Lemon Pepper Fried Chicken
The year is 2021 and this is the first recipe post for our fresh start! Even though this year has already had a bit of a rough start, I’m hopeful that this will take a turn for the best… Until that time, let’s get our comfort food on! In the late spring of 2020 I made gluten-free fried chicken for the first time. Guys, it is SO MUCH FUN & delicious too! So today I’m sharing how I make lemon pepper friend chicken & some tips that will be useful no matter what flavor or cut of chicken you decide to whip up. Let’s get to it!!
Brine Ingredients
10-12 chicken tender strips*
2 tbs salt
1 tbs black pepper
⅛ cup Cholula
½ tbs lemon pepper seasoning
*feel free to use any cut of chicken; these measurements apply for 8-10 full-sized wings
Batter & Fry Ingredients
½ cup olive oil
2-4 cups GF flour (my favorite is by Bob’s Redmill)
1 ½ tbs lemon pepper seasoning
6 cups vegetable oil (will vary depending on the diameter of you pot)
Instructions
In a large bowl, add you chicken and fill with water. You want enough water for all the chicken to be fully submerged at that’s enough
Add salt, black pepper, Cholula, and lemon pepper seasoning into the bowl
Stir to mix brine well; cover with saran wrap and store in fridge for 8 hours to overnight
In a medium dish or large ziplock bag add in olive oil & lemon pepper seasoning. Let sit to infuse
When you a ready to fry, put a medium sauce pan / dutch oven pot on medium-high heat and fill half way with vegetable oil
Remove chicken from fridge and set in you batter assembly line. Let it sit out long enough to be about room temp
Check that the oil in you pot has reached 350°F
Dip chicken into infused oil then into a bowl / ziplock of flour. Repeat (oil and then flour) and then place 3 strips at a time into frying oil
Let chicken fry for ~3 minutes; you are looking for an internal temperature of 165°F
Remove chicken from pot with a clean pair of thongs & place on drip rack to cool. Flip chicken after 1-2 minutes to ensure all sides drip oil & remain crispy
Repeat this process until all chicken has been fried adding additional flour and infused olive oil to your batter station as needed
Serve chicken hot with you favorite sauce
Tips & Tricks
The longer you brine your chicken, the softer & more flavorful it will be; I typically brine for 12-16 hrs
Do NOT skip the brining process…trust me!
Do NOT cook fridge-cold chicken right away; this will not have the meat cook evenly to the right temperature
Only use veggie / canola oil to deep fry. You want oils with a higher smoke point
Do NOT set fried chicken on paper towel; this will make the crust soggy
Try different brines to see what you like (i.e. buttermilk brine, water brine)
Do NOT eyeball temperature! Invest in an internal meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked
DO experiment with different seasonings till you find what you like best!
I hope you enjoy this recipe & come back for more!! Fried chicken is much easier to make at home than I thought. Looking forward to sharing more brine recipes in future! Until next time ♡