Description
Enjoy crispy baked chicken strips coated in a flavorful cornflake crust and tossed in a spicy sweet hot honey sauce. This recipe balances crunch, heat, and sweetness perfectly for a delightful main course that’s easy to prepare and sure to impress.
Ingredients
Scale
Crispy Baked Chicken Strips
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ancho chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 large eggs
- 5 1/2 cups cornflakes cereal, crushed
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch thick strips on a bias
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Hot Honey Sauce
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 1/2 Tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (adjust to taste)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Rack: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a large oven-safe cooling rack with non-stick cooking spray and set it over a rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheet. Set aside.
- Mix Flour Coating: In a shallow dish, whisk together the flour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, ancho chili powder, and onion powder until blended evenly.
- Prepare Egg Wash: In a separate shallow dish, whisk the eggs thoroughly until fully blended.
- Coat Cornflakes with Oil: In a third shallow dish, toss the crushed cornflakes with olive oil using your fingertips until all flakes are evenly coated.
- Season Chicken: Season both sides of each chicken strip generously with salt and black pepper.
- Dredge Chicken in Flour: Working one piece at a time, dredge the chicken strips in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
- Dip in Egg Wash: Transfer the floured chicken strip to the beaten egg dish and coat all sides completely.
- Coat with Cornflakes: Then transfer each piece to the oiled cornflakes, coating thoroughly on both sides and pressing some cornflakes over the top to ensure a generous, even crust.
- Arrange on Rack: Place the coated chicken strips on the prepared cooling rack. Repeat the process with all remaining chicken pieces.
- Bake Chicken: Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 20 minutes. If the chicken starts to over-brown towards the end, loosely tent with foil to prevent burning.
- Prepare Hot Honey Sauce: Place the honey and diced butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for about 30 seconds or until the butter is nearly melted. Remove from microwave, stir in Sriracha, season with salt to taste, and mix until combined.
- Serve: Spoon the hot honey sauce over the baked chicken strips immediately for a deliciously sticky finish. Alternatively, serve the sauce as a dip for extra crispiness.
Notes
- To crush cornflakes, place them in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag, pressing out excess air, then crush with a rolling pin until flakes are broken into small bits roughly the size of panko breadcrumbs.
- For an extra touch, garnish the finished dish with thinly sliced green onions if desired.
- If you prefer more sauce, double the hot honey sauce recipe to have enough for dipping and drizzling.
- Using a cooling rack allows the chicken to bake evenly and stay crispy by letting air circulate underneath.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (2 pieces)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
