Crispy Hot Honey Chicken with Feta and Basil

Coming in hot.

Skip to Recipe

A chicken cutlet is hard to beat, but when you pair it with hot honey and feta, it becomes totally invincible. Sprinkled with a confetti of feta and fresh basil, these crispy hot honey cutlets are truly a winner-winner chicken dinner.

Butterflying, pounding, and breading chicken cutlets is no small task, but it’s worth every minute for the crispy-on-the-outside, tender-and-juicy-on-the-inside results it delivers. You also don’t need to go through the entire lengthy prep process every time you want chicken cutlets for dinner. Instead, I recommend prepping a big batch of cutlets at once, then freezing the breaded uncooked cutlets so they’re ready whenever the craving strikes. For best results, freeze the cutlets in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan until they’re solid, then transfer to an airtight bag for long-term storage. Make sure to thaw in the refrigerator before frying.

Frying can be intimidating—even when we’re only dealing with ½” of oil—so set yourself up for a successful, stress-free experience by making sure the frying station is prepped and ready before turning on the stove. Lay out tongs, fish spatula, and a probe or instant-read thermometer, as well as a baking sheet with a wire rack for the cooked chicken to land on. Also, make sure the chicken fully breaded and ready to go. No matter how fast you’re trying to put dinner on the table, PLEASE don’t try to bread and fry simultaneously—you’ll only end up stressing yourself out.

Like any fried thing, these cutlets are best fresh, but leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I recommend reheating in an air fryer if you have one or a toaster oven, or even under the broiler. Avoid the microwave if you can—it will maximize that dreaded leftover fried food sogginess.

Enjoy!

---

Crispy Hot Honey Chicken with Feta and Basil

(Makes 4 cutlets)

2 chicken breasts (about 1 ½ lb. total)

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 ½ cup plain panko breadcrumbs

¾ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more

½ tsp. paprika

1-2 cups vegetable oil, as needed for frying

2 oz. feta, crumbled

½ c. hot honey

Torn basil, for serving

Instructions

Arrange a chicken breast on a clean cutting board, smooth side facing up. Using a sharp kitchen knife held parallel to the cutting board, slice into the side of the chicken breast until it opens up like a book. Continue to cut, slicing through the “book spine” to create two thin chicken breast pieces. Repeat with remaining chicken breast.

Transfer one thin chicken breast piece to a medium-sized resealable plastic bag, or sandwich between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using the blunt side of a meat mallet (or the side of a rolling pin), gently pound out chicken breast until it’s an even ¼” thickness. Repeat with remaining pieces of chicken breast.

Add flour to a large shallow dish. In a second large shallow dish, whisk eggs with a pinch of salt. Add panko breadcrumbs and pepper to a third dish, and whisk to combine. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Line a second baking sheet with a wire rack and set aside.

Season chicken cutlets all over with 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt and paprika. Working one at a time, dredge the cutlets lightly in flour to coat and dunk into the beaten egg. Allow excess egg to drip off, then dredge in breadcrumbs, pressing firmly to encourage the breadcrumbs to stick to the cutlet. Arrange breaded cutlets on parchment-lined baking sheet.

Pour oil into a large heavy pan to the depth of ½”. Heat over medium-high until oil reaches 350 degrees (a breadcrumb should sizzle when dropped in.)

Carefully add two breaded cutlets to the pan in a single layer, laying away from you to prevent oil splashes. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Using tongs or a fish spatula, carefully flip chicken and cook on the other side until golden brown, 2 minutes more. (At this point, chicken should be cooked through.)

Remove crispy cutlets from pan to wire rack; sprinkle lightly with salt and crumbled feta. Repeat with the remaining 2 cutlets, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain a consistent temperature in the pan.

Serve warm, drizzled with hot honey and topped with torn basil.