Recipes > Garlic-Chipotle Southern Fried Chicken
Fried to perfection, this crispy chicken is flavored with garlic, chipotle and lime.
Dawn Thomas
- Serves: 4
- Active Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 24 hrs
- Views: 78,488
- Success Rating: 97% (?)
Steps
Step 1: Marinating the Chicken
- 1 tbsp garlic
- 1 to 2 tsp chipotle pepper puree
- 1/2 to 1 tsp tabasco sauce (or chipotle tabasco sauce)
- 1 lime (juice of)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup half and half (10 percent milk fat)
- 2 whole, bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
- 2 large eggs
Method
To make the marinade, mince the garlic and place into a bowl, along with the chipotle pepper puree and tabasco sauce. Squeeze the lime and add the salt. Add the eggs and whisk together. To finish, whisk in the half and half and set aside.
Lay the chicken breast-side down. Using a heavy chef’s knife, carefully cut down the middle through the breast bone. Trim off the rib bones and any excess fat. Cut the breast in two. As you cut each breast, add the pieces to the marinade.
Stir to coat. Cover and let marinate for at least 6 hours, preferably 24 hours. Half way through marinating, give it a toss to evenly coat.
Step 2: Making the Coating
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
Method
Place the flour, salt and pepper into a shallow bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Step 3: Shallow-Frying the Chicken
- oil for frying
Method
Preheat your oven to 375º degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with foil and place a heat-proof cooling rack over top. Lightly coat with cooking spray.
In a large deep fry pan, preheat about an inch or so of oil over medium-high heat, until it reaches 375º degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the chicken from the marinade and coat with the seasoned flour.
Gently lay each piece into the frying pan, skin-side down. As you add each piece to the oil, you may have to increase the heat slightly, as the cold chicken will bring down the temperature of the oil.
Once all the pieces have been dredged, place your baking sheet next to the fry pan. Clean your tongs, but be sure to dry them completely before inserting back into the oil. You’ll get the best color on the first side, so don’t be tempted to turn them over too soon.
Once the chicken has been turned over and each piece is fully golden, remove it from the oil and place onto the rack. Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until the thickest part of the chicken is cooked through. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- by Dawn Thomas
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- February 1, 2008
Use a thermometer to make sure the oil is at the correct temperature. It shouldn’t be too hot or the food will burn before it cooks. Also, if the oil is too cold, the chicken will just soak up the fat and be greasy.
Any cut of chicken can be used for this recipe; we prefer chicken breasts.
Use a wire or oven-proof, non-stick cooling rack. By elevating the chicken, it will not sit in fat while baking. The hot air of the oven will circulate underneath and keep it crunchy on all sides.
83 Comments
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Rouxbe Staff
Fried chicken. It's so simple, yet quite good. The hint of lime really makes this one. I look forward to making this one soon. -
I love chicken and this looks like a delicious and easy recipe for chicken fingers. I'm just imagining all the different dips this would be scrumptious with. -
As soon as I saw this recipe I had to make it. I wasn't disappointed the chicken was terrific. I have added this recipe to my personal cookbook and look forward to making it again and again . -
This Garlic-Chipotle Southern Fried Chicken is delicious and different taste recipe. already included this in my recipe book.
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Did everyone who has tried this recipe use the peanut oil? Dawn, does it make a big difference if I use canola or vegetable oil for frying?
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You can use other oils. Peanut oil just has a higher smoke point (which just means you can bring it to a higher temperature without burning it). However, canola, vegetable, or even grapeseed oil will work fine. Just make sure you don't go past 375° D. -
We just had this for dinner with homemade mac and cheese.....yummy comfort food!! I only marinated it for about 5 - 6 hours. It would probably have been even better over night, but was still very flavourful. I might try this with chicken strips and maybe a blue sheese dip or similar. This one is a keeper for when the kids have friends over....thanks. -
Leftovers are also great. We used to make this when we catered in the film industry and it was always a hit. The next morning we made quesadillas with any leftovers and people went crazy...including myself. Chicken strips and blue cheese...sounds delicious! Thanks Patricia
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Hi there - we made the marinade last night and the chicken has been sitting happily in the covered container in the fridge since. Should we remove the chicken to bring up to room temperature before frying? Thank you! Matthew -
Chicken should not be brought to room temperature prior to cooking, as this is not a food safe practice. Chicken and other types of poultry are highly perishable and susceptible to salmonella bacteria, so it is best to store the chicken in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it.
