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Prep time
4 hours 30 minutes
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Cook time
30 minutes
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Serves
4 to 6
Test Kitchen Notes
For more Sweet Heat with Rick, check out all of the videos in the series here. —The Editors
Watch This Recipe
Hot Honey Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- Fried Chicken
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3 1/2 to 4 pounds
assorted bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces, or one 3 1/2 to 4 pound whole chicken
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Kosher salt, to taste
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4 teaspoons
light brown sugar
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1 teaspoon
baking powder
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3 cups
all-purpose flour
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2/3 cup
cornstarch
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2 tablespoons
garlic powder
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2 tablespoons
onion powder
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2 tablespoons
Hungarian paprika
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2 teaspoons
ground cayenne pepper
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2
large eggs, beaten to blend
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2 cups
buttermilk
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1/2 cup
hot pepper sauce (such as Frank’s)
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Vegetable oil (for frying; about 8 cups)
- Hot Honey
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1 to 2
chiles habaneros, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
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1
garlic clove, finely grated
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1/2 cup
honey
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Kosher salt, to taste
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1 teaspoon
cider vinegar
Directions
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Cut chicken into 10 pieces—wings, legs and thighs separated, breasts halved, backbone discarded. Mix 4 teaspoons salt, brown sugar, and baking powder in a small bowl until completely combined and no lumps of sugar reaming. Season chicken all over with salt mixture (use all of the mixture). Wrap with plastic and refrigerate on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet, at least 3 hours and up to 24. Overnight works best.
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Whisk flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, and 1/4 cup salt in a large bowl until completely combined. Whisk eggs, buttermilk and hot sauce in another large bowl. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken in flour mixture, turning to coat and packing into crevices. Shake to remove excess; return to rack. Repeat with remaining chicken.
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Pour 6 tablespoons buttermilk mixture into flour mixture and work in with your fingers; mixture should feel like wet sand and will have some clumps. These clumps will give the chicken a crispy, shaggy crust. Dip dredged chicken into remaining buttermilk mixture, allow excess to drip off, then pack moistened flour mixture firmly onto chicken. Very gently shake off excess; return to rack. Chill at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.
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Pour oil into a large heavy pot fitted with thermometer to come halfway up sides. Heat over high until thermometer registers 300°F. Working in 3 batches, fry chicken, turning often and adjusting heat to maintain temperature, until deep golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a wire rack set over paper towels to drain.
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Make the hot honey. Heat 1 tablespoon of the chicken frying oil in a small saucepan over medium. Cook habanero and garlic, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add honey, salt and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes to allow flavors to come together. Remove from heat and add vinegar. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Rick Martinez is currently living his dream—cooking, eating and enjoying the Mexican Pacific coast in Mazatlán. He is finishing his first cookbook, Under the Papaya Tree, food from the seven regions of Mexico and loved traveling the country so much, he decided to buy a house on the beach. He is a regular contributor to Bon Appétit, New York Times and hosts live, weekly cooking classes for Food Network Kitchens. Earlier this year, he was nominated for a James Beard Award for “How to win the Cookie Swap” in Bon Appétit’s holiday issue.
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