stir in the red pepper flakes.
Step 6 – Assemble the sandwiches, drizzle with hot honey sauce, and serve.
Serving ideas!
This hot honey sandwich pairs perfectly with all of your fast food favorites, like baked curly fries, air fryer french fries, air fryer baked potatoes, air fryer frozen green beans, and air fryer sweet potato fries.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Marinate the chicken overnight. You can marinate the chicken in the buttermilk for 1 to 4 hours or overnight.
- Heat the oil to 180ºC/350ºF. I’ve found that this is the perfect temperature because it won’t burn the breading and will cook the chicken to perfection. I use a meat thermometer to check.
- Don’t overcrowd the skillet. Crowding the chicken in the pot will cause the temperature of the oil to drop. As a result, the chicken absorbs too much oil and will have a harder time crisping up. Work in batches and only fry 1 or 2 pieces of chicken at a time if you need to (trust me, it’s worth it).
- To check for doneness. Insert a meat thermometer into the chicken’s thickest end to ensure that the internal temperature has reached 165ºF.
Variations
Feel free to make this spicy chicken sandwich your own by swapping the honey sauce and toppings for any of my family’s favorite alternatives:
- Sauces. Drizzle my Big Mac sauce, katsu sauce, honey mustard, ranch dressing, teriyaki sauce, or sweet chili sauce over the crispy chicken instead of the honey.
- Cheese, bacon, and pickles. Create a copycat Wendy’s hot honey chicken sandwich by topping the sandwich with pepper jack cheese, Applewood smoked bacon, and dill pickle chips.
- Coleslaw. A scoop of creamy coleslaw will cool down the spicy bites.
Storage instructions
To store: You can keep the fried chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Store the homemade hot honey in a jar or bottle at room temperature for 6 months to 1 year.
To freeze: The fried chicken can be stored in the freezer in a ziplock bag for up to 6 months.
Frequently asked questions
The hot honey sauce and fried chicken pack a punch, but you can easily adjust the heat level to your liking. Either omit the cayenne in the buttermilk and breading or reduce the amount to ¼ teaspoon. As for the honey sauce, only use ½ to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
More delicious crispy chicken favorites
Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich
Video
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
To assemble
- 1/4 cup hot honey sauce click the link for the recipe
- 4 leaves lettuce
- 1 large tomato sliced
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 4 brioche buns
Instructions
- Combine the buttermilk, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper in a bowl and whisk together.
- Add the chicken thighs and mix until all are covered in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least ten minutes or up to an hour.
- Combine the flour, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl.
- Dip each marinated chicken thigh in it, coating both sides well and shaking off any excess.
- Add 1-2 inches of oil into a deep pot. Once hot, fry the chicken fillets for 7-8 minutes, until golden and crispy. Place them on a paper towel to soak up excess oil.
- Assemble the sandwiches by dividing the bun in half and layering the lettuce, fried chicken, hot honey sauce, tomatoes, and mayonnaise.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published April 2023, updated and republished October 2024
Very interesting flavours. Honey, garlic, spicy…Good!
Can I use other flavour except honey? Like maple syrup?
This looks amazing! Can it be air fried some how?
Absolutely! Air fry the chicken pieces like you would in my air fryer fried chicken recipe here -> https://thebigmansworld.com/air-fryer-fried-chicken/