Crispy Fried Chicken




I LOVE fried chicken, it is the one thing I always gravitate towards when I go out to eat. 

- Crispy chicken wings
- Buttermilk fried chicken burgers
- Fried chicken & waffles
- Fried chicken bene
- Fried chicken tacos

Honestly I could go on forever when it comes to fried chicken!

Since we are currently in lockdown and we cannot visit any local cafes and restaurants I was keen to try out a new fried chicken recipe to see if it would hold up to my high 'fried chicken' expectations.

Well, I can tell you it definitely did! While the chicken was marinating in the buttermilk overnight I was actually dreaming about fried chicken. The excitement levels were running high when I tested the first tender and it seriously was looking very similar to a KFC chicken tender, I was trying not to get too excited just in case the crunch and taste factor wasn't up to standard. Holy heck I can tell you the 'crunch factor' was out of this world! The most crunchy fried chicken I have ever experienced.

OK, so far it was ticking the crunch and golden brown boxes but what about the taste...even the taste was up to expectations. The Tabasco and cayenne pepper give it the slightest kick but help to add the flavour. I personally love salt so I added extra salt over the top of all the chicken after I had fried it and this also added to the flavour.

Personally I loved it! I loved the chicken tenders the best over the drumsticks but the drumsticks were delicious the following day eaten cold for a quick snack! The tenders also weren't in the buttermilk as long so didn't have the subtle hint of buttermilk taste on the meat, but because of this weren't as tender and juicy. If you want juicy and tender chicken then leave the chicken in the buttermilk marinade overnight. If you aren't too fussed then make it up in the morning and let it marinate in the fridge for the day. I can't wait to try it with chicken wings and nibbles!

The best thing about this recipe is you can use it to make any of the fried chicken options I listed above. Use chicken wings to make crispy chicken wings, use breast or thigh tenderloin cuts to make crispy tenders to put in tacos, wraps, burgers and on top of waffles or toast for fried chicken bene or you can use drumsticks and add a salad and some homemade fries like we did.



Ingredients

3 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
8 chicken drums/wings/nibbles/thigh/breast pieces (or a combination)
3 large eggs or 5 smaller eggs
1/3 cup water
4 cups flour
2 1/2 tablespoons salt
3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
Oil (for frying - I used 2L canola oil)

Method

1. Stir together the buttermilk and 2 tablespoons of the Tabasco sauce in a large bowl. Submerge the chicken pieces in the mixture, cover and pop in the fridge overnight.

The next day/once you're ready to cook:

2. Whisk together the eggs, water and 1 tablespoon of Tabasco sauce in a medium sized bowl.

3. Stir together the flour, salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, paprika and garlic powder in a large bowl.

4. In a large frypan or pot pour oil to a depth of 2 1/2 inches (I used a full 2L bottle) and heat to about 165℃ (if you don't have a cooking thermometer then wait a while for the oil to heat up, test the oil once you think it is hot enough with a small piece of chicken or drop of batter, when it starts 'fizzing' with lots of bubbles then the oil is ready).

5. While the oil is heating up remove the chicken from the buttermilk mixture (I placed them on a wire rack and let the excess drip off). Discard the buttermilk mixture as you don't need it for anything else.

6. Dip the chicken pieces one at a time into the egg mixture and then dredge through the flour mixture (flipping and fully coating the chicken piece), shaking off excess flour. Then dip the same piece of chicken in the egg mixture again and dredge in the flour mixture for a second time making sure it is thoroughly coated, shake excess flour off (the double dip is super important to get that crunchy batter).

7. When the oil is hot enough, carefully add the chicken to the oil, no more than 4 pieces at a time. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes (longer for drumsticks, you can pop them in the oven to finish off the cook for larger pieces like drumsticks but that does mean the side on the baking tray with not be so crunchy). Drain on paper towels and repeat with remaining chicken pieces.

Enjoy x

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