Blue Demo - fried chicken and coleslaw, as seen on Worst Cooks in America Season 26.
Recipe courtesy of Jeff Mauro

Crispy Fried Chicken with Tangy Slaw

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  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 1 hr 30 min
  • Active: 1 hr 30 min
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings
If you’re ever going to fry your own chicken at home, this is the recipe. It’s perfect in every way and will be just as good hot out of the fryer as it will be cold, right out of the fridge, at about 1:18 am in the morning after a night out “with da gang.” Trust me.

Ingredients

Marinade:

Slaw:

Dredge:

Directions

  1. Fill a large Dutch oven halfway with peanut oil and heat to 350 degrees F. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
  2. For the marinade: Whisk together the buttermilk, salt, sugar, paprika and garlic in a large bowl. Add the chicken and marinate while you prep the slaw.
  3. For the slaw: Whisk together the buttermilk, mayo, white vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and shallot in a large bowl. Add the cabbage, carrots and jalapeño and toss together until evenly coated and well combined. Season to taste and set aside.
  4. For the dredging station: Whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, paprika, baking powder, garlic powder, baking soda and cayenne in a large bowl until well combined. Add the buttermilk and, using your hands, mix the buttermilk into the flour until small craggles and clumps form (this makes it extra crispy!).
  5. Add one piece of buttermilk-soaked chicken right from the bowl ONE at a time into the seasoned flour and turn to completely coat the chicken. Transfer to a plate or sheet pan and repeat until the remaining chicken is well coated.
  6. Gently add the chicken to the oil, no more than 3 pieces at a time, and cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F, 8 to 10 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked chicken to a wire rack on a baking sheet to drain and keep warm in the oven while you fry the remaining chicken. Serve with the tangy slaw.