Recently, I’ve become addicted to fried chicken! I don’t know why it’s my new obsession (along with cheese and pickles, too – but that’s another story for another day), but I intend to embrace it for as long as I can, or for as long as my waistline will allow. This fried chicken is spicy, crunchy, and tender, and it pairs perfectly with our sweet and tangy mango hot sauce!
To be honest, I am always scared when I have to use the deep fryer. When I approach the pot of hot oil, I sometimes use the lid as a shield as I walk closer. As I place the first pieces of food into the pot, I cover my face and hold my breath as the raw chicken slips into the hot oil. At that moment I am relieved, knowing today won’t be the day I die or at least end up seriously injured. I wait 10 seconds, and then I carefully unfold, checking to see if the chicken is properly cooked.
As well as soaking the chicken in buttermilk all night (you don’t have to, just marinate it for at least 30 minutes before deep frying), I tossed it in spices and flour before deep-frying it. Do you think I’m done? It was then deep-fried a second time, just for a few minutes, to ensure the coating got extra crunchy, because what’s worse than soggy fried chicken? Hold on a second.
You’re not done yet! To go with the chicken, I made a spicy mango hot sauce! It’s sweet and spicy, and I couldn’t get enough of it! This dish is so easy to make, and my food processor did most of the work, so you can look like a badass in the kitchen without doing too much work! Aren’t those the best kinds of recipes?
SPICY FRIED CHICKEN WITH MANGO HABANERO HOT SAUCE
A sweet, tangy, and spicy mango hot sauce is served with crunchy, buttermilk fried chicken!
INGRIDIENTS
Fried Chicken:
- 2 pounds of chicken, cut into pieces (I used a mix of chicken thighs and chicken breasts cut into 3 inch pieces)
- 3 cups of buttermilk (enough to submerge the chicken in a bowl)
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- canola oil for frying
- Mango Hot Sauce:
- 3 ataulfo mangos, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 habanero peppers, deseeded (less or more depending on heat preference)
- juice of 1 lime
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- water to thin
METHOD
- 12 cup apple cider vinegar water to thin the buttermilk and add to the chicken. Marinate for 30 to 48 hours. If you’re cooking on the stove, heat a large pot of oil to 350F or heat the deep fryer to 350F. Mix the flour and spices together in a large ziploc bag. Shake off any excess buttermilk from each piece of chicken before putting it in the ziplock bag. Seal the bag and shake until all chicken pieces are thoroughly coated in the flour mixture. When the oil reaches the desired temperature, fry the chicken in batches so as not to overcrowd the pot (overcrowding will lower the temperature of the oil). Fry the chicken for 6 minutes on each side, or until it is cooked through.
