As one of the most eatable meat types in the world, chicken is immensely loved by most meat lovers. You might have often enjoyed fried chicken from restaurants and still want to make it at home. So, we thought of sharing our ultimate spicy crispy fried chicken recipe that anyone can make easily!
In this recipe, we will share the tips and tricks to get the perfect chicken that is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The chicken pieces are bathed in a buttermilk brine and then coated in a flavorful coating to make the crispy chicken. Read along to learn how it all comes out perfectly!
Spicy Crispy Fried Chicken Recipe!
4-6
servings5
hours40
minutes20
minutes6
hoursCrunchy, juicy, and loaded with spiciness, this fried chicken is going to be your go-to recipe whenever you crave some good chicken. Buttermilk marinade makes the chicken juicy while the crispy coating is layered with all the flavors. You may essentially control the ingredients and adjust them according to your taste!
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Ingredients
- Spices & Herbs
2 tbsp 2 Garlic powder
1 tbsp 1 Ground white pepper (use ground black pepper if desired)
2 tbsp 2 Onion powder
1/2 tbsp 1/2 Ground ginger
1 tbsp 1 Cayenne pepper powder
1 tbsp 1 Smoked paprika
1/2 tbsp 1/2 Chili powder
1 tbsp 1 Cajun seasoning Recipe
1 tsp 1 Dried thyme (optional)
1 tsp 1 Dried oregano (optional)
1 tsp 1 Dried marjoram (optional)
- Other Ingredients
3 lbs 3 Fresh Chicken (1 whole chicken cut into 10-12 pieces, bone-in, skin-on chicken preferred)
2 cups 2 All-purpose flour
1 cup 1 Cornstarch
1 tbsp 1 Baking powder
3 tbsp 3 Fine sea salt
2 tsp 2 Brown sugar
3/4 cup 3/4 Hot sauce
8 cups 8 Full-fat Buttermilk
3 3 Eggs
1/4 cups 1/4 Water
3 cups 3 Vegetable oil (alternatives – vegetable lard, extra virgin coconut oil, peanut oil, canola oil)
- Equipment
Mixing bowls
1 1 Brining bag
1 1 Candy thermometer
1 1 Pair of tongs
1 1 Baking tray
1 1 Cooking rack
1 1 Large Frying skillet
1 1 Pair of kitchen gloves
Spoons
Whisks
Directions
- Making The Buttermilk Brine
- In a large mixing bowl, incorporate the buttermilk with half a cup of hot sauce, one tablespoon of salt, one tablespoon of garlic powder, and one tablespoon of onion powder. Mix well until thoroughly combined.
- Next, line another large container/ bowl with a brining bag and pour the prepared buttermilk mixture into it.
- Add the cut and cleaned chicken pieces into the buttermilk brine and push in all the chicken pieces until they are submerged in the buttermilk mixture.
- Tie the brining bag and leave the chicken in the refrigerator to marinate for at least three hours or overnight (12 hours).
- Making The Seasoning Blend
- In another mixing bowl, combine the dry spices- remaining garlic powder, onion powder, ground white pepper, ground ginger, cayenne pepper powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, cajun seasoning, dried thyme, dried oregano, dried marjoram (if using), brown sugar and two tablespoons of salt.
- Mix all the ingredients using a mini whisk until everything comes together well. Set the mixture aside until you need it.
- Seasoning The Chicken Pieces And Making Other Preparations
- Once the chicken is brined for the desired amount of time, take each piece out of the buttermilk mixture and tap each piece to drain the excess buttermilk.
- Arrange the chicken pieces on the baking tray and generously season both sides with the seasoning blend prepared earlier. Set them aside.
- In another large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, and cornstarch with the remaining amount of the seasoning bend you made. Mix well using a whisk until the seasoning blend and flour mixture comes together without lumps. Set the flour mixture aside.