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I was concerned about the cold chicken reducing the oil temp when added, and was wondering whether allowing the temp to increase to 40 degrees may be of benefit to the cooking.
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It is better to monitor the temperature of the oil than to let chicken come to room temperature. As Step 3 indicates, you may need to turn the temperature of the oil up slightly to compensate for the cold chicken - this depends on how large of a batch you are frying. We used to cook this for crews of 150 people and we never let chicken come to room temperature. Just give the oil enough time between each batch to reheat. Happy cooking! Hope this helps.
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Wow, I have make this recipe twice now. It is just so yummy ! The first time I followed the recipe exact and it was awesome. The only thing that i did different was i cooked it with Canola oil not Peanut. The second I tweaked it a little, just adding a little more Lime, Chipotle and adding a few more seasonings to the flour coating ( Garlic powder and some Italian seasoning ) and it was really good the second time too. Thanks so much for the awesome recipe:) -
And I have to say, I never knew just how easy it was to butcher my own whole chicken ! Thanks for the Awesome step by step. It helped so much !
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Any substitude for ? What is half and half ? Any more recipes about
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Any substitude for chipotle pepper puree? Any more recipes about Fried Chickens?
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For the half and half, you could use buttermilk instead and for the chipotle pepper, you could use minced jalapeno or just omit it all together; however, the flavor will not be the same.
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Thanks Dawn for your painstaking guidance.
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I made this last night for my husband and I and we both loved it. We used chicken thighs - I'm too lazy to butcher my own chicken brests and I'm cheap. I didn't taste much chipotle, but I did use a chipotle bouillon instead of the puree - couldn't get a hold of the puree. What is the importance of the cream in marinating the chicken? And if I added more lime would the acidity curdle the cream or start to cook the chicken like how shrimp can cook in an acidic citrus juice? (I always worry about adding acidity...)
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You should be okay to add a bit more acidity, the chicken is quite dense so it won't cook it through like seafood. As for the chipotle you can increase the amount next time if you like (but try to find the canned chipotle in adobo sauce first, as it adds really nice flavor - and likely a bit more heat than the bouillon). The cream (and acid) act much like buttermilk, which is also very common when making fried chicken. The cream is also helps to more evenly distribute the added flavors. It is also saves you a step later when you go to flour the chicken, as you won't have to roll it in milk and/or egg first. Hope this helps! Glad you liked it.
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I have made fried chicken only about 3 times in my life and each time it didn't turn out good. Thus the reason for not making it often. The crust would maybe good, but the chicken didn't have a lot of flavor. My husband was SO impressed with my chicken tonight! :) YES!!! He loved it. Thanks for the incredible recipe. I forgot to use the Peanut Oil I had bought specifically for this recipe and went on auto-pilot and used canola oil. It was too late when I realized and I wondered what different it would've made - so I'm glad someone asked that earlier. Good to know I didn't miss out on any further flavor. -
Hi Dawn, I was hoping you could confirm if it would be ok to substitute the chipotle sauce with peri-peri sauce? I cannot seem to get my hands on any chipolte sauce! Many thanks, David.
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Yes you can use peri-peri sauce...that's the fun of cooking! Just keep in mind you will no longer have "chipotle chicken" you will have your own variation called "peri-peri chicken". Good luck! Hope this helps.
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Hi Dawn, Thanks for your swift reply. I agree, cooking is indeed fun and I love this e-Learning cooking site! I am certian it is poplular, I intend to use it much more in the future - it has been a very positive experience. 'Peri-Peri Chicken' coming up...! Many thanks, David.
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Hi Dawn, I'm about to purchase the ingredients for the chipolte chicken, however I was just wondering whether it was essential that the chicken be on the bone? Stupid question I know, but sometimes I cook for fussy people!! I look forward to hearing from you dawn Bec
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When making fried chicken, bone-in is really the way to go as the bone helps to retain more moisture...making for more juicy fried chicken. But it is not a must...if you have "fussy" eaters then you can do some boneless. You could even do some chicken tenders if you like. A good test for yourself when you are making the chicken would be to do one bone-less and one bone-in to see which one you prefer and whether or not you notice a difference. Hope this helps!
