Southern fried chicken is all about juicy, buttermilk-marinated chicken and a crispy, crunchy breading. It nears perfection, but most of our favorite fried chicken recipes lack one important quality: They don’t bring the heat! This spicy fried chicken recipe remedies that by building layers of spice that intensify as you eat.
At first, you might think the chicken is too mild. You might detect a slightly spicy tang in the tender, juicy meat, thanks to an overnight marinade in hot sauce-spiced buttermilk. But then, you’ll feel a tingling on your tongue from the cayenne pepper added to the seasoned flour breading. Before you know it, all that lingering spice builds, creating spicy fried chicken that’s worthy of its name.
Of course, if you like it seriously spicy, you can double down on the hot sauce and cayenne pepper. But don’t say we didn’t warn you when you can barely make it through the last piece!
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Spicy Fried Chicken Ingredients
Chicken: We like to cut up a whole chicken for a nice mix of dark and white meat pieces. If you’d rather not dirty a cutting board, feel free to use any bone-in chicken pieces.
Buttermilk marinade: The acid in buttermilk tenderize the chicken, the hot sauce adds tangy heat and seasonings like garlic powder, salt and pepper boost the savory vibes.
Seasoned flour breading: Most of the chicken’s spiciness comes from the cayenne pepper in the all-purpose flour seasoning. We also add garlic powder, salt and pepper to give the chicken a well-rounded flavor.
Oil: The best oils for frying have a high smoke point, the temperature at which the oil starts to smoke and adds off-flavors to the fried food. Canola oil is a great neutral-flavored oil, and peanut oil is a good option for adding subtle flavor.
Directions
Step 1: Marinate the chicken
In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, hot sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add the chicken, and turn to coat. Refrigerate, covered, for eight hours or overnight.
Editor’s Tip: If you’re running short on time, you can reduce the marinade time. Even 30 minutes is better than nothing! The longer the chicken sits on the marinade, the more tender (and spicier) it will be. But don’t let it marinade more than 48 hours, or it can take on a mushy texture.
Step 2: Dredge the chicken
In a shallow dish, whisk the flour, cayenne, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Remove the chicken from buttermilk mixture. Dip the chicken in the flour mixture and coat both sides. Shake off any excess flour.
Step 3: Rest the chicken
Arrange the chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Let it stand for 30 minutes.
Editor’s Tip: Resting the chicken lets the flour hydrate, which helps the coating stick to the chicken instead of falling off while you eat it.
Step 4: Deep-fry the chicken
In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat the oil to 375°F. Fry the chicken, several pieces at a time, until the chicken is golden brown and the juices run clear, seven to eight minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels.
Editor’s Tip: Don’t overcrowd the fryer, or the chicken can turn out soggy instead of crisp. You’ll know when the chicken is finished cooking when the white meat reaches an internal temperature of 165° and the dark meat reaches 175°. (Read more about the different temperatures in this guide to the right temperature of cooked chicken.)
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Spicy Fried Chicken Variations
Nashville hot chicken: Instead of adding hot sauce to the seasoned flour breading, kick up the heat by tossing fried chicken in spicy oil made with cayenne pepper and paprika. Check out our recipe for air-fryer Nashville hot chicken to learn how to make it.
Korean fried chicken: Like Nashville hot chicken, Korean fried chicken gets its kick from a spicy sauce—this time made with gochujang, a Korean hot chili paste.
Buffalo fried chicken: Give your spicy fried chicken a tangy finish by tossing it with Buffalo sauce, like this Buffalo chicken tenders recipe.
How to Store Spicy Fried Chicken
Store leftover spicy fried chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. You can reheat fried chicken in a microwave, but it will turn out a little soggy. It’s better to reheat the leftovers in a 350° air fryer, or in a 350° oven, increasing the temperature to 400° after about 15 minutes to help the breading crisp up.
Spicy Fried Chicken Tips
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What are the best cuts of chicken for frying?
Our favorite cuts of chicken for frying are bone-in skin-on pieces, whether that’s chicken breasts, thighs, drumsticks or wings. As long as it has a bone, chances are good it’ll turn out juicy and tender! The bone helps to regulate the temperature inside the chicken as it cooks, keeping the meat nice and tender. Without it, the chicken can easily dry out.
If you must use boneless cuts like boneless, skinless chicken breast, take care to monitor the chicken’s internal temperature. The chicken will taste dry if it exceeds 165°. To help with even cooking, we recommend turning chicken breasts into cutlets (like this air-fryer chicken cutlets recipe). Or cut the chicken breasts into smaller pieces to make buttermilk chicken tenders.
How can you adjust the spiciness of spicy fried chicken?
To make fried chicken even spicier, increase the amount of cayenne pepper in the breading. You can also increase the amount of hot sauce in the buttermilk marinade, or change the type of hot sauce. Some hot sauce brands are spicier than others, especially if they contain ghost peppers or habanero peppers. To make spicy fried chicken less spicy, simply reduce the cayenne pepper or hot sauce.
What can you serve with spicy fried chicken?
Serve spicy fried chicken with fried chicken sides like creamy coleslaw or mashed potatoes. Pairing spicy chicken with a cool dipping sauce is never a bad idea, either. Try ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing or Alabama white barbecue sauce.
Spicy Fried Chicken
Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
15 min
Yield
6 servings.
Ingredients
1 quart buttermilk1/3 cup hot pepper sauce1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon pepper1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 to 4 pounds), cut upCOATING:2 cups all-purpose flour2 tablespoons cayenne pepper2 teaspoons garlic powder1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon pepper Oil for deep-fat frying
Directions
In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, hot sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add chicken; turn to coat. Refrigerate, covered, 8 hours or overnight. In a shallow dish, whisk flour, cayenne, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture. Dip chicken in flour mixture to coat both sides; shake off excess. Arrange on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Let stand 30 minutes. In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry chicken, several pieces at a time, until chicken is golden brown and juices run clear, 7-8 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels.
Nutrition Facts
5 ounces cooked chicken: 553 calories, 40g fat (7g saturated fat), 106mg cholesterol, 375mg sodium, 11g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 1g fiber), 36g protein.
Add a pinch of heat to your favorite fried chicken with this spicy version. Don’t be fooled—this tender chicken’s hot pepper sauce and cayenne pepper seasoning might seem mild at first, but it’ll linger in your mouth. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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