Who’s up for making baked popcorn chicken today?
And yes, I’m bringing hot honey back again. If you haven’t tired of it yet, this version comes with a big twist: raspberry hot honey. It’s bright, sweet, and slightly spicy — perfect drizzled over this popcorn chicken or even on fresh fruit.
Over the years I’ve posted a lot of baked crispy chicken recipes because they’re reliable, easy, and endlessly adaptable. This popcorn chicken is no exception. It borrows a few familiar ideas — a short buttermilk soak and a crunchy flour-panko dredge — but everything is baked, not fried. Using a wire rack lets air circulate so the bites get extra crispy without deep frying.
Once baked, serve the chicken with the raspberry hot honey to dip or drizzle. The raspberries add a bright sweetness that balances the jalapeño heat and gives the honey a gorgeous pink hue. It’s a simple flavor upgrade that makes these crunchy bites even more addictive.
This recipe works as an easy lunch or dinner and also holds up well as an appetizer for a crowd. While leftovers aren’t my favorite the next day, they do maintain flavor and crunch at room temperature for a bit, so you can make them an hour before guests arrive and keep them warm.
The same hot honey technique works beautifully with other berries too — try strawberry, blueberry, or blackberry. Keep a jar in the fridge and drizzle it on fish, shrimp, chicken, fruit, or even desserts. It’s surprisingly versatile.
And yes—I’m obsessed.
Baked Popcorn Chicken with Raspberry Hot Honey
Popcorn Chicken with Raspberry Hot Honey
4 people
1 hr
30 mins
1 hr 30 mins
Ingredients
Raspberry Hot Honey
- 4 ounces fresh raspberries
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
Popcorn Chicken
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Raspberry Hot Honey
- Place the raspberries and water in a blender and puree. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing to remove seeds. You only need 2 to 3 tablespoons of puree.
- In a small saucepan, combine 2 tablespoons of the puree with the honey and the sliced jalapeño. Warm over low heat and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring to combine. Cool to room temperature before serving. Store in the refrigerator for a few days.
Popcorn Chicken
- Place the chicken pieces in a baking dish and pour the buttermilk over them. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with a wire rack and spray the rack with nonstick spray.
- About 15 minutes before baking, remove the chicken from the fridge. In a shallow dish, combine the flour, panko, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Dredge each piece of chicken from the buttermilk directly into the flour-panko mixture, coating well, then place on the wire rack. Lightly mist or brush the coated chicken with olive oil spray to promote crisping.
- Bake for 15 minutes, rotate the pan, then bake an additional 10–15 minutes until golden and crunchy.
- Serve hot with the raspberry hot honey for dipping or drizzling.
More crispy, crunchy bites please.