Grilled Hot Honey Chicken Sweet Corn Salad (Printable)

Spicy glazed grilled chicken served over vibrant corn salad with fresh herbs and lime.

# What You Need:

→ For the Hot Honey Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 tsp kosher salt
04 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
05 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
06 - ½ tsp garlic powder
07 - ⅓ cup honey
08 - 1–2 tbsp hot sauce (such as Franks RedHot, to taste)
09 - 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

→ For the Sweet Corn Salad

10 - 3 ears fresh corn, kernels cut from the cob (or 2 cups frozen corn, thawed)
11 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
12 - ½ small red onion, finely diced
13 - 1 avocado, diced
14 - ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
15 - ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
16 - Juice of 1 lime
17 - 2 tbsp olive oil
18 - ½ tsp kosher salt
19 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat grill to medium-high heat (about 400°F).
02 - In a small bowl, mix honey, hot sauce, and apple cider vinegar to make the hot honey glaze. Set aside.
03 - Pat chicken breasts dry. Rub with olive oil, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.
04 - Grill the chicken for 5–7 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. In the last 2 minutes, brush generously with the hot honey glaze on both sides. Remove from grill and let rest.
05 - If using fresh corn, grill or char the kernels in a dry skillet over high heat for 2–3 minutes until slightly golden (optional for extra flavor).
06 - In a large bowl, combine corn, cherry tomatoes, red onion, avocado, cilantro, and basil.
07 - Drizzle with lime juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Gently toss to coat.
08 - Slice the grilled chicken and serve over the sweet corn salad. Drizzle with extra hot honey if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The hot honey creates this incredible sweet heat that keeps everyone coming back for seconds
  • The corn salad balances everything perfectly with bright fresh flavors and creamy avocado
  • Ready in under 45 minutes but tastes like something from a restaurant
02 -
  • Brushing the honey on too early makes it burn and turn bitter, wait until those final two minutes
  • Let the chicken rest for at least five minutes so all those juices stay inside instead of on your cutting board
  • The salad can sit at room temperature while the chicken cooks, which actually helps the flavors meld together
03 -
  • Use a basting brush with silicone bristles so they do not melt on the hot grill
  • If it starts raining, this works just as well on a cast iron grill pan indoors

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