Sweet Spicy Honey Pepper Chicken (Printable version)
Tender chicken with honey pepper glaze served alongside creamy mac and cheese.
# What you need:
→ For the Chicken
01 - 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
→ For the Honey Pepper Sauce
06 - 1/3 cup honey
07 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
08 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
09 - 1 tablespoon sriracha or hot sauce
10 - 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
11 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
12 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
→ For the Creamy Mac and Cheese
13 - 12 oz elbow macaroni or small pasta
14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
15 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
16 - 2 cups whole milk
17 - 1 cup heavy cream
18 - 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
19 - 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
20 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
21 - 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard (optional)
22 - 1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper
# How To:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
02 - Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika on both sides.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken on both sides until golden, about 3 minutes per side.
04 - In a small saucepan, combine honey, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, sriracha, black pepper, and minced garlic. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cook for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in butter.
05 - Brush half the honey pepper sauce over seared chicken. Transfer skillet to oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
06 - Cook macaroni in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions; drain and set aside.
07 - In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and cream; cook, stirring, until thickened, 3-5 minutes.
08 - Remove from heat. Add cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, salt, mustard, and pepper; stir until smooth. Add pasta, stirring to coat evenly.
09 - Remove chicken from oven, brush with remaining honey pepper sauce. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
10 - Serve sliced chicken over or alongside creamy mac and cheese.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The way that honey pepper sauce hits both sweet and heat notes is absolutely addictive, and you'll find yourself wanting to lick the plate
- That creamy mac and cheese is the kind of rich, velvety comfort that makes everything in the world feel okay for about twenty minutes
- Everything comes together in under an hour but tastes like you spent all day tending to it
02 -
- I once skipped the step of searing the chicken before baking and honestly, the texture difference was noticeable, so don't try to shortcut that golden crust
- The sauce will keep thickening as it cools, so if it looks a little loose right after making the cheese sauce, that's actually perfect
- Room temperature cheese melts so much more smoothly than cold cheese, so pull it out of the fridge while you're prepping everything else
03 -
- A meat thermometer is absolutely worth it here, because overcooked chicken is tragic and undercooked is unsafe
- Grating your own cheese instead of buying pre-shredded makes a huge difference in how smoothly the sauce comes together