Crunchy Toasted Corn Chicken
Corn nuts. Quico. Cancha. Toasted corn. You know the ones.
It is no surprise that this is what makes this recipe great! Now, I am not usually a fan of cheating/buying something store bought but when ya need the crunch you go get yourself some! For this recipe I have used toasted corn from Sprouts and Whole Foods since they do not have artificial flavoring added but if you cannot find any where you live just use plain ol’ Cornnuts or make your own, I dare you.
Ingredients
6 boneless chicken thighs (brined or marinated in greek yogurt for 1 hr to overnight)
1 cup of crushed toasted corn
1 cup of flour (I have used all-purpose, bread and gluten free flours)
2 tsp of paprika
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp of celery salt
2-3 eggs
high temp oil like grapeseed, avocado, peanut or sunflower
salt and pepper
Method
Assemble your assembly line via 3 deep bowls or plates to mix ingredients as follows. Bowl 1: Eggs well beaten; Bowl 2: Well combine flour and spices with a couple cracks of salt and pepper; Bowl 3: crushed or finely chopped toasted corn. Set aside.
Heat a deep skillet or pan with about 1/2 inch of oil until it is 325 degrees (F). A cooking thermometer or laser thermometer comes in handy here!
After your chicken comes to room temperature, dredge in flour mixture. Let sit for 2 minutes, then dip in egg mixture and press into crushed toasted corn. Then let chicken sit for another 2 minutes.
When the oil is at temperature, carefully place 2-3 pieces of chicken in and fry the first side for 2-3 minutes undisturbed. It is important to not move them around so you can get a nice golden crust.
Flip them over using tongs and fry until meat thermometer reaches 155 degrees; they will continue cooking after they are removed from the oil.
Place them on a plate with paper towels or a dish towel to soak up any residual oil.
Continue until you fry all the chicken and serve over a salad or be naughty with a side of fresh biscuits and honey butter!
