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Hot Honey Baked Chicken Breasts

Hot honey baked chicken breasts with a dark amber, sticky-sweet glaze that caramelizes in the oven. Juicy baked chicken breasts are brushed with a fiery hot honey sauce with visible red pepper flakes for sweet heat chicken every bite.
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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: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breasts and seasoning
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 salt
  • 1 black pepper
  • 1 garlic powder
  • 1 smoked paprika
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Hot honey glaze
  • 0.25 cup honey
  • 2 tbsp hot sauce (Frank's RedHot)
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 flaky sea salt
  • 1 fresh thyme

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and lightly oil a baking dish or cast iron skillet so the chicken doesn’t stick.
  2. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika for even flavor.
Make and glaze
  1. Whisk together honey, hot sauce, melted butter, apple cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder until smooth for a hot honey glaze.
  2. Place chicken in the prepared dish and brush generously with the hot honey glaze; reserve some glaze for basting.
Bake and caramelize
  1. Bake at 425°F for 20-22 minutes, basting with the reserved glaze once at the halfway point, until internal temperature reaches 165°F and the glaze is caramelized and dark amber.
Finish
  1. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes so the juices settle, then finish with flaky sea salt, fresh thyme, and an extra drizzle of hot honey.

Notes

Pro tip: For the stickiest, darkest amber coating, brush the glaze on generously and baste exactly once at the halfway mark—this helps it caramelize without drying out. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; rewarm at 350°F until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the glaze can lose its texture. For a lighter option, use olive oil cooking spray or reduce the butter in the glaze to 1/2 tbsp while keeping the hot sauce and honey proportions.