| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 13 hr 10 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Inactive: | 12 hr |
| Cook: | 50 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 13 hr 10 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Inactive: | 12 hr |
| Cook: | 50 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 cups warm water
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 (4 to 5-pound) chicken, cut into 10 pieces
- 4 dry pasilla chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 4 dry ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 limes, zested
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- Lime wedges, for garnish
- Honey, for dipping
Instructions
- Brine: In a large bowl add the water, salt, sugar and lime juice, stirring to dissolve. Add the chicken and refrigerate, covered, for 12 hours or overnight.
- Rub: Tear the chiles roughly into 1-inch pieces and toast in a pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer them to a food processor along with the salt, garlic powder and lime zest. Pulse into a coarse powder. Remove the rub to a large bowl.
- Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Add chicken to the rub and coat all of the pieces well. Let rest on the countertop until chicken comes to room temperature or up to 2 hours.
- In a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, heat enough oil to come halfway up the sides of the pot, to 350 degrees F.
- Set up a dredging station: Put the flour, cornstarch and a pinch of salt and pepper in a paper bag. In a large bowl whisk the eggs, milk and a pinch of salt and pepper, to taste. Dredge the chicken, 1 piece at a time, to the paper bag and toss. Remove with tongs, dip in the egg wash then return them to the paper bag for a second toss. Shake off the excess flour and add the chicken pieces to the oil in batches, making sure to keep frying temperature at around 350 degrees F. Fry the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes depending on piece of chicken. Remove the chicken to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Arrange the chicken on a serving platter and season with salt, to taste, and a spritz of lime juice. Serve with honey for dipping.
Reviews
Loved this recipe… I rarely try out TV recipes, but after seeing Sunny make this, I had to try it. Brining was my biggest discovery from this – it made the chicken so moist, tender, flavourful and delicious, and I will definitely be brining a lot of my meat going forward – the difference it made was incredible.
I also appreciated learning Sunny’s chicken-frying technique – I thought her little tips made the process so much easier and yielded good results… and I love how the flavour of the lime permeated the entire dish – it tasted fresh and tangy, and I loved it. I will definitely be trying this one out again.
I also appreciated learning Sunny’s chicken-frying technique – I thought her little tips made the process so much easier and yielded good results… and I love how the flavour of the lime permeated the entire dish – it tasted fresh and tangy, and I loved it. I will definitely be trying this one out again.
Maybe my chicken pieces were too big, but I had to cook them for so long that the crust wound up charring kind of. I wasn’t terribly disappointed about this, we just tore off the crust. The meat itself was very tasty although I wish I tasted the lime, which I didn’t. My boyfriend didn’t even know I brined it in lime juice. I have faith in this recipe and will try it one more time with a little more lime juice and smaller pieces. Hopefully it will come out with a five star rating.
The best southern fried chicken Me and my family have ever eaten. Thanks Sonny !!
After brining and rubbing and resting, I expected to be dazzled. This was good but I wasn’t dazzled. I was impressed with the crust– it was restaurant quality, but as for the flavor, the ancho chiles kind of dominated the taste and not in a good way (and I like ancho chiles…)
Tasty? Pretty big understatement. I’m sure I did not perform this task with the ease and style of Sunny, but it pleased everyone that put there mouth too it! Right up my alley! Try it! As a suburban white male, I’ll be the first to admit that I am not the most soulful or skilled fryer of chicken, but this recipe has given me a new found confidence and flavor! Thanks Sunny, great recipe!
Hi Sunny! I love your show!Your recipes are practical as well as soulful! I must admit, I have been reluctant to try your fried chicken.It always looked good, but 2 days for fried chicken? Especially when Harold’s Chicken Shack is on the way home.(Shout out to Chi-Town! Saturday night my hubby and I brined some chx. I thought why not give Sunny’s recipe a try. Sunday, it was a family affair. My husband, my niece,and myself went to work, laziness must be a family trait!….”You want me to do what with these dried peppers!” That was the best fried chx I have ever tasted!…in Sunny’s words”you gotta try these recipes”.