Spicy Fried Chicken

4.00 (24)
⏱ 25 mins 🍽 Serves 4 🏷 Buttermilk

This recipe creates a flavourful spicy fried chicken. Chicken pieces are first marinated in a mixture of buttermilk and chopped chipotle in adobo sauce. They are then coated in a seasoned blend of flour and cornmeal before being fried in hot oil. The result is crispy, golden chicken with a kick of heat from the marinade. The process takes about 25 minutes of active cooking time, plus marinating, and serves four people.

Spicy Fried Chicken

Ingredients

  • 4 legs and thighs, separated
  • 450ml buttermilk
  • 110ml chipotle in adobo sauce, chopped (or 1 whole can)
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • 225g all purpose flour
  • 225g cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • Tongs

Method

  1. Combine the chicken pieces, buttermilk, and chopped chipotle in a large zip-top bag. Seal the bag and massage to distribute the marinade evenly. Refrigerate to marinate for up to 8 hours or overnight.
  2. Pour vegetable oil into a large 30cm cast iron skillet to a depth of about 1.3 to 1.9cm. Heat the oil until it reaches 160 to 170 degrees, gas mark 3.
  3. In a shallow dish, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, salt, black pepper, and paprika.
  4. Take the chicken from the marinade and dredge each piece thoroughly in the flour and cornmeal mixture. Coat all pieces, repeating if necessary.
  5. Carefully place the coated chicken into the preheated oil. Fry for approximately 10 minutes on each side until golden brown and fully cooked.
  6. Note that the oil temperature will fall to about 140 degrees when you add the chicken but will climb back to 160 to 170 degrees as it cooks.
  7. To check for doneness, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of a chicken piece, avoiding the bone and ensuring it does not pierce through. The chicken is ready when it registers 75 degrees.
  8. Transfer the cooked chicken to paper towels to drain off excess oil before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Nutrition data not available.

Recipe details

CategoryButtermilk
AuthorFood Network UK