Fried Chicken Strips – Semi-Failure

Many meat recipes say “dredge in seasoned flour” but they don’t give me the specifics I need to make it which is why I was enthused to find this recipe for a dredge from Horse Thief BBQ while watching an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.  Their recipe is for a chicken sandwich and includes marinade (I used it also) and slaw and it can all be found by clicking on the above link.

Fried Chicken Strips – Adapted from Horse Thief BBQ

The Ingredients:

2 c. buttermilk

½ tsp. Sriracha

3 tbsp. Kosher salt

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Peanut oil, for frying

1½ c. self-rising flour

1¼ tbsp. garlic powder

¾ tbsp. onion powder

¾ tbsp. mild chili powder

½ tbsp. smoked paprika

1½ tsp. black pepper

1½ tsp. kosher salt

The Directions:

1. Trim and Jaccard the chicken to tenderize and get a more even thickness then cut each breast into three strips.

2. Stir together the buttermilk and hot sauce in a bowl.

3. Add the chicken to a half gallon plastic bag, pour in the marinade and massage to get the strips all coated. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator and turn over the bag in the morning.

4. Combine the final seven ingredients (dredge) in a bowl, mix thoroughly and add to a bread pan (the higher sides cut down on the mess).

5. Add ½” of oil to a large skillet and heat the oil to 320 degrees F on a deep-frying thermometer.

6. Lift the chicken pieces out of the marinade, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, then toss in the dredge, pressing so it adheres and set aside until all pieces and finished.

7. Fry until the strips reach an internal temperature of 157-160F.

We served the chicken with the leftover slaw and paste primavera salad we still had on hand but I forgot a plated pic.

The Verdict:

The breading was a bit hit with everyone but me as while it was tasty and crunchy, I thought it was too salty so next time I’ll salt the chicken in the marinade and add just a little in the breading.  I have adjusted the recipe to reflect the next time.  The other SNAFU was that it stuck to the pan because I assumed the 320F oil temp would be hot enough to close the pan pores but as you can see it did not so I’ll use my usual process from now on for a stainless skillet - your pan is at the right temperature when a water droplet won’t break up and it will stay intact without evaporating. It will start moving around the pan, like a mercury ball.  Or I'll just deep fry them next time.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

08/30/22 meal date