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Hi Dawn, Thanks for the quick reply you gave me the other day. Instead of using breast I decided try jointing as chicken as per the e-learning instruction. It was great and it's easy too!! I've learnt something new and it was so easy, I was doing it incorrectly previously but now all good! So I've done the recipe with a whole jointed chook. Being in Australia I was unable to find chipolte peppers in our grocery store, I'm sure maybe in a specialty stores I could have but I used an Asian hot chilli sauce instead. I don't eat a lot of fried food esp things like KFC, but this was amazing, I used all organic free range ingredients and it tasted beautiful, with a salad on the side yummo!!! This site is great and I would recommend it to anyone, it's cool be able to get in touch with you so quickly too! thanks Dawn Bec
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You are most welcome Bec and I'm glad you are having success.
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Hi Dawn, I like Bec also cooked the chook and it was great! The video recipe enriched the learning experienced for me - how will I ever go back to print and pictures?! Cheers, David.
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I have been butchering my own chickens for years. usually I break them down into drums, thighs, breasts, wings etc. only packages. To tired this year. I froze them whole. Can I carve off what I want from a partially thawed chicken and refreeze the rest of the rest of the carcass with out worry? -
Just my opinion I think leaving bones in always imparts more flavor. What say you?
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Hi Dawn - we are having some work done in our kitchen at the moment and access to the stove is limited. Would there be any disadvantage to using a deep fryer as opposed to pan frying? (I can set up the deep fryer outside!) Thank you, Matthew
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Absolutely a deep fryer would work perfectly...most people just don't happen to have one, which is why we shallow fried the chicken. Good Luck!
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Rarely do we ever fry in this amount of oil and so I felt very naughty making this. I don't have a deep frying thermometer and so I had to guess at the temperature but luck seems to have been with me as the thighs and drumsticks became a beautiful brown. I did have to bake the thighs a bit longer than 15 minutes ( they were large organic) but this was a real winner tonight. Next time I will use the full amount of chipotle pepper puree as I only used 1 tsp. this time. I marinated the chicken for 24 hours and was surprised to see eggs in the marinade but it sure worked. This chicken was a real treat:) -
I have read a lot of recipes that call for corn starch to be used with or instead of the flour. Have you ever tried it? What are the resulting differences?
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Indeed you can use cornstarch instead of flour when frying chicken. The difference will be that the chicken will have a bit more crunch or crispiness. Cornstarch is commonly used in Chinese cuisine. For example, sweet and sour pork is made by dredging the pork in cornstarch before deep frying. Also, chicken karaage is another common use of cornstarch in Chinese cooking. Here is a recipe for chicken karaage and a bit more info about it - No Recipe | Chicken Karaage. I say go for it Gus and let us know how it turned out for you. Cheers!
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HI! I am in the UK, and I cannot find any chipotle pepper puree in any super markets in London. The closest thing they have here is chipotle paste, can I use this as a substitute? And, if so, how much should I use? Thanks! -
I imagine (from doing a quick search online) that chipotle paste is basically the same thing. Of course brands may be different. For that reason, I would say that you will have to experiment with quantities. I would say maybe start with half of the amount of chipotle (unless you like things spicy). Either that or you can simply taste the paste, if it's super hot use less, if it's fairly mellow, feel free to use more. Hope this helps!
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I haven't yet tried this recipe, but I think I might do so in the near future. Although I am not a big fan of fried foods (especially for the main dish as I am a health nut), I think I just might try it (mostly for practice with carving my own poultry). I was thinking of matching it with sweet potatoes that I would roast in the oven with sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, butter, and chopped parsley, my own Southern okra stew, fresh bread, and a salad. Of course, fruit, dessert, and a fresh drink would be involved as well. What do you suggest? -
Those all sound like great ideas Joseph, let us know how it turns out. Cheers!
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This recipe was just terrific! I was telling my mother about it, and unfortunately she is allergic to wheat gluten. Is there anything else that can be used in place of the flour for the coating? -
I usually use a mix of corn starch and wheat flour, but you could use just corn starch, I believe.
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What is the purpose of baking the chicken if it has been fried through?? -
Thicker pieces of protein are often finished in the oven to ensure they are fully cooked through. If only fried, the outside would likely be too dark or even burn before the inside was cooked through. Cheers!
