In an attempt to be healthy, I don’t eat a lot of fried foods but every once in a while I crave a really great piece of fried chicken. I like my fried chicken crispy, juicy and flavorful with just the right level of spice. One of biggest challenges though is that I’m not a fan of chicken skin. It sends the unhealthy meter a bit too high for me. So, I’ve come up with a recipe that uses skinless & boneless chicken thighs and still fulfills all my criteria. My son loves it and I’ve received many compliments from friends who have tried it. The garam masala adds an interesting flavor to this recipe. This week I did a comparative taste of my fried chicken and Thomas Keller’s recipe and while his chicken was juicier, I preferred the flavor of mine. A post to a foodie page on Facebook led me to share this recipe with you. I hope you will try it and leave me your comments below along with any suggestions for improvement.
Swati's Fried Chicken
I use Bell & Evans young chicken which is smaller so most people will eat two per serving. I’m generally satisfied with one. Below recipe assumes two pieces per person. If you use larger thighs, one should suffice.
Ingredients
- :
For the Marinade :
- 8 skinless/boneless young chicken thighs
- 3 Cups buttermilk
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp Sriracha (you can use other hot sauce if you don’t have sriracha but flavor will be different) For Dredging :
- 2 Cups all purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne
- 2 tsp garam masala (can be found at Indian markets or some supermarkets in International aisle)
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional) For Frying :
- 12″ saute pan with minimum 3 inch sides
- Canola or Peanut oil – enough to fill pan 1/3 full
Directions
1. Marinate the chicken – In a large glass bowl, combine buttermilk, salt, black pepper & sriracha and stir well to combine. Add chicken thighs and mix to coat completely submerging all if possible. Refrigerate overnight (I do this the evening before I plan to cook the chicken)
2. Prepare the dredging flour – In a shallow plate or bowl, combine all the dredging ingredients and mix well.
3. Heat oil to 325 F (160 C) on medium heat (adjust stove to maintain temperature throughout cooking)
4 . Remove chicken one piece at a time from the buttermilk marinade and dredge into flour mixture, turning until completely coated making sure it gets into every crevice of the thigh.
5. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and allow to rest for 5 mins
6. Carefully and gently place chicken into the hot oil – smooth side down. I recommend frying in two batches of four thighs each.
7. Cook chicken for 5 – 6 mins until golden brown then turn. Cook another 5 – 6 mins. You can check the chicken for doneness with a thermometer – 165 F and add cooking time if needed.
8. Remove and drain on cooling rack set over a cookie sheet to retain crispness
9. Serve hot for optimum experience.
The Persnickety Palate 