Hot Maple Fried Chicken
Super crispy buttermilk fried chicken thighs, glazed with spicy hot maple! These are packed full of flavour & the coating is extra crispy!
Servings: 10 Pieces
Equipment
- Deep Fat Fryer (See Notes)
- Digital Food Probe
- Mixing Bowls
- Large Baking Tray
- Wire Rack
- Small Saucepan
Ingredients
- 10 Chicken Thighs (Skinless & Boneless)
Buttermilk Brine
- 500 g Buttermilk
- 1 tsp Table Salt
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
Flour Dredge
- 375 g Plain Flour
- 100 g Cornflour
- 2 tsp Table Salt
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
Hot Maple Glaze
- 120 g Maple Syrup
- 30 g Unsalted Butter
- 30 g Sriracha
- 1 Lime (Juiced)
- A Pinch Of Sea Salt (Or Use Salted Butter)
Instructions
Buttermilk Brine
- Add all of the ingredients for the buttermilk brine into a large mixing bowl then mix to combine.
- Next, add the chicken thighs into the brine then mix well, ensuring that each piece is fully coated.
- Transfer the chicken & brine to an airtight container then leave to marinade in the fridge for 12-24 hours.The chicken needs at least 4 hours in the marinade but I've found that at least 12 hours is best!
Flour Dredge
- Add the flour, cornflour, salt, baking powder and the herbs & spices into a large mixing bowl then whisk to combine. Set this aside until needed.
First Dredge
- Once your chicken is marinated, take it out of the fridge then drizzle 3 tablespoons of the marinade into the dredge. Mix the buttermilk into the dredge with your hands - this creates those scraggly bits on the outside of the chicken!
- Next, take a piece of chicken out of the buttermilk then drop into the dredge. Toss the chicken in the flour to fully coat it, making sure to press the dredge into every nook & cranny on the chicken.Make sure to flip the chicken over several times in the dredge for proper coverage!
- Once dredged, take the chicken out of the flour, shake off any excess then place onto a wire rack set over a baking tray. Repeat this process with the remaining chicken. Don't get rid of the remaining dredge, we'll need this later on!
- When all of your chicken is dredged, let it sit at room temperature 30 minutes. Then in the meantime, preheat a deep fat fryer to 175°c/350°f.I'd recommend using a digital food probe to double check the temperature of the oil.
Hot Maple Glaze
- Whilst your oil is heating up, make the glaze! To do this, add the maple syrup into a small saucepan with the butter, sriracha, lime juice & salt.
- Set the pan over a medium heat, cook until melted, whisking to combine then bring to a simmer & cook for another minute. Set aside until needed. The glaze is best used whilst it's still warm.
Second Dredge & Frying
- Take a piece of chicken, toss in the dredge for a second time then shake off any excess flour and carefully place into the hot oil. Repeat this process with a couple more pieces of chicken but don't overcrowd the fryer!
- Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes, flipping it over halfway through, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of at least 75°c/167°f. Make sure not to move the chicken for at least the first 2 minutes, as this lets the dredge stick to the chicken properly (it could fall off otherwise!).
- Once cooked, place the fried chicken onto a wire rack set on a baking tray then leave to drain for a minute before serving. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining chicken, making sure that the oil is back up to temperature in between batches.Once cooked, the chicken can be glazed & served straight away or kept warm in an oven set to 120°c/250°f whilst you cook the rest.
Glazing
- To serve, brush the fried chicken with a generous amount of glaze then season with sea salt. Serve any leftover glaze on the side, for dipping!
Notes
1. Chicken Thighs - For this recipe, you'll need to use boneless & skinless chicken thighs. 10 chicken thighs will weigh around 1 kg. If your chicken still has the skin & bones in, remove these then they can be used to make stock!
2. Deep Fat Fryer - For the best results, a deep fat fryer should be used for cooking the chicken. If you haven’t got one, a pan of oil heated up on the stove will work, just make sure to do this carefully! I'd recommend using vegetable oil for deep frying. I'd also recommend using a food probe to double check the temperature of your oil as home deep fat fryers tend to not be entirely accurate. Make sure to get the oil back up to temperature between batches of chicken.
3. Internal Temperature - Chicken is fully cooked once it reaches an internal temperature of 75°c/167°f. You'll need a digital food probe to check this.
4. Hot Maple Glaze - The maple glaze is best used whilst it's still warm. The glaze can be made up to 3 days in advance & stored in the fridge. Reheat it over a low heat just before serving. If you'd prefer, honey can be used instead of maple syrup.
5. Keeping Chicken Warm - If you'd like to serve all of your fried chicken at the same time, it's best to keep the cooked thighs warm in the oven whilst you cook the remaining chicken. I'd recommend a low temperature oven - around 120°c/250°f.
6. Leftovers - Leftover fried chicken should be stored in the fridge & is best eaten within 2 days. To reheat, bake in an oven set to 175°c/350°f, until piping hot (an internal temperature of at least 75°c/167°f).