Fourteen ingredients and forty minutes, of which fifteen are the buttermilk doing its work while the oil comes up to temperature.
Cornstarch is half a cup against a cup of flour. That proportion is what makes the coating craggy rather than smooth, and craggy is what holds hot honey.
Why This Recipe Works
- Fifteen minutes in buttermilk is enough to wet the surface so a heavy dredge sticks to it.
- Cornstarch cut into the flour fries into a rough shell rather than a flat batter.
- Dredging heavily rather than lightly is what produces the craggy edges.
- Oil at 350 degrees sets the coating before the tender inside has time to dry out.
- Warming the honey only until fluid keeps it pourable without turning it to caramel.
Ingredient Notes
- Feta
- Three ounces, crumbled and scattered cold at the very end. It is required in this recipe.
- Cornstarch with flour
- Half a cup to a cup. The cornstarch is what makes the coating craggy and keeps it crisp under a honey glaze.
- Hot honey
- A third of a cup of honey with one to two teaspoons of hot sauce and a quarter teaspoon of chilli flakes, warmed only until it flows.
- Buttermilk
- A cup, for fifteen minutes. Short by marinade standards — its job here is to wet the surface so the dredge grips.
How to Make It
Buttermilk while the oil heats
Marinate chicken in buttermilk 15 minutes while heating frying oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dredge heavily for crag
Mix flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Dredge chicken heavily so a craggy coating forms.
Fry in batches to 165F
Fry in batches until deeply golden and the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Drain on a rack.
Warm the hot honey
Warm honey with hot sauce and red pepper flakes just until fluid.
Drizzle, then feta and parsley
Drizzle hot honey over the crisp chicken, then scatter with feta and parsley. Keep the feta as visible crumbles rather than melting it.
Wet, Dry, Hot, Cold
Four states in forty minutes, in that order. The last one is the shortest and it is what defines this hot honey chicken.
Stage 1 of 4
Wet - fifteen minutes only
Steps 1–1 of 5
1 1/2 lb of chicken tenders in 1 cup of buttermilk while the frying oil comes to 350F. Fifteen minutes is short for a marinade, and it is not really one: the job is to wet the surface so the dredge that follows has something to hold on to.
- Buttermilk while the oil heatsMarinate chicken in buttermilk 15 minutes while heating frying oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Stage 2 of 4
Dry - and HEAVILY
Steps 2–2 of 5
1 cup flour with 1/2 cup CORNSTARCH, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper, and the chicken dredged heavily so a craggy coating forms. Half a cup of cornstarch against a cup of flour is the ratio that fries rough rather than smooth, and the recipe asks for heavy rather than shaken-off - the loose clinging bits become the crags that hold honey.
- Dredge heavily for cragMix flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Dredge chicken heavily so a craggy coating forms.
Stage 3 of 4
Hot - 350F, in batches, to 165F
Steps 3–4 of 5
Fried in batches until deeply golden and 165F inside, drained on a RACK rather than paper so the underside does not steam. Then 1/3 cup of honey warmed with 1 to 2 tsp hot sauce and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes JUST until fluid - warmed further it starts to caramelise and would set on the chicken instead of glazing it.
- Fry in batches to 165FFry in batches until deeply golden and the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Drain on a rack.
- Warm the hot honeyWarm honey with hot sauce and red pepper flakes just until fluid.
Stage 4 of 4
Cold - the feta
Steps 5–5 of 5
3 oz of crumbled feta scattered on after the honey, kept as VISIBLE CRUMBLES rather than melted, with 2 tbsp parsley. This is the one component that never meets heat, and it is what defines the dish: feta is required here.
- Drizzle, then feta and parsleyDrizzle hot honey over the crisp chicken, then scatter with feta and parsley. Keep the feta as visible crumbles rather than melting it.
Success Tips
- Press the dredge on rather than shaking it off; the loose bits are the craggy edges.
- Fry in batches so the oil holds near 350.
- Drain on a rack, and add the feta last so it stays in crumbles.
Serving Ideas
Four servings on white plates, the craggy fried chicken under its glossy amber hot honey with crumbled feta and chopped parsley scattered over and honey pooling beneath.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I leave the feta off?
No. It is a defining visible component here.
Should the feta melt into the honey?
No. It goes on cold at the end and stays as visible crumbles.
Could this be done in a slow cooker?
No. The battered, fried coating is what this dish is, and nothing slow-cooked produces it.
