Honey BBQ Chicken Bites
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Baked honey BBQ chicken bites! Saucy, sticky, and finger-licking good. Perfect for entertaining, game day or a quick weeknight-friendly meal!
Why you’ll love these honey BBQ chicken bites
- The irresistible sticky glaze. The combination of the sweet, smoky, tangy, honey BBQ glaze is just a guaranteed hit for both kids and grown-ups. Indeed, it’s really all about the finger-licking sauce.
- Great for all occasions. Whether it’s tailgating season served with carrot and celery sticks or a quick dinner for the family, these chicken bites deliver every single time.
- Maximum crispiness. With the help of the cornflake crumbs along with cooking the honey BBQ sauce separately, we’re talking maximum crunchy, crispy goodness, all baked from start to finish.
Key ingredients for the chicken
Chicken
Use boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, tenderloins or thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks.
BBQ seasoning
Choose your favorite brand of BBQ seasoning. I love Yellowstone Cowboy BBQ seasoning.
Buttermilk and egg
These two ingredients will ultimately create the wet coating for the chicken, helping the cornflake crumbs adhere without falling off. The buttermilk will also tenderize the chicken while adding a rich, tangy flavor.
Cornflakes
Using cornflake crumbs is an excellent way to achieve that deep-fried crunch without actually frying the chicken. They also hold up incredibly well in the oven!
Vegetable oil
Use a neutral oil to avoid altering the flavor profile (for example – canola, avocado, or vegetable oil can all be used here).
All-purpose flour
The flour serves as a primer, absorbing all of the surface moisture and allowing the buttermilk-egg mixture to successfully adhere to the chicken without sliding off. Without the flour, the final crust can fall off during the baking process.
Key ingredients for the honey bbq sauce
BBQ sauce
Choose your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce here (Stubb’s is one of my personal favorites). If you prefer a sweeter BBQ sauce, skip the honey.
Honey
Use a mild, neutral honey to balance the tangy, smoky BBQ sauce.
Apple cider vinegar
This will add a tangy, bright kick to cut through the sweetness. White vinegar can be used as well.
Hot sauce (optional)
Tabasco, Frank’s, or Sriracha are all excellent options.
How to make honey BBQ chicken bites
- Prep the baking sheet. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place it inside a baking sheet. Pro tip: line the baking sheet with foil first for easier clean up.
- Season the chicken. Cut the chicken into uniform 1-inch chunks and season with BBQ seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Crush the cornflakes. Place the cornflakes in a gallon Ziploc bag and crush (using a rolling pin or meat mallet) until the crumbs resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Pour the crumbs into a shallow bowl, stirring in the vegetable oil until evenly coated.
- Set up a coating station. Line up 3 shallow bowls in this order – (1) flour, (2) buttermilk mixture, and (3) cornflakes mixture.
- Coat the chicken. Working one piece at a time, dredge the chicken in flour, shaking off any excess, dip into the buttermilk mixture, then press firmly into the cornflakes mixture.
- Bake. Arrange the chicken in a single layer onto the baking sheet, generously spraying and coating with cooking oil (olive oil or avocado oil). Bake until golden and crispy.
- Make the honey BBQ sauce. Combine the BBQ sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, and hot sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat. This can also be microwaved until warmed through, about 1 minute.
- Sauce the chicken. Combine half of the warm honey BBQ sauce with the cooked chicken, gently tossing to combine until the chicken is thoroughly coated and glossed.
- Serve. Serve warm with the remaining sauce on the side.
PRO TIP
Use a wire rack.
The wire rack is one of the best kept secrets for baking chicken. This helps elevate the chicken pieces, allowing for better air circulation, resulting in even cooking and a more consistent golden brown crispy, crunchy coating.
How to serve honey bbq chicken bites
- Appetizer: Arrange the chicken bites on a platter with carrot and celery sticks alongside various dipping sauces such as ranch or blue cheese dip.
- Entree: Serve with classic cookout sides such as corn, potato salad, coleslaw, and baked beans.
- Salad: Dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces for a BBQ-style chopped salad.
- Sandwich: Transform this into a quick, easy sandwich, adding 3-4 chicken bites to a hot dog bun or burger bun.
More favorited chicken recipes
Tools For This Recipe
Honey BBQ Chicken Bites: Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken breasts, tenderloins, or thighs are all excellent options here.
I personally love to use Yellowstone Cowboy BBQ seasoning for its sweet, savory, and smoky flavors.
A quick and easy buttermilk substitute is creating your own buttermilk with whole milk and something acidic, such as lemon juice or distilled white vinegar. Add 1 tablespoon acid (lemon juice or vinegar) to 1 cup milk, letting it stand for 5-10 minutes.
Cornflake crumbs can easily be made in a food processor or by adding cornflakes to a gallon Ziploc bag and using a rolling pin to crush the cornflakes until the crumbs have reached an even consistency.
I love Stubb’s Original BBQ Sauce – it’s not a very sweet BBQ sauce, so it works very well in this recipe but if you have a sweeter BBQ sauce you prefer, I recommend skipping the honey.
Yes! Reheat in an air fryer at 400°F in a single layer for 2-4 minutes, flipping halfway and reaching an internal temperature of 165°F.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Honey BBQ Chicken Bites
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon BBQ seasoning
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 6 cups cornflakes, lightly crushed
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
For the honey BBQ sauce
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon hot sauce, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine chicken, BBQ seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2teaspoon pepper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg.
- In a large bowl, combine cornflake crumbs and vegetable oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Working one at a time, dredge chicken in flour, dip into buttermilk mixture, then dredge in cornflakes mixture, pressing to coat.
- Place chicken in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet and coat with nonstick spray.
- Place into oven and bake until crisp and cooked through, about 15-18 minutes.
- In a large bowl, gently combine chicken and 1/2 the honey BBQ sauce.
- Serve immediately with the remaining honey BBQ sauce.
For the honey BBQ sauce
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine BBQ sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar and hot sauce, if using, until warmed through, about 2-3 minutes.
Equipment
Notes
- Use white or dark meat. For example, chicken breast, thighs and tenderloins will all work very well here. Always cut the chicken into uniform and equal 1-inch pieces to ensure even cooking throughout.
- Cornflake crumbs are key. Cornflake crumbs are not only easy to make but also give the chicken bites a far more crispy, crunchy and flavorful crust than traditional breadcrumbs.
- Crush the cornflakes properly. Place the cornflakes in a gallon Ziploc bag and crush (using a rolling pin, if desired) the cornflakes until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs for texture – avoid large, whole flakes.
- Set up a breading station. Set up a shallow bowl of flour, a bowl of the buttermilk mixture and finally a bowl of the crushed cornflakes mixture.
- Don’t skip the cooling rack. This will elevate the chicken pieces, allowing for even cooking and maximum crispness.
- Simmer for longer. For a thicker honey BBQ sauce, simmer on low heat until reduced by half, about 10-15 minutes. For a quicker heat, microwave until warmed through, about 1 minute.
- Toss just before serving. Toss the chicken bites with the warm honey BBQ sauce right before serving to maintain maximum crispness.
- Serve the leftover sauce with the chicken. Serve the remaining sauce right alongside the chicken, giving the saucy folks a chance for additional dipping.
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