Spicy Fried Chicken

Spicy Fried Chicken

on Dec 14 2022
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    This is the gluten-free fried chicken of your Southern dreams: shatteringly crispy on the outside, juicy inside, with a slow-building heat from a hot-sauce buttermilk soak and a well-seasoned flour and cornmeal crust. It comes together with our All-Purpose Flour Artisan Blend, and no one at the table will guess it is gluten-free. This recipe comes to us courtesy of Nutmeg Nanny. Deliciously gluten-free, the way Pamela's has done it since 1988.

    Prep Time 10 minutes, marinate 2 hours or overnight
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time about 2½ hours
    Serving Size 2 drumsticks

    Ingredients

    Buttermilk marinade

    • 6 chicken drumsticks, skin on
    • 2 cups buttermilk
    • 10 shakes hot sauce (about 1 tablespoon)

    Seasoned coating

    • 1 cup Pamela's All-Purpose Flour Artisan Blend
    • ½ cup yellow cornmeal
    • 3 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
    • 2 teaspoons black pepper
    • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • Vegetable oil, for frying
    Shop Gluten-Free 1:1 All-Purpose Flour, 4 lb.

    Directions

    1. Marinate: place the drumsticks in a large bowl. Stir the buttermilk and hot sauce together and pour over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight for the most tender, flavorful result. About 30 minutes before frying, take the chicken out to come toward room temperature so it cooks evenly.
    2. Season the coating: in a shallow dish (a 9x9 pan works well), stir together the Artisan Blend, cornmeal, kosher salt, smoked paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne.
    3. Heat the oil: add about ½ inch of vegetable oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high to about 350°F. Use a thermometer if you have one; the oil should shimmer and a pinch of the flour should sizzle on contact.
    4. Coat: lift each drumstick from the buttermilk, letting the excess drip off, and coat thoroughly in the seasoned flour. Set the coated pieces on a rack or plate and let them rest about 10 minutes so the coating adheres.
    5. Fry: working in batches without crowding the pan, fry about 7 minutes per side, turning to brown all sides (the small sides need 3 to 4 minutes). Keep the oil around 325 to 350°F, adjusting the heat so the crust browns while the inside cooks. Fry until deeply golden and the internal temperature at the thickest part reaches at least 165°F.
    6. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet, sprinkle with a little more salt, and rest a few minutes before serving.
    7. Cook to temperature, not just time. Bone-in drumsticks must reach at least 165°F at the thickest part. Use an instant-read thermometer, since frying time varies with the size of the pieces and the heat of the oil. If the crust is browning too fast before the inside is done, lower the heat.
    8. To keep it gluten-free: Pamela's All-Purpose Flour Artisan Blend is GFCO-certified gluten-free, so the crust fries up crispy with no gluten. Use a gluten-free hot sauce, and keep the rest gluten-free too.
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    Recipe Tips & Notes

    Variations

    • Nashville-style hot: after frying, whisk ¼ cup of the hot frying oil with 1 to 2 tablespoons cayenne, a teaspoon of brown sugar, and a little paprika and garlic powder, then brush it over the chicken. Serve on white bread with pickles.
    • Air fryer: bread as directed, spray well with oil, and air-fry at 380 to 400°F for about 20 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway, until the chicken reaches 165°F. Lighter, though not quite identical to fried.
    • Without buttermilk (and dairy-free): use 2 cups of milk, or unsweetened non-dairy milk, plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar. Let it sit 5 minutes before using.
    • Other cuts: this works on thighs, wings, tenders, or boneless breast. Adjust the time, and always fry to 165°F. Use a boneless piece for a spicy chicken sandwich.
    • Dial the heat: use half the cayenne and less hot sauce for mild, or add more cayenne and a hotter sauce to turn it up.
    • Extra crispy: for a craggier crust, dip the floured chicken back into the buttermilk and into the flour a second time before frying.

    Make ahead & storage

    • Marinate up to overnight for better flavor and more tender meat.
    • Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Re-crisp in a 375°F oven or an air fryer. Avoid the microwave, which softens the crust.

    Gluten-Free 1:1 All-Purpose Flour, 4 lb.

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    $19.49

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    Size: 4 lbs

    Pack Size

    Pamela's Gluten-Free 1:1 All-Purpose Flour is a GFCO-certified artisan blend that swaps cup for cup into the recipes you already love. No dairy, no nuts, no corn, no soy, no salt, no leavening. Just scratch baking, back in your life.

    Bake like you always have

    Measure it 1:1 in place of wheat flour for cookies, cakes, muffins, pancakes, and pie crusts. Most recipes need no changes at all; if a batter thickens as it sits, thin it with a splash of liquid and keep going. The subtle flavor works in savory cooking too: thickening gravy, coating chicken, breading fish.

    Yes, even yeast breads

    Use 1 teaspoon of dry yeast per cup of flour and add water until the dough is a sticky batter, like banana bread. For a taller loaf, line the pan with a parchment collar 3 to 5 inches above the rim.

    Never scoop the bottom of the bag

    The 4 lb. bag keeps serious bakers stocked, and Subscribe & Save delivers a fresh bag on your schedule with 10% off every order. Pause or cancel anytime.

    Brown Rice Flour, Tapioca Starch, White Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Sorghum Flour, Arrowroot Starch, Guar Gum, Sweet Rice Flour, Rice Bran.

    Pamela's Products are manufactured in a Gluten-Free Certified Facility and peanut-free facility. Our products are produced on equipment that processes Tree Nuts, Coconut, Eggs, Soy, and Milk.

    We've Got Answers

    It has a medium heat from the cayenne and the hot-sauce buttermilk. For milder chicken, use half the cayenne and less hot sauce. For hotter, add more cayenne, a spicier hot sauce, or finish it Nashville-style.

    Yes. Use 2 cups of milk, or unsweetened non-dairy milk, plus 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar, and let it sit 5 minutes. This also makes the marinade dairy-free.

    Fry until the internal temperature at the thickest part reaches at least 165°F. Use an instant-read thermometer rather than relying on time alone, since piece size and oil heat vary.

    Yes. Bread the chicken, spray it well with oil, and air-fry at 380 to 400°F for about 20 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway, until it reaches 165°F.

    Yes. The crust is made with Pamela's GFCO-certified All-Purpose Flour Artisan Blend and cornmeal. Just use a gluten-free hot sauce.

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