Honey BBQ Chicken Bites
Baked honey BBQ chicken bites! Saucy, sticky, and finger-licking good. Perfect for entertaining, game day or a quick weeknight-friendly meal!
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
Equipment
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.
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.