Hot Honey Chicken Biscuits (Printable Version)
Crispy fried chicken in flaky buttermilk biscuits finished with a sticky hot honey drizzle and optional pickles.
# What You'll Need:
→ Buttermilk Biscuits
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
05 - 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
→ Fried Chicken
06 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally
07 - 1 cup buttermilk
08 - 1 teaspoon hot sauce
09 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
10 - 1/2 cup cornstarch
11 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
14 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
15 - Vegetable oil, for frying
→ Hot Honey
16 - 1/2 cup honey
17 - 1 to 2 tablespoons hot sauce, to taste
18 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
→ To Serve
19 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
20 - Pickle slices (optional)
# Step-by-Step:
01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in cold cubed butter using a pastry cutter or fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cold buttermilk just until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer to a floured surface and gently pat dough to a 1-inch thickness. Cut rounds with a biscuit cutter and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12–15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush biscuit tops with melted butter.
02 - If needed, pound chicken pieces to an even thickness. Place in a bowl with buttermilk and hot sauce, making sure all pieces are coated. Marinate for at least 20 minutes or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
03 - In a wide shallow dish, combine all-purpose flour, cornstarch, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
04 - Pour vegetable oil into a deep skillet or Dutch oven to a depth of 1 inch and heat to 350°F. Remove chicken from marinade and dredge each piece in flour mixture, ensuring even coating and shaking off excess. Carefully lower chicken into hot oil, frying 3–4 minutes per side until golden and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer fried chicken to a wire rack to drain.
05 - In a small saucepan, gently warm honey, hot sauce, and red pepper flakes over low heat for 2–3 minutes. Stir to combine but do not allow mixture to boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
06 - Split the warm biscuits. Layer with a piece of fried chicken, drizzle generously with hot honey, and add pickles if desired. Serve immediately while biscuits and chicken are hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The contrast between crispy fried chicken, fluffy biscuit, and warm spicy honey is honestly addicting, and I never get tired of the surprise kick.
- This dish invites improvisation—I started adding pickles one day on a whim, and now I can't serve it without them.
02 -
- If the oil temperature drops, the chicken coating turns greasy and the crunch disappears—nothing salvages soggy crust.
- Let the biscuits rest just a minute out of the oven before splitting—rushing this can tear the delicate crumb in half (learnt that twice).
03 -
- Using a sharp biscuit cutter—never twist—helps the biscuits rise tall and even.
- A bit of cornstarch in the coating is the secret behind that shatteringly crisp chicken crust.