Description
This Hot Honey Chicken Salad is bursting with flavor. Crispy cornflake-coated chicken is air-fried and glazed with hot honey, then tossed with fresh veggies and a zesty honey-lemon Dijon dressing. Perfect for summer!
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into 1’’ bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups cornflakes, crushed (coarse crumbs)
- Cooking oil spray
Hot Honey Sauce:
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tbsp hot sauce (adjust to taste)
- 2 tbsp butter
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the Salad:
- 6 cups mixed greens
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup cucumber, sliced
- ⅓ cup fresh corn kernels (raw or lightly charred)
- ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced (optional)
- 2–3 tablespoons toasted almonds or pecans (optional)
For the Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ tablespoon honey
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
For the chicken:
- Set Up Dredging Stations:
- In one shallow bowl, mix the flour with onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- In a second bowl, beat the eggs.
- In a third bowl, add the crushed cornflakes.
- Bread the Chicken. Working a few pieces at a time, toss the chicken pieces in the flour mixture. Dip in the egg, then press into the crushed cornflakes, coating thoroughly. Transfer the breaded chicken to a plate.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes. Lightly grease the air fryer basket with oil spray and arrange chicken in a single layer. You may need to cook the chicken in two batches.
- Air fry for 8 minutes at 400°F, flipping halfway through, until crispy and browned around the edges.
- While the chicken is cooking, make the hot honey sauce. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine honey, hot sauce, butter, and red pepper flakes. Stir until butter melts and the mixture is smooth. Taste and adjust the hot sauce to your desired level of heat.
- Drizzle the hot honey over the chicken and toss until all of the pieces are coated.
For the salad:
- Make the Dressing. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper.
- In a large bowl or several serving bowls, layer greens, hot honey chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, corn, red onion, and avocado. Sprinkle on the crumbled cheese and nuts.
- Drizzle with dressing and serve.
Notes
Got leftover hot honey chicken salad? Keep the chicken, dressing, and salad in separate airtight containers. This way, the chicken stays crispy, and the salad won’t get soggy! You can store the chicken for up to 3 days, and the dressing and salad for up to 2 days.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Salads
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American