Popeye's Chicken |Cooking With Amanda

Hello to all you food fanatics out there! I'm here with something a little different than my usual chocolate fanatic recipes. We are busting out of the chocolate mold today for a special recipe that I love so very much.

While I may be the resident chocolate fanatic here, I also love so many other foods as well. One of my absolute favourites of all time is fried chicken. There is just something about frying up chicken that brings me to my happy place.

I've been making different versions for years, but this has to be my favourite way to make it. It's full of flavour and fried to absolute perfection. I once made 50 pounds of this for a stag and doe party (I think they call these bachelor and bachelorette parties in the US) for a relative. Not a single piece was left.

There are so many great places you can go out for fried chicken. I love to try it everywhere we go. One of the best places is Popeye's. They have perfected fried chicken like no other restaurant.

We happen to live in Canada, so we do not have Popeye's here. But we just happen to be lucky enough to live about 20 minutes from the American border. That means we get to zip over as often as we like to go out to eat, and shop too.

One of our favourite places over the years to swing by is Popeye's. Since I'm a sucker for good fried chicken, it fits the bill. It's always tender inside but the skin is golden and perfectly crisp. Just the way I like it. Plus there's some heat!

I think the key to really good fried chicken is taking your time to do it right. Use buttermilk, allow it to soak, dredge to perfection before frying, and always use good oil. I also think it helps to make sure you buy really good chicken.

If you get the basics down you can start playing around with spices and flavour. I really enjoy trying new seasoning in mine as often as I can. Typically I'll make a couple of different flavours at one time.

Whether you like yours spicy or mild, you need to whip up a batch of this Popeye's chicken recipe today. I suggest making a double batch at that very least. You will thank me for that little piece of advice. It's absolutely scrumptious, so the more you make the happier you will be. Plus, it's perfect for your spring picnic!

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Popeye's Chicken Recipe

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Ingredients

3 pounds chicken, cut up into pieces

For the Brine:

2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For Breading:

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2-1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
canola or vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

Place chicken pieces in a large casserole pan. Mix buttermilk with salt and pepper in a large measuring cup, and then pour buttermilk mixture over top of the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight for about 8 hours.
Remove from refrigerator about 20 to 30 minutes before frying.
Mix the flour, salt, white pepper, smoked paprika, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Set aside.
Preheat oil for frying. You can use a deep fryer, or a large deep pan filled halfway up with oil. I typically use 2 large, deep frying pans for one batch so it all finishes at the same time and my pans won't be over-crowded. Bring the oil to a bubble over medium heat.
Start taking the pieces of chicken out of the buttermilk and then dunk each one in the flour mixture, making sure to coat on each side. Place each piece carefully in the pan of oil. Repeat until all the chicken is in your pans. You can then discard any remaining buttermilk and flour mixture.
Cook the chicken for about 8 to 10 minutes, flipping with long tongs to ensure all sides are cooked evenly. Now reduce heat to low, cover the pans and allow chicken to simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes, making sure to flip at least 2 to 3 times during the process. Uncover the pans and allow to cook for about 5 more minutes to really crisp the chicken up.
Remove pieces carefully with tongs and place on paper towel lined plates. You can dab off excess grease if you like.
Serve with a big old "I can make my own dang chicken at home from now on" smile!