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!WOW! I have had a beautiful pice of chicken and once i bit into it, it was not fully cooked!! Thanks a lot Dawn, my rried chicken will tast a lot better now. -Wallace
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This is by far the best fried chicken I've ever made! I usually just fry them and they always burn for me and it ruins the taste, but finishing them off in the oven was the trick. The crust was so spicy and lemony, so goood! -
When shallow frying, is there a temperature on the thermometer to check for doneness?
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It is really more about the temperature of the chicken. The internal temperature of the chicken (check the thickest part of the chicken) should reach 165ºF. Cheers!
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When frying the chicken it tended to want to overflow the pan I was using. Is this because there was too much oil or possibly the coating was bubbling up? Maybe the oil was too hot? Thanks for any suggestions. Andrew -
Sounds like perhaps your pan was too shallow for the amount of oil. Regardless of how high the heat is or was it should not overflow as this is very dangerous. Next time I suggest that you use a deeper pan or perhaps less oil, but of course there should still be enough oil to shallow fry the chicken. Hope this helps. Cheers!
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Thanks Dawn. I think I figured out the problem. I forgot to coat the chicken with flour, (embarrassingly enough), so the marinade was loose in the oil and just foamed up. Just another learning experience...
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I appreciate the advice.
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Hi - I have not yet tried this particular fried chicken recipe, but love fried chicken and want to learn how to do it right. I think from the video I will be able to get the chicken prepared, but what about keeping it crispy. In the past when I have tried to keep left overs and serve cold fried chicken, the chicken gets soggy and looses the crispiness. Is there any way to keep it crispy and serve it cold? Thank you.
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Rouxbe Staff
The only time chicken is the crispiest is when it comes out of the fryer. Once it cools, the skin will naturally soften - that's just the nature of cold chicken that has been fried. To prevent the skin from becoming really soggy, make sure you don't seal it in a container. Just loosely wrap it. If you prefer it crispy, you'll need to serve it hot. Cheers! -
I made this recipe this weekend for a family dinner and the chicken was a hit! Flavorful and well cooked and seasoned, everyone complimented me on the dish and my mother even declared it "the best fried chicken" she'd ever had. I used a whole chicken plus a whole split breast to feed 6 and there were surprisingly few leftovers! The most sincere compliment. Thanks Rouxbe! -
I have been trying to expand my cooking Menus and this recipe was great!!
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My husband is a cook and he hates fried chicken because he makes a lot of it at work. I served it with the creamy potato salad and he went crazy over it. thank you for the great recipes! You're helping me to be a better cook than my husband!! the only bad thing is now he doesn't cook it all at home! LOL
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delicious recipe!!
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I just finished making this again and it turned out great! Just needed some more practice. I think that my fluency in the fried chicken language is growing...:)
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I wrote in before I made this chicken asking how to keep it crispy...Well, I have made it 3 times now and let me tell you it is amazing!!! I have always had good luck with the recipe, the flavors are excellent and it is always juicy. I have done skin on, but took the bones out (preference) and it seems to stay good and juicy and the coating stays pretty crispy even the next day when cold. It didn't fall off like some other recipes I have tried. Thanks for an awesome recipe, I have been so afraid to try fried chicken, but with the video and instructions you have made me a pro.
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I made my first batch of this chicken with canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. I happened to have some on hand in my pantry. Is it possible to make a chipotle pepper paste with dried chipotle peppers and water --which I always have on hand -- rather than the canned (which is more of a specialty item that I purchase sporadically) ? I really liked this recipe. I served it with the recommended coconut black beans and with the Orange-Quinoa with Sweet Potato salad listed in the recipe database. It was wonderful.
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Merely soaking chipotle in water would not produce the same results, as the canned chipotles are in adobo sauce. If you would like to make your own, here is a recipe that I found that you could try. I have not tried this myself as I really like the canned ones (as well as the bright color). Cheers!
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I think I will try this in the near future. I very seldom see the canned chipotle peppers in my area, and so I end up paying somewhat handsomely for these from gourmet online stores.