- Crack the three eggs in another bowl and beat them gently until the whites and yellows come together. Pour the remaining hot sauce into the eggs with ¼ cup of water. Combine thoroughly until all the liquids are well incorporated. Keep it aside until needed.
- Making The Spicy Crispy Fried Chicken
- In a large frying skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Use the candy thermometer and bring your oil to a temperature of 320 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In the meantime, grab the seasoned chicken pieces one by one and dip them in the flour mixture until they are well coated in the flour. Repeat this with every chicken piece and arrange them on the same baking tray.
- After you finish the first coating, you may proceed with the second. For this, get the flour-coated chicken pieces and dip them in the egg mixture. Then coat each piece again in the flour mixture, tap the excess flour, and arrange them back on the tray.
- Once you are done with the second flour coating, you can start frying the chicken.
- Check if the oil has reached 320 degrees Fahrenheit, work in batches carefully, and fry all the chicken pieces until crispy and golden brown. This might take up to 15-20 minutes.
- You may take each chicken piece out of the oil using a pair of tongs and arrange them on a cooling rack to drain the oil.
- Serve warm with a dip of choice!
Tasty Notes and Suggestions by SpiceRally
- Although we have used the pieces of a whole chicken, you can take whatever you want like chicken breasts, drumsticks, wings, or thighs.
- Our recipe calls for spicy chicken and we have made sure that “spiciness|” is locked inside the crispy coating backed by the usage of hot sauce. Our amounts do not make this chicken overwhelmingly hot or spicy. But still, you may adjust the amount of hot sauce if you need something less hot and spicy.
- The herb trio we used in the seasoning blend is not compulsory but adds an extra depth of flavor. You may also use one tablespoon of Italian seasoning or Poultry seasoning instead of those three herbs.
- Use less or more cayenne pepper depending on your preference of heat.
- If you have Creole Seasoning instead of Cajun seasoning, go ahead and use it since both could give a similar flavor effect to your chicken.
- If you don’t have buttermilk at home, combine lime juice or a splash of vinegar with full-fat milk and make a simple homemade buttermilk version. Do not skip the buttermilk since it is what makes this recipe special!
- If you have self-raising flour at home, you may use it instead. If using self-raising flour, skip the cornstarch and baking powder.
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Pro Tip:
Do not overload your frying pan when frying the chicken. When overloaded, the temperature in the oil tends to drop and your chicken will not get fried evenly. This might even affect the crispiness of the coating. Keep in check the flame and maintain the medium-low heat, not allowing the oil to drop or rise its temperature.
How To Make Spicy Crispy Fried Chicken in the Airfryer?
If you prefer less oil and a healthier version of this Spicy crispy fried chicken recipe, frying the chicken in an air fryer is your best bet. Follow the instructions below:
- Spray your air fryer basket with oil spray.
- Place half of the pieces in the basket and make sure the pieces don’t touch.
- Spray the chicken pieces lightly with spray oil to keep them moist.
- Place the basket in the air fryer and turn it to 350°F.
- Cook for 15 minutes, flip the chicken pieces with tongs, spray gently with oil a second time on the bottom side of the pieces, and cook for another 10 to 12 minutes, until the meat reaches 165°F. You can use a meat thermometer for this.
If you notice any dry flour spots on the chicken during the process, spray those areas lightly with oil. Remember that the coating will never crisp up if it doesn’t have enough oil to moisten it.
What To Serve With Spicy Crispy Fried Chicken?
This chicken is great on its own that you can enjoy all day. But still, it would be excellent to pair this up with some of your favorite sides. Here are some suggestions from us:
- Chili and garlic sauce
- Tomato ketchup
- Chili-mayo dip
- Green salads
- Mac and cheese
- French fries
We often get so many whines saying that the crispy fried chicken you make is not actually crispy. So what you should know is the secret that makes your chicken crunchy and crispy. Adding a type of starch like cornstarch or potato starch is the real magic! Once you add one of these ingredients to the dry flour mixture, we guarantee you one hundred percent results to get the crispy coating in your chicken!
