Go Back
two fried chicken drumsticks with honey on a plate

Mike's Hot Honey Fried Chicken Recipe

Is there anything more Southern than crispy golden brown fried chicken? Drizzled with Mike’s Hot Honey this crispy chicken recipe has a spicy kick that would be perfect as a sandwich on a brioche bun or served by itself as a stand alone main dish sure to please any guest. 
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Serving Size 8

Ingredients

  • 8 Drumsticks or Chicken Tenders
  • 2-3 tablespoons of Hot Honey for drizzling I prefer Mike's Hot Honey
  • Buttermilk Marinade:
  • 3 cups of buttermilk kefir or milk with a splash of lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Flour Mixture:
  • 2 cups Self Rising flour
  • 2 tablespoons onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
  • 1.5 tablespoons black pepper
  • 1.5 tablespoons salt to taste

Instructions

Make the Buttermilk Marinade:

  • In a large bowl combine buttermilk, sriracha, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined and then add in the chicken pieces. Let the chicken sit in the buttermilk marinade in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but ideally 2-8 hours. 

Make the Flour Mixture:

  • In a small bowl combine self rising flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder. Whisk until the spices are evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture. 

Bread the Chicken:

  • Pour off two cups of buttermilk marinade into a separate small bowl. 
  • Remove one piece of chicken at a time from the buttermilk marinade. Dredge the piece of chicken into the flour mixture making sure it is well coated. 
  • Next, dip the breaded chicken into the separate bowl of buttermilk marinade making sure it is evenly coated in buttermilk. 
  • Re-dip the breaded chicken into the flour mixture making sure the breading is even around the chicken. Set the breaded pieces of chicken on a wire rack until you are done breading all of the pieces and are ready to begin deep frying.

Fry the Chicken in an Electric Deep Fryer:

  • Fill your deep fryer half way with oil according to the instruction manual. Plug in the deep fryer and let the oil begin to heat. The oil is ready to fry in when it is bubbling and immediately begins to fry or sizzle when flour is sprinkled in it. 
  • When the oil is hot and ready, gently place a couple pieces of breaded chicken into the hot oil being sure to gently lay the chicken down away from you to avoid any hot oil from splashing back towards you. 
  • Let the chicken fry for 7 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Flip the chicken using a spider strainer a few times throughout to get an even golden brown crust.

Fry the Chicken in a Cast Iron Skillet:

  • Place your oil in a deep cast iron skillet and slowly heat the oil over medium low heat. Fill your pan with enough oil to submerge the chicken but do not fill more than half way to avoid the oil spilling over and creating a grease fire. 
  • Use an instant read thermometer to check the oil until it reaches 350 degrees. 
  • If you don’t have an instant read thermometer, you can sprinkle flour into the oil when it gets hot. If the oil immediately sizzles and begins to fry, it is ready. Gently place a few pieces of chicken into the hot oil, being sure to lay the chicken away from you and separate the pieces. The oil should cover the chicken. Work in small batches of 2 or 3 pieces of chicken at a time to avoid cooling the oil too much.
  • Let the chicken fry for 7 minutes, flipping as needed throughout with a spider strainer to keep the breading from burning on one side. Once it has fried for 7 minutes, check the internal temperature to ensure it is at least 165 degrees. Keep the chicken warm and finish cooking if need be on a baking tray with a wire rack in the oven preheated to 250 degrees until all chicken pieces are fried and reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. 
  • Drizzle warm fried chicken with Mike's hot honey and serve immediately.

    Notes

    Grease Fire Safety:
    When filling your skillet with oil, only fill with enough oil that the food will be submerged but do not fill the pan more than halfway. Hot oil spilling onto the stove is the number one reason flames occur. This is especially important when cooking on a gas range.
    Be sure to always keep baking soda within reach (and not in the cabinet above the stove) as a natural fire extinguisher just in case. If any oil spills and flames pop up, throw a generous handful of baking soda on the fire to put it out and immediately turn off the burner. Baking soda is a great flame retardant for grease fires and less messy to clean up than other alternatives. 
    Best served fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.