Garlic Cumin Fried Chicken

Garlic Cumin Fried Chicken

Poultry
Main Dish

Serves 6-8

This isn’t a last-minute sort of recipe, but you won’t believe how flavorful it is. I am of the opinion that dark meat is objectively better for fried chicken – it can stand up to a lot of heat before it even gets close to overcooked, so you can achieve a deep golden-brown crust and still have juicy chicken. So at my house, we use a whole chicken plus an extra pack of thighs or legs.

Ingredients #

  • For the marinade: #

    • 2 tbsp. kosher salt
    • 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
    • 1 tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper
    • 1 tbsp. ground cumin
    • 2 tsp. smoked paprika
    • 2 tsp. dried oregano
    • 2 tsp. lime zest
    • ¼ cup lime juice (juice and zest of two medium limes)
    • 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, plus a pack of 4 thighs or drumsticks.

  • For the coating: #

    • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup corn starch
    • 1 heaping tbsp. black pepper
    • 1 tbsp. garlic powder
    • 1 heaping tsp. baking powder
    • 1 tsp. white pepper
    • 1 tsp. kosher salt
    • 1 tsp. ground cumin
    • ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
    • 4 egg whites, lightly beaten
  • 3 quarts peanut oil or canola oil

Instructions #

In a large bowl, combine the salt, garlic, pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, lime zest and lime juice. Stir the mixture to combine, and then add the chicken pieces and toss to coat them thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and no longer than 2 hours (the lime juice can toughen the chicken if you leave it in longer).

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, pepper, garlic powder, baking powder, white pepper, salt, cumin and cayenne until completely combined.

Place the beaten egg whites in a shallow bowl.

Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Wipe each chicken piece with paper towels to blot off the moisture and remove the marinade and garlic pieces. Working one piece at a time, dip the chicken in the egg whites (allowing excess to drip off) and then dredge in the flour mixture, pressing it onto the chicken to form a good crust. Place the chicken pieces on the wire rack. When they’re all coated, place them in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to allow the crust to set.

Add the oil to a large Dutch oven or deep skillet and heat it over high heat until it reaches 340F on a candy thermometer. Heat the oven to 200F. Place a second wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet.

Add half of the chicken to the oil and fry, turning occasionally, until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 (for breasts) to 175 (for thighs and drumsticks) and is golden brown. Remove to the wire rack and place in the warm oven. Return the oil to 340F and then add the rest of the chicken and cook as described above.

Serve warm or room temperature.