Crispy Southern Fried Chicken (Oven-Finished)

Name: Crispy Southern Fried Chicken (Oven-Finished)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 8 skinless chicken thighs; 8 skinless chicken drumsticks; 200 ml milk; 1 tbsp hot sauce optional; 200 g self-raising flour; 2 tsp onion granules; 2 tsp garlic granules; 0.5 tsp turmeric; 1 tsp paprika; 1 tsp ground white pepper; 1 tsp cayenne pepper; 8 tbsp groundnut oil; 1 serving mustard slaw and paprika wedges, to serve

Achieve the perfect crunch with this Southern-style fried chicken that is pan-seared for color and finished in the oven for juiciness. A blend of aromatic spices and a hint of hot sauce makes this the ultimate comfort food for family dinners.

Servings8 Portions

Prep Time10 Mins

Cook Time40 Mins

Difficulty

Intermediate

Ingredients

skinless chicken thighs
8
skinless chicken drumsticks
8
milk
200 ml
hot sauce optional
1 tbsp
self-raising flour
200 g
onion granules
2 tsp
garlic granules
2 tsp
turmeric
0.5 tsp
paprika
1 tsp
ground white pepper
1 tsp
cayenne pepper
1 tsp
groundnut oil
8 tbsp
mustard slaw and paprika wedges, to serve
1 serving

Step-by-Step Instructions

Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan/gas 6). Place the skinless chicken thighs and drumsticks in a large bowl and pour over the milk. If you like a bit of heat, stir in the optional hot sauce and season the milk with a pinch of salt. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the self-raising flour, onion granules, garlic granules, turmeric, paprika, ground white pepper, and cayenne pepper. Add 1 tsp of salt and a generous grinding of black pepper to the bag, then shake to mix the spices evenly.

Heat half of the groundnut oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Take half of the chicken pieces out of the milk, shake off any excess liquid, and place them into the bag of seasoned flour. Seal the bag and shake well until the chicken is thoroughly coated. Lift the pieces out and gently tap off the excess flour—be careful not to shake too hard or the coating may fall off. Carefully lower the chicken into the hot oil and fry for a few minutes on each side until golden and crisp. Use tongs to turn the pieces gently to avoid tearing the coating.

Transfer the browned chicken pieces to a wire rack set inside a roasting tin. Repeat the frying process with the remaining oil and chicken. Once all pieces are in the tin, bake for 30 minutes. To ensure they are fully cooked, pierce the thickest part of a drumstick and a thigh with a skewer; the juices should run clear. Serve hot with mustard slaw and paprika wedges.