spicy chicken bites recipe.

A new favorite at our house. I don't typically fry foods, but when I spied this recipe which included chipotle and red pepper flakes at our piano teacher (Mrs. Hammer's) house in her "Southern Living"? magazine, I took some notes. I made a few changes. Here is my version.

spicy chicken bites
adapted from "Southern Living"


1 tablespoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon ground chipotle flakes
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika

1 1/2 lbs. skinned, boned chicken breast. cut into 1 inch pieces

2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 cup unbleached flour
2 cups panko
canola oil

for dipping: blue cheese and ranch dressing, hot wings sauce

1.In a small bowl make the spice blend by mixing all the spices, salt and pepper together.

2. Put the chicken pieces in a shallow baking dish, add the buttermilk and half of the spice mixture. Mix it up and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (up to 24 hours).

3. Remove chicken from refrigerator, drain off the buttermilk/spice blend.

4. In a medium sized bowl. Mix the remaining half of the spice mixture with the flour and panko.

5. In a dutch oven, add about 2 in. of oil and turn the heat to medium high. (Can also try in a fry daddy.)

6. I would just dip the chicken in the flour blend and then using tongs, place gently in the hot oil. I only made half at a time, turning gently with the tongs. Cook roughly 7 minutes on each side. The longer they stayed in the oil, the more of the "fried" bits would come off. (Also if I was rough with turning them.)

7. Remove from the oil and place on a plate lined with napkins/paper towels to drain some of the extra oil.

8. Salt before serving. If you test them and they aren't spicy enough, just pour a bit of chipotle and red pepper flakes in either the oil or the remaining flour mixture is you still have more to dip.

I served the spicy chicken bites with curly fries, and salad.