Hot honey chicken sandwiches with crunchy slaw
Crisp buttermilk-fried chicken, lightly spiced honey and sharp cabbage slaw in toasted buns. Dress the slaw late and add the honey at assembly to keep the coating crunchy.
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Servings
Originally developed for 4 servings.
Ingredient checklist
Method
- 60:00
Reserve 30 ml buttermilk in a clean covered container in the fridge. Mix the remaining 220 ml buttermilk with 6 g salt, 1 tsp smoked paprika and ½ tsp black pepper. Unfold the chicken and flatten thick sections to an even 1.5–2 cm, keeping each thigh whole. Add to the marinade, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 4 hours. Do not wash raw chicken. Wash hands and thoroughly clean the board, utensils and contacted surfaces before preparing the slaw.
- No timer needed
Once the chicken has marinated for about 40 minutes, shred the cabbage and grate the carrot into a bowl, but leave undressed. Separately mix 25 ml cider vinegar, 10 ml rapeseed oil, 5 g sugar and 2 g salt. Set the oven to 120°C conventional / 100°C fan and put a clean wire rack over a baking tray inside.
- No timer needed
In a wide dish, combine the plain flour, cornflour, garlic granules, remaining 3 g salt, 1 tsp smoked paprika and ½ tsp black pepper. Drizzle in the reserved 30 ml clean buttermilk and rub briefly with your fingertips to make small, irregular crumbs.
- 02:00
Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat. Toast the buns cut-side down in two batches for about 1–2 minutes per batch, until lightly golden. Set aside cut-side up, away from the raw chicken.
- No timer needed
Add the frying oil to the heavy pan to a depth of 2–3 cm, never more than one-third full, and heat to 175°C; allow roughly 8–12 minutes and use the thermometer. Meanwhile, once the minimum marinade time is complete, lift out each thigh and let excess marinade drip off. Press firmly into the coating on both sides and into every fold, shake off loose flour and place on a raw-chicken tray. Rest the coating for 5–10 minutes while the oil finishes heating. Discard leftover marinade and dredge; wash hands and clean contacted surfaces and utensils. Keep the heating oil in view throughout.
- 05:00
Gently lower two thighs into the oil, away from you, only if they fit without touching. Fry at 165–175°C for approximately 10–12 minutes, turning carefully after about 5 minutes. The crust should become deep golden and firm. Check each thigh with a clean probe inserted sideways into its thickest section, including any fold: the centre must reach 75°C and stay there for 30 seconds. Clean the probe between checks. If the crust is dark before the centre is cooked, finish on a clean rack at 180°C conventional / 160°C fan until that endpoint is reached.
- 05:00
Transfer the cooked first batch to the oven rack, uncovered. Skim out dark floating crumbs with a dry metal skimmer and let the oil return to 175°C. Fry the remaining two thighs as before, turning after about 5 minutes and checking each reaches 75°C for 30 seconds. Hold the first batch for only about 15 minutes while the second cooks. Stay beside the hob; keep water away from hot oil and never use water on an oil fire.
- No timer needed
While the second batch fries, warm the honey, butter, remaining 10 ml cider vinegar and chilli flakes in a small saucepan over low heat for 1–2 minutes, stirring until combined. Do not boil or reduce; take off the heat. After turning the final batch of chicken, toss the slaw with its dressing and leave for 5–10 minutes before assembly.
- 03:00
Put the final cooked thighs on the rack and take the first batch out of the oven. Rest uncovered for 3 minutes. Build each sandwich with a bun base, one thigh, one-quarter of the hot honey and one-quarter of the slaw, lifting the slaw out of any pooled dressing. Add the bun tops and serve immediately.
Chef tips
- The two-batch schedule assumes two thighs fit without touching. If your pan is smaller, fry singly and allow extra time; do not crowd the oil.
- A greasy or loose crust usually needs better oil-temperature control, less surface marinade or a firmer dredge. Let excess marinade drip away and give the coating its short rest.
- If the oil is still below 175°C after the chicken has rested, wait for it to reach temperature rather than adding the chicken early.
- Keep cooked chicken on a rack, uncovered. A flat plate or covering traps steam and softens the underside.
- Shred cabbage finely and leave excess dressing in the bowl. Add honey only during assembly to protect the crust.
- Cooking times are guides: thicker pieces or a slow oil-temperature recovery can extend frying. The centre-temperature endpoint takes priority.
Equipment check
- Heavy, high-sided frying pan approximately 26 cm across, at least 4 litres capacity, with room for two flattened thighs without touching
- Oil thermometer and instant-read food probe
- Covered marinating container
- Chopping board and knife
- Grater
- Wide dredging dish and tray for coated raw chicken
- Wire rack over a baking tray, kept for cooked chicken
- Slaw bowl and small dressing bowl
- Dry frying pan for toasting buns
- Small saucepan
- Tongs, dry metal skimmer and separate clean utensils for cooked chicken
- Suitable lid to keep nearby when frying
Tags
Behind the dish.
Overview
The goal is a craggy, crisp crust around juicy chicken, balanced by lightly spiced honey and sharp, crunchy slaw. A little clean buttermilk rubbed into the flour creates irregular crumbs that cling to the chicken. Fry in two uncrowded batches, hold on a rack and assemble just before eating.
Ingredient notes
Choose four similarly sized chicken thighs so they cook evenly. Cornflour means the fine white starch, not cornmeal. If buttermilk is unavailable, mix 200 g plain natural yoghurt with 50 ml milk, then reserve 30 ml of this mixture for the coating and use the remainder for the marinade. Chilli flakes vary in strength: start with ¼ tsp if yours are particularly hot.
Contains wheat/gluten and milk. Buns may also contain egg, sesame or soya; check labels, including those of substitutes.
Serving & storage
Serve immediately after assembly. Keep leftover chicken, slaw and honey separate. Cool perishable leftovers promptly in shallow portions and refrigerate within 2 hours at 5°C or colder. Use within 48 hours or freeze the chicken sooner. Thaw frozen cooked chicken in the fridge.
Reheat chicken only once, on a rack at 200°C conventional / 180°C fan, until steaming hot throughout; allow approximately 15–20 minutes from chilled, checking the centre rather than relying on time. Allow frying oil to cool completely before handling or disposal; never pour it down the sink.
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