Hot Honey Chicken Biscuits (Printable)
Flaky butter biscuits, crispy fried chicken, and a spicy-sweet hot honey drizzle for Southern-style comfort.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved and pounded thin (or 4 thin cutlets)
02 - 1 cup buttermilk
03 - 1 teaspoon hot sauce
04 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
05 - 1 teaspoon paprika
06 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
08 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
09 - Vegetable oil for frying
→ Biscuits
10 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
11 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
12 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
13 - 1 teaspoon sugar
14 - 3/4 teaspoon salt
15 - 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
16 - 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
→ Hot Honey
17 - 1/2 cup honey
18 - 2 tablespoons hot sauce
19 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
→ Assembly
20 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted (for brushing)
21 - Sliced pickles (optional)
# Directions:
01 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and 1 teaspoon hot sauce until blended. Submerge the chicken cutlets in the marinade, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight for maximum tenderness.
02 - Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut in the cold cubed butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Fold in the buttermilk, stirring gently just until the dough comes together—avoid overworking.
03 - Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat it to 3/4-inch thickness. Using a 2.5-inch biscuit cutter, cut out 8 rounds and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Immediately brush the hot biscuits with melted butter.
04 - In a small saucepan over low heat, gently warm the honey with 2 tablespoons hot sauce and the crushed red pepper flakes, stirring occasionally. Once warmed through and fragrant, remove from heat and set aside.
05 - Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 1/2 inch into a heavy-bottomed skillet and heat to 350°F. In a shallow dish, combine the flour, paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk marinade, dredge each piece in the seasoned flour, and shake off any excess. Fry the cutlets for 3 to 4 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through to 165°F internally. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.
06 - Split each biscuit in half. Layer a fried chicken cutlet onto the bottom half, drizzle generously with the warm hot honey, and add sliced pickles if desired. Cap with the biscuit top and serve immediately while hot.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The contrast of crispy chicken against pillowy, buttery biscuits is the kind of texture magic that makes you close your eyes on the first bite.
- Hot honey is the easiest trick in the world to make people think you are a culinary genius when it takes about two minutes to put together.
02 -
- Do not skip pounding the chicken to an even thickness because uneven cutlets fry unevenly and you will end up with dry edges and raw centers which is frustrating after all that effort.
- The biscuit dough should look slightly shaggy and rough when you turn it out, and if it looks perfectly smooth you have probably overworked it and the biscuits will be tough instead of tender.
03 -
- Let the fried chicken rest for exactly two minutes on the paper towels before assembling so the crust sets and does not steam itself soft against the biscuit.
- Brushing the hot biscuits with melted butter the moment they come out of the oven creates a glossy top that tastes like pure butter and makes everyone think you did something complicated when it took five seconds.