Cocoa Fried Chicken Recipes

FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Thoroughly rinse the chicken pieces, then place them in a bowl and cover with 4 cups of the buttermilk. Soak in the fridge overnight or up to 24 hours.
• When you're ready to fry the chicken, remove the bowl from the fridge and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes, just to take the chill off.
• In the meantime, preheat the oven to 360 degrees F and mix up the breading. Place the flour, seasoned salt, paprika, black pepper, thyme and cayenne (plus extra cayenne if you like heat) in a very large bowl. Stir together well.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk and the milk. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and gradually mix with a fork until there are little lumps throughout; these will adhere to the chicken and make for a crispier breading. If necessary, add a little more flour or milk to make the breading slightly lumpy.
• Heat 1 1/2 to 2 inches of oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 365 degrees F. Lower the heat slightly, if necessary, to keep the oil from getting hotter.
• Working in batches, thoroughly coat each chicken piece with breading, pressing extra breading onto the chicken if necessary. Place the breaded pieces on a plate.
• Add the breaded chicken to the oil, 3 or 4 pieces at a time; make sure they don't stick together. Cover the pan and fry for 5 to 7 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure the chicken isn't getting too brown. Turn the pieces over, cover again, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes more. All the while, monitor the temperature of the oil to make sure the chicken doesn't burn.
• Transfer the fried chicken to a baking sheet and continue frying the rest of the chicken. When all the chicken has been fried, remove the wings and legs to a plate and keep covered. (These should be cooked all the way through by now, but always check if any pink juice or meat is visible. If so, return to the hot oil for another minute or so, until fully cooked.) Leave the thighs and breasts on the baking sheet.
• Bake the thighs and breasts for 15 minutes to finish cooking. (Sometimes I'll cut into the thicker part of one of the larger pieces just to make sure the chicken is cooked through. If any pink juice or meat is visible, the chicken needs to continue cooking in the oven.)

COCOA FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix flour and cocoa powder in a shallow dish or plate. One by one, coat chicken pieces in flour mixture, then dip in beaten egg, then in seasoned bread crumbs.
• Heat oil in a cast iron skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Fry coated chicken pieces in oil until cooked through and juices run clear (approximately 5 minutes). Drain on paper towels.

SOUTHERN PAN-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together 1 gallon of water and 1 cup salt; stir until salt is dissolved. Add chicken pieces and let stand, refrigerated, 8 to 12 hours.
• Drain chicken and rinse out bowl. Return chicken to bowl and pour over buttermilk. Cover bowl and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours. Drain chicken on a wire rack set over a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, discarding buttermilk.
• Meanwhile, place the lard, butter, and country ham into a large heavy skillet. Cook over low heat, skimming as needed, until butter has stopped foaming and country ham is browned, 30 to 45 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove ham and discard. Increase heat to medium-high and heat fat until it reaches 335 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer.
• In a shallow bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Gently squeeze chicken to remove any excess buttermilk. Dredge chicken pieces thoroughly in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
• Working in batches, gently place chicken pieces in the heated fat. Cook until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack set over a parchment paper-lined baking sheet or crumpled paper towels. Serve fried chicken hot, warm, room temperature, or cold.

COCONUT CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pour half the coconut milk, the garlic, soy sauce, and lime juice into a resealable plastic zipper bag, and shake to thoroughly combine the marinade. Place the chicken strips into the bag, squeeze several times to coat the chicken with marinade, and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Reserve the rest of the coconut milk.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease with olive oil.
• Place the shredded coconut into a blender or food processor and pulse several times until the coconut is ground into crumbs. Mix it with panko crumbs, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Place the flour into a second bowl, and the egg into a third shallow bowl. Shake excess marinade from chicken strips, and dip them into the flour to thoroughly coat; then dip into egg, and finally into the coconut crumb mixture. Place the coated strips onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake the chicken strips in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Mix the reserved coconut milk and mayonnaise in a small saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat; serve the sauce drizzled over the chicken strips or on the side for dipping.

COCOA-CHILI-RUBBED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add almost all of the 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet. Brush both sides of chicken breasts with remaining oil.
• Generously rub chicken with the cocoa-chili rub until evenly coated on all sides. Place chicken into skillet and sear on both sides. Remove skillet from heat and bake in the oven for approximately 12 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

FRIED CHILI CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cut the chicken into serving pieces. The breast pieces should be cut in half. Place the chicken in a bowl and cover with the buttermilk overnight.
• In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, paprika, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
• Heat enough oil to a depth of about 3/4-inch in a large heavy skillet. When the oil is medium hot dip the chicken pieces in the flour mixture and fry, without crowding the chicken. If necessary, use 2 skillets or fry in batches.
• Reduce the heat to medium and fry until the coating becomes a deep golden brown, turning the chicken as needed. The white meat should be done in 20 to 25 minutes, dark meat in about 35 minutes. Juices should run clear when the chicken is pricked with a fork. Squeeze lime juice over the chicken 10 minutes before it is done. Drain chicken on paper towels.

EASY COLA CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place the chicken pieces into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, mix together the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and cola. Pour over the chicken. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil.
• Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until the chicken is no longer pink.