Tag: Fried chicken recipe

Cajun-Brined Fried Chicken Recipe

If you’re looking for a delicious, easy-to-make recipe that’s guaranteed to get you in the summertime mood, then look no further than this impressive recipe for cajun-brined fried chicken from Louisiana Cookin’.

Fried chicken is a staple of American cooking, and it’s sound reasoning to expect that every  Cajun chef should have a recipe for a spicy fried chicken dinner in their back pocket. Now, while frying chicken might appear to be deceptively easy to make, it can also be extremely easy to screw up, as using the wrong brine can leave your fried chicken found wanting.

Luckily, this recipe’s reliance on cajun-brining your chicken for at least 8 hours but preferably overnight is a sure-fire way to assure that your fried chicken dinner is delicious, delectable, and always on the menu.

Ingredients

  • 1 gallon of tap water
  • 1¼ cups of kosher salt, divided
  • 1⅓ cups of Cajun seasoning, divided
  • 2 3-4 pound chickens, each cut into 8 pieces
  • 12 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper
  • 2 quarts of whole buttermilk
  • ½ cup of hot sauce
  • 1 gallon of peanut oil

Directions

  1. You’ll want to begin this recipe by brining your chicken in a large nonreactive container. To begin brining chicken, combine 1 cup salt, 1 cup Cajun seasoning, and 1 gallon of water. Stir the contents of the container until your salt dissolves and then add your 8 pieces of your 3-4 pound chickens to the water mixture. Cover it, and refrigerate your container for a minimum of 8 hours, but it’s usually best to leave it brining overnight.
  2. The next step is to preheat your oven to 350°F. Take a broiler pan and spray it with nonstick cooking spray and then place this rack in a pan. Set this aside for later.
  3. Then, you’ll begin whisking your remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together your remaining 1/4 cup of salt and 1/3 cup of Cajun seasoning with your black pepper, flour, and cayenne pepper. Then, In another large bowl, combine your buttermilk and hot sauce.
  4. When ready to dredge and begin cooking, remove your chicken from the brine and pat it dry. Then, using one of your 8 chicken pieces at a time, dredge your chicken in the flour mixture while shaking off any excess flour, dip the floured piece into the buttermilk mixture, allowing for the excess to drip off into the pan, and then dredge it in the flour mixture once more. Shake off any excess, and place the pieces onto your prepared pan.
  5. Once finished dredging your 8 pieces, take a large Dutch oven and heat a gallon of peanut oil over medium-high heat until either a candy thermometer or a deep-fry thermometer reads a temperature of 350 °F.
  6. Cook the chicken in batches, turning it occasionally, until each piece is golden brown on all sides. This takes about 5 to 8 minutes in total. Throughout the frying process, you might need to adjust the Dutch oven’s heat as necessary to maintain 350 °F.
  7. After frying each piece of chicken, place it onto your prepared pan. Then, bake all pieces for about 10-12 minutes, just until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the pieces reads at a temperature of 165 °F.

Consider serving your Cajun-Brined Fried Chicken with some delicious Apple Slaw and creamy Four-Potato Salad.These dishes will make for the perfect accompaniments, as all three feature flavorful new takes on basic, but reliable recipes.

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Honey Sriracha Fried Chicken Recipe

From its sheer mouth-watering look to its unforgettable texture, the art of making the perfect piece of expertly-crusted fried chicken is a skill that is worth its weight in gold, and along with this honey sriracha-glazed fried chicken recipe from Food52, your dinner table will believe it’s restaurant-grade.

This recipe gets the crispy texture down to a science while giving you the agency and freedom to customize your preferred spice level and method of serving. Once followed, the recipe results in glazed fried chicken pieces that are best served as is or as a sandwich, depending on your particular mood or patience level.

Ingredients:

Fried Chicken:

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (approximately 1 pound)

Salt and pepper

2 teaspoons of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (divided)

⅔ cup and ½ cup of all-purpose flour, divided

½ cup milk of your choice

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons of white vinegar or freshly-squeezed lemon juice

1 cup panko

½ cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

4 cups neutral oil, such as sunflower seed or peanut

Honey sriracha glaze

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons sriracha, plus more to taste

¼ teaspoon cayenne, plus more to taste

1 pinch of salt

Recipe:

  1. Begin the process by placing your chicken thighs in a large bowl, spreading them out, and seasoning them with a hefty pinch each of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Be sure to rub the seasoning into the thighs afterwards, flipping the chicken over, ensuring an even coating.
  2. Add ⅔ cup of flour to a separate, medium bowl or plate. Whisk together your milk, eggs, vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the remaining ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper in a medium bowl. In a third, separate bowl, stir your panko, cornstarch, ½ cup of flour, a pinch of salt, the baking powder, and baking soda together with a cooking spoon.
  3. Add ¼ cup of the egg mixture into the panko mixture, and roughly stir it together with a fork, or your gloved hands. The end result should be tiny clumps of dough that will get extra crispy once fried. Search the bowl for any large chunks, and break them apart, if found.
  4. Working slowly with only one piece at a time, dip a chicken thigh into the ⅔ cup of flour, making sure that it’s completely, evenly coated, then shake off the excess flour. Dip the chicken into the egg mixture, then completely dredge it into the panko mixture, pressing the thigh pieces firmly to fully coat them. Repeat this process for all remaining chicken breasts.
  5. Heat your neutral oil of choice in a deep pan over medium heat, until it reaches 350°F or until it sizzles appropriately when you drop a tiny crumb of panko in. Gently (and carefully) place 1 to 2 chicken thighs into the oil, depending on the size of your particular pan. Fry each thigh for 5 to 7 minutes, keeping an eye on the pieces until they are golden brown all over. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low after frying the first batch. Place the now fried chicken on a cooling rack and repeat the process with the remaining thighs.
  6. Once all chicken is fried, combine your honey, sriracha, cayenne, and salt in a bowl. Taste the mixture, and adjust the levels of sriracha and cayenne to your preferred spice-preference, and then lightly brush each piece of fried chicken with the honey glaze.
  7. Serve the fried chicken as is or turn it into a sandwich by placing a fried thigh piece between toasted hamburger buns with some sriracha, mayonnaise, lettuce, and sliced mango for an unforgettable flavor combination.

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