Hot Honey Chicken Tacos (Printable Version)

Crispy chicken with sweet-spicy honey, tangy slaw, and fresh herbs wrapped in warm tortillas.

# What You Need:

→ Crispy Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
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 cup all-purpose flour
08 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
09 - Vegetable oil, for frying (approx. 1/2 inch depth)

→ Hot Honey Sauce

10 - 1/2 cup honey
11 - 2 tablespoons hot sauce (e.g., Frank's RedHot)
12 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
13 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
14 - Pinch of salt

→ Tangy Slaw

15 - 2 cups shredded green cabbage
16 - 1/2 cup shredded carrots
17 - 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
18 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
19 - 1 tablespoon lime juice
20 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ To Serve

21 - 8 small flour or corn tortillas, warmed
22 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
23 - Lime wedges

# How To Make It:

01 - Combine chicken cubes, buttermilk, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Mix thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate for a minimum of 20 minutes, up to 4 hours for optimal tenderness.
02 - In a separate bowl, toss shredded cabbage, carrots, and red onion with mayonnaise, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate until needed.
03 - Warm honey, hot sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, apple cider vinegar, and a pinch of salt over low heat in a small saucepan. Stir gently for 2 to 3 minutes without boiling, then remove from heat and set aside.
04 - Place flour in one shallow bowl and panko breadcrumbs in another. Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Coat each piece first with flour, then press into panko until fully covered.
05 - Heat vegetable oil to a depth of 1/2 inch in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the breaded chicken in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
06 - Distribute crispy chicken pieces evenly among warmed tortillas. Top with tangy slaw, drizzle generously with hot honey, and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The chicken stays impossibly juicy inside while the exterior shatters like glass, and the hot honey keeps everything from feeling heavy.
  • You can prep everything ahead—the slaw, the hot honey, even marinate the chicken the night before—so assembly is genuinely effortless.
  • It works for casual weeknight dinners or when you want to feed a crowd without turning your kitchen into a disaster zone.
02 -
  • Don't skip letting excess marinade drip off the chicken before breading, or your coating will get soggy and refuse to crisp up properly no matter how hot your oil is.
  • Let the fried chicken rest on paper towels for a minute or two before assembling; if you build the tacos immediately, the steam makes everything soft and sad.
  • The oil temperature is everything—if it's too cool, you'll get greasy chicken; too hot, and the outside burns while the inside stays raw.
03 -
  • Save your oil after frying if it's still clean—strain it through cheesecloth and store it in the fridge for next time you want to fry something crispy.
  • Toast your panko in a dry skillet for two minutes before breading if you want extra color and deeper flavor in the crust.
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