Best Fried Chicken Ever with Garlic Jalapeno Vinegar

Best Fried Chicken Ever with Garlic Jalapeno Vinegar

(Video recipe below)

1 tablespoon of salt

1 tablespoon of ground black pepper

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of onion powder

½ teaspoon of paprika

½ teaspoon of chili powder

2 skin-on chicken thighs

2 skin-on chicken drumsticks

2 skin-on chicken breasts

1 cup of buttermilk

1 large egg

½ cup of water

1½ cups of all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

Canola Oil

Garlic Jalapeno Pepper Vinegar:

½ cup of distilled white vinegar

2 tablespoons of sugar

Pinch of salt

1 jalapeno pepper, halved and deseeded

3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, make the dry rub mix by thoroughly mixing 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of pepper, the garlic pepper, onion powder, paprika, and chili powder.
2. Wipe down the chicken pieces and add to the bowl with the dry rub mix. Thoroughly coat all chicken pieces with the dry rub. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
3. When ready to fry the chicken, let the chicken stand at room temperature for about one hour. In the meantime, whisk buttermilk, egg, and ½ cup of water in a shallow bowl.  In another shallow bowl, mix the flour and cornstarch.
4. Using a cast-iron skillet or a deep pot, add about ¾ inch of oil. Then, using a thermometer, heat the oil to 350 degrees.
5. Working with one piece at a time, dip the chicken in the buttermilk mixture, letting any excess drip off. Next, dredge in the flour mixture, gently shaking off any excess flour mixture.
6. Place just enough pieces of chicken in the oil so that there is about one inch between each piece. Do not overcrowd.
7. Fry the chicken pieces for about 12-14 minutes each, making sure to flip every 2 minutes with tongs, and readjusting heat of the stove so that the temperature of the oil stays between 300 – 325 degrees.
8. Transferred chicken to a paper towel or, even better, a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining pieces and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
9. Serve and enjoy!