Recipe for Spicy Fried Chicken at Life's Ambrosia

I know it’s bad. Like your mama told you not to but you still did it and now you’re grounded for a month bad. But I’m not gonna lie, fried chicken is so good. The skin, the best part in my opinion, is crispy, crunchy and addicting. The meat underneath the luscious crispy skin is succulent and pulls right off the bone. Each bite is pure, unadulterated, fried goodness and every once in a while I treat myself to a leg or two but really, who is counting?

Fried chicken can be tricky. If the oil isn’t hot enough the skin can be soggy and no one wants to bite into a drumstick expecting crispy and getting a soft, greasy bite. On the other hand, in an effort to make the skin crispy you can crank up the heat on the oil only to end up with burnt skin and the inside still as pink as the day you bought it. The best way to tackle this problem is controlling the temperature of the oil. It works best for me when I heat the oil to 350 degrees over medium heat. I then cook the chicken for 5 minutes and reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook the chicken for 20 – 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. I then transfer the cooked chicken to a cooling rack to drain any excess grease. The result is chicken that is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. AKA= fried food heaven.

Note: Please plan ahead when making this recipe. It requires 4 hours in the marinade.

Spicy Fried Chicken Recipe

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Spicy fried chicken is crispy on the outside and oh so tender on the inside. AKA = Fried Food Heaven.

Serves 4 - 6

Prep time: 4 hr 30 min

Cook time: 30 min

Ingredients:

1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
10 chicken pieces (drumsticks and thighs)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
canola oil

Instructions:

In a bowl combine first 7 ingredients. Mix well. Place chicken in the bowl and coat completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
When you are ready to begin cooking mix all purpose flour, bread crumbs, wheat flour, baking powder, remaining kosher salt, cayenne pepper and garlic powder together in a bowl.
Dip marinated chicken into the flour mixture. Coat completely. Transfer to a plate and let set for 15 - 20 minutes while the oil heats.
In a large heavy bottomed skillet heat 1 inch of canola oil over medium heat. Once oil reaches 350 degrees. Begin frying chicken. Fry for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking chicken for 20 - 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until chicken the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. Transfer to a cooling rack. Note: If you need to cook the chicken in batches make sure that you raise the oil temperature back up to 350 degrees before adding the next batch. Serve.

Enjoy!

Responses to "Spicy Fried Chicken"

“
I recently had fried chicken and waffle at a food truck festival and you’re right, its so bad but soo good!
”

- Fun and Fearless in Beantown

“
The marinade, the proper temp for the oil, these are the keys to what you’ve done, a completely captivating batch of goodness. If you’re curious, my last foray into fried chicken was a “fix” I did to a Cook’s Illustrated recipe. It’s on my blog as “Easier crunchy fired chicken”. I can’t say it’s as good or better than yours, but it was a new approach for me. We liked it just fiine.
”

- StephenC

“
That marinade sounds great. My 11-year-old is a HUGE fan of fried chicken. This would bump me up to mom of the year.
”

- Michelle

“
What a fabulous photo of your chicken frying! If I added a few wings to your recipe, my husband would be in heaven!
”

- Kath

“
Everything in moderation, right? I mean it’s not like you eat fried chicken every day!! You can afford it every now and then! I’m with you…the skin is THE best part! Yours looks lovely!
”

- Jenn's Food Journey