Spicy Fried Chicken
Spicy Fried Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade
- 12 chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon hot chili powder
- 4 tablespoons Sriracha
For the Wet Batter
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup soda water, or as needed
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon hot chili powder
For the Seasoned Flour (Dry Dredge)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon hot chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon marjoram, dried
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
For Dredging and Frying
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plain, for initial coating
- 8 cups cooking oil, such as vegetable or canola, for deep frying
Instructions
- 1
Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon of hot chili powder, and 4 tablespoons of Sriracha. Mix thoroughly with your hands (wearing gloves is recommended) until all chicken pieces are well coated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to marinate.
⏱️ 5 min
- 2
In a separate medium bowl, crack the 2 eggs. Add 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of hot chili powder. Gradually pour in the soda water, starting with 1/2 cup, and whisk until a smooth, bubbly batter forms. Add more soda water if needed to reach a consistency that lightly coats the back of a spoon.
⏱️ 10 min
- 3
In another large bowl, combine 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper, 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon of hot chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon of dried marjoram, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Whisk all dry ingredients together until thoroughly mixed.
⏱️ 5 min
- 4
Set up your dredging station: place the plain all-purpose flour in one shallow dish, the wet batter in a second shallow dish, and the seasoned flour in a third shallow dish. Take one marinated chicken thigh, coat it completely in the plain white flour, shaking off any excess. Dip the flour-coated chicken into the wet batter, ensuring it is fully covered. Transfer the chicken from the wet batter to the seasoned flour, pressing the seasoned flour firmly into the chicken to create a thick, even coating. Shake off any excess seasoned flour. Place the coated chicken on a clean tray or wire rack. Repeat this process for all remaining chicken pieces.
⏱️ 10 min
- 5
Pour about 8 cups of cooking oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer, ensuring the oil is at least 3-4 inches deep. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 350°F. Carefully place 3-4 coated chicken pieces into the hot oil, ensuring not to overcrowd the pot. Fry for 18 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature should reach 165°F).
⏱️ 20 min•🌡️ 350
- 6
Using tongs, carefully remove the fried chicken from the oil and place it on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain excess oil. Repeat with the remaining chicken, ensuring the oil returns to 350°F between batches. For a quality check, cut into one piece to ensure it's cooked through and juicy inside. Serve the super crispy spicy fried chicken immediately.
⏱️ 5 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Spicy Fried Chicken
For the Chicken Marinade
- 12 chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon hot chili powder
- 4 tablespoons Sriracha
For the Wet Batter
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup soda water, or as needed
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon hot chili powder
For the Seasoned Flour (Dry Dredge)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon hot chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon marjoram, dried
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
For Dredging and Frying
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plain, for initial coating
- 8 cups cooking oil, such as vegetable or canola, for deep frying
Instructions
- 1
Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon of hot chili powder, and 4 tablespoons of Sriracha. Mix thoroughly with your hands (wearing gloves is recommended) until all chicken pieces are well coated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to marinate.
⏱️ 5 min - 2
In a separate medium bowl, crack the 2 eggs. Add 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of hot chili powder. Gradually pour in the soda water, starting with 1/2 cup, and whisk until a smooth, bubbly batter forms. Add more soda water if needed to reach a consistency that lightly coats the back of a spoon.
⏱️ 10 min - 3
In another large bowl, combine 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper, 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon of hot chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon of dried marjoram, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Whisk all dry ingredients together until thoroughly mixed.
⏱️ 5 min - 4
Set up your dredging station: place the plain all-purpose flour in one shallow dish, the wet batter in a second shallow dish, and the seasoned flour in a third shallow dish. Take one marinated chicken thigh, coat it completely in the plain white flour, shaking off any excess. Dip the flour-coated chicken into the wet batter, ensuring it is fully covered. Transfer the chicken from the wet batter to the seasoned flour, pressing the seasoned flour firmly into the chicken to create a thick, even coating. Shake off any excess seasoned flour. Place the coated chicken on a clean tray or wire rack. Repeat this process for all remaining chicken pieces.
⏱️ 10 min - 5
Pour about 8 cups of cooking oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer, ensuring the oil is at least 3-4 inches deep. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 350°F. Carefully place 3-4 coated chicken pieces into the hot oil, ensuring not to overcrowd the pot. Fry for 18 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature should reach 165°F).
⏱️ 20 min•🌡️ 350 - 6
Using tongs, carefully remove the fried chicken from the oil and place it on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain excess oil. Repeat with the remaining chicken, ensuring the oil returns to 350°F between batches. For a quality check, cut into one piece to ensure it's cooked through and juicy inside. Serve the super crispy spicy fried chicken immediately.
⏱️ 5 min