Discover the secret to a perfectly golden, irresistibly crispy chicken Recipe that will leave everyone craving more!
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The fried chicken was a dinner table mainstay growing up in a household whose culinary taste was firmly anchored in the South. The fried chicken night was always a favorite, and my mother and grandmother could go down with the Colonel any day of the week. There were usually mashed potatoes and what my grandmother called “milk gravy,” which was actually great, as an aside.
I digression. Long before it dawned on me, as I grew older and found smoking meat, I concentrated on the classic BBQ taste sensation. Could you perhaps mix fried and smoked chicken? This smoked fried chicken recipe was created at that time. Although people have been “frying” chicken over a grill for a while, adding smoke to the mixture really makes this fried chicken stand out up a notch.
Despite the large ingredient list, this smoky fried chicken recipe is pretty straightforward. Most of the spices are probably already in your cabinet. In contrast to many of my recipes, which I urge readers to customize, I advise you to follow this recipe exactly. I messed around with several spice blends for a long time before getting this one ideal, for me at least.
How To Make Fried Chicken on the Grill
Traditionally, fried chicken is fried in hot oil, which not only makes a large mess but also leaves behind a considerable amount of used unclean oil to dump. Furthermore, if health concerns are a concern, deep-frying might not be the best choice.
By employing a higher cooking temperature and a flour-based coating that crisps up incredibly well in the dry heat, we’ll be able to replicate that golden brown crispy chicken on the grill. Avoid the temptation to just shut the grill cover and stop cooking; turning the chicken while cooking is essential to achieving an even crispiness.
How To Reheat Fried Chicken
This smoke-fried chicken is excellent reheated in the oven if you have any leftovers. Avoid using the microwave as it will result in a mushy and squishy crust. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly spray the chicken with cooking spray and place it in the oven for approximately 15 minutes. Simple right?
How Can You Tell When Chicken Is Done on the Grill?
I recommend using a reliable quick-read thermometer as usual. Personally, I adore dark-meat chicken, but if you’d rather, you may use chicken breast. As you can see, I think that cooking dark meat chicken to a higher temperature than what the USDA suggests just results in a better-tasting and more tender chicken.
Tips For Making Smoke Fried Chicken
The Smoke: Along with the seasoning mix, the smoke is the most crucial aspect here. The saying “garbage in, garbage out” probably seems familiar to you, and it applies to the smoke’s quality as well. The importance of beginning with high-quality wood pieces, like these hickory chunks from Cutting Edge Firewood, cannot be overstated. Nothing compares to the flavor and clear smoke they produce. Starting with a substandard wood chunk only makes for an unpleasant taste.
The Flip: Make sure you turn the chicken over at the times specified in the recipe. Turn the chicken frequently because failing to do so could result in the chunks becoming mushy.
The temperature: Aim for 185° F when cooking dark meat chicken. The USDA claims that pork is safe at 145° F, but I know that dark meat is safe at 165° F. If you tried to eat pig ribs cooked to that temperature, it would be like eating a baseball glove.
Smoke Fried Chicken Recipe
Serves 6–8 | 20 minutes for prep | 50 minutes for cooking
Ingredients
Five pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks and thighs and one and a half cups of buttermilk
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- Cooking spray
- Parsley for garnish
- 3 tbsp honey, optional
- Wash: 3 extra big eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup semolina flour
- ⅓ cup corn starch
- 4 tbsp paprika
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp mustard powder
- 1 tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp celery salt
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp dried sage
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp oregano ¼ tsp sumac
How To Make Smoke Fried Chicken
- Step 1: Put the chicken, buttermilk, and salt in a plastic bag that can be sealed. Let marinate for at least two hours, preferably overnight.
- Step 2: Light your grill, adjust the temperature to 400°F, and set it up for two-zone grilling.
- Step 3: While your grill is preheating, combine the wash ingredients together in a mixing dish. In a second mixing dish, whisk together all of the spice ingredients. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk brine and allow any extra buttermilk to drain out.
- Step 4: Coat the chicken, one piece at a time, with the seasoned mixture, then wash it to ensure it is evenly coated, and then return to the seasoning for a second coat. The chicken should then be arranged on a wire rack with a minimum of 1 inch between each piece (see left, below). Let the chicken sit for approximately 20 minutes, or until the seasoning has absorbed the moisture from the wash (see below right).
- Step 5: Place the chicken on the grill over indirect heat and add one piece of hickory wood to the hot coals. Put the lid on and let it cook for fifteen minutes. Turn the chicken over after opening the cover and lightly spraying it with cooking spray. For a further fifteen minutes, let the chicken boil with the lid closed.
- Step 6: Spray a second light layer of cooking spray on the grill after opening it. Rotate the chicken. Let the chicken cook for ten minutes with the lid closed.
- Step 7: The internal temperature of the chicken should be between 180°F and 185°F after 50 minutes of repeating step 6.
- Step 8: Arrange the chicken on a plate and garnish with parsley and honey, if desired.
