Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Salad (Printable)

Golden chicken strips with spicy hot honey served over crisp romaine and roasted seeds. Bold flavors in just 40 minutes.

# What Goes In:

→ Crispy Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 cup buttermilk
03 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
04 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - 1 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
07 - 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
08 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
09 - Vegetable oil for frying

→ Hot Honey

10 - 1/3 cup honey
11 - 1 to 2 tablespoons hot sauce
12 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
13 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

→ Salad

14 - 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
15 - 1/2 cup cucumber, diced
16 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
17 - 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
18 - 1/3 cup roasted mixed seeds
19 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

→ Dressing

20 - 1/4 cup olive oil
21 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
22 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
23 - 1 teaspoon honey
24 - Salt and pepper to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Slice chicken breasts into strips. In a bowl, combine buttermilk, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Add chicken, toss to coat thoroughly, and marinate for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight.
02 - Place flour in one shallow dish and panko breadcrumbs in another. Remove chicken from marinade and coat each piece first in flour, then in panko, pressing gently to ensure adhesion.
03 - Heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken strips in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
04 - In a small saucepan over low heat, combine honey, hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Warm gently while stirring until combined. Do not boil. Set aside.
05 - In a large bowl, combine chopped romaine, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and fresh cilantro or parsley.
06 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
07 - Drizzle salad with vinaigrette and toss to coat evenly. Top with crispy chicken strips, drizzle generously with hot honey, and sprinkle with roasted mixed seeds. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The combination of warm crispy chicken against cool crisp lettuce creates this incredible temperature contrast that makes every bite exciting
  • You get all the satisfaction of fried chicken but with enough greens to feel like you made a responsible choice
02 -
  • Overcrowding the pan drops the oil temperature and leads to soggy chicken, so work in batches and let the oil come back up between them
  • The hot honey thickens as it cools, so if it gets too thick to drizzle, warm it gently for a few seconds
03 -
  • Pat the chicken dry with paper towels before the flour dip, or the coating will not stick properly
  • Let the fried chicken rest on a wire rack instead of paper towels to maintain that crucial bottom crunch
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