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Hey there, Can i use my stainless steel heavy bottom Pot for this purpose? I see in the video they are using a non stick pan, to do the chicken but my pan would not fit all the chicken. As well, when the text recipe says 2 Whole Chicken Breasts, there actually stating to get 4 single Breasts bone-in for the recipe right? thanks Mark
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Rouxbe Staff
Yes, you can shallow fry in stainless-steel (refer to the lesson on How to Shallow & Deep Fry for further information). Yes, you can use 4 single, bone-in breasts; however, most of the time the breasts are attached by the breast bone so we stated 2 whole breasts (4 single breasts in total). Cheers!
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I haven't tried this recipe yet but just ordered 4 cans of the "CHIPOTLE CHILLI IN ADOBO SAUCE" from fireworksfoods.com.au a Sydney based importer of South American food and spices. Hope this helps other Ozi based members. -
Just made this, and it was amazing. I served it with a salad, guacamole and some tortilla chips. I serve the chicken breasts to my family, and kept the thighs for myself. I prefer them, and luckily I'm also the only one who eats them :) -
Can this chicken be safely served cold the next day? I'm not sure about food safety on leftover chicken. Thanks -
Rouxbe Staff
Absolutely - As long as it was handled properly during cooking and cooling, you have 3 days to finish the chicken. Leftovers are great. -
I have not tried this recipe yet, however I plan to real soon. Living in the South Eastern U.S we have a lot of Mexican / Latino workers , so Chipotle in Adobo Sauce is available in most Grocery Stores. My question is if I want to get more heat should I add a Serrano or Habanero to the Marinade or add some red pepper flakes to the flour. -
Depending on how hot you like things you could simply try adding a bit more chipotle and/or add some minced Serrano or a Habanero pepper. With that said, I often like to try a recipe the way it is and then adjust it afterwards. With that said, this recipe is not super spicy, so feel free to add a bit more heat if that is what you like. Hope that helps. Cheers!
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I made this chicken today (put it in the marinade last night) and it is perfect! The skin and coating are crispy and flavorful and the chicken is moist and full of flavor. I will definitely be making this recipe again. Although the recipe doesn’t say how long to fry the chicken, being able to look at the color and keeping the oil temperature correct, it was very easy! -
I made this chicken today (put it in the marinade last night) and it is perfect! The skin and coating are crispy and flavorful and the chicken is moist and full of flavor. I will definitely be making this recipe again. Although the recipe doesn’t say how long to fry the chicken, being able to look at the color and keeping the oil temperature correct, it was very easy!
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I made this chicken today (put it in the marinade last night) and it is perfect! The skin and coating are crispy and flavorful and the chicken is moist and full of flavor. I will definitely be making this recipe again. Although the recipe doesn’t say how long to fry the chicken, being able to look at the color and keeping the oil temperature correct, it was very easy!
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I have a family of four. My question is how do you convert this recipe to accommodate a serving of 4? Additionally, would an instant-read thermometer work to determine the temperature of the grease? What are your thoughts on using other pieces of chicken such as thighs? Does it make sense to remove the skin before marinating? -
Rouxbe Staff
Tiankhy, the serving count will depend on the serving size. The recipe as-is is written for two chicken breasts. These pieces could be cut in half to create four portions of about 4 oz. each. Or, if you want to serve a whole breast to each person, then double the recipe to accommodate four chicken breasts. Regarding the oil temperature, if your thermometer goes beyond the 375ºF called for in this recipe, then you can use your thermometer. And, other pieces of the chicken, such as the thigh, would work well. Removal of the skin will help the marinade penetrate the meat. Otherwise, whether or not to remove the skin is up to your personal preference. -
This is a back 40- recipe. -
Hello, I am curious about the purpose of the eggs in the marinade. How much do they impact adhesion of the flour? Thanks. -
Hi Julian, Good question! The proteins in the eggs start to coagulate as soon as the chicken pieces go into the hot oil, creating the "glue" that efficiently keeps the crust in place. -
Can I have exact grams regarding the chicken and eggs please as a blueprint?thank you. -
With the milk fat is that 10 percent fat milk?
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10 percent fat milk?
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Rouxbe Staff
Hi Riaz- 56 grams average for large egg, and the bone in breast can be anywhere between 10-15 gram, aim for 13 g as an average. For the half & half, the recipe calls for half & half with about 10% milk fat. This is average amount, so the standard brand you would buy is fine. There is no milk in the recipe, only half & half. Milk fat refers to fat in the product. Enjoy the recipe!
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