Growing up in the 80s in Ontario, Canada, it was a real good day when Mom and Dad brought home a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) with the bright green coleslaw for supper.

Fried chicken is a decadent indulgence, but if you use beef tallow instead of highly processed canola, you can enjoy it with no guilt.

Our son-in-law Jake ran a restaurant inside a bar in Toronto serving deep-fried chicken with various levels of heat, right up to ghost pepper 🥵. He actually travelled throughout the Southern States trying different versions to develop his recipe. We stay away from heat, but his delicious chicken was a great inspiration.

The recipe we adapted was in the summer 2017 edition of LCBO Food & Drink magazine—the original is here. It’s at least a two-day process to make, as you need a day (or two) to brine and 8–24 hours to marinate in buttermilk, but it’s well worth the wait.

Frying chicken is the challenging part, as no one wants to eat raw or incinerated meat. The pictures and video show the process for making juicy, tender fried chicken that would make Colonel Sanders smile.

We use a deep fryer for this, rather than shallow frying, and fry up sides such as French fries or sweet potato fries, zucchini fritters, potato wedges (see below), or this recipe for a blooming onion. If you don’t own a deep fryer, use the shallow fry method outlined in the original recipe.

Boneless chicken thighs are our preference for this recipe, as the bone-in pieces can be trickier to ensure they’re cooked through. Plus, you can make chicken burgers with the leftovers for another decadent meal.

Deep Fried Chicken Thighs

No ratings yet

Decadent fried chicken made with beef tallow for richer flavour and less guilt—crispy outside, juicy and tender inside.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Brining and marinating 20 hours hrs

Servings: 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

Brine

• 1 onion coarsely chopped
• 3 Tbsp 45 mL sea salt
• 3 Tbsp 45 mL packed brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp 30 mL mustard seeds
• 1 tsp 5 mL whole black peppercorns
• 4 bay leaves
• 5 cups 1.25 L cold water, divided
• 3½ lbs 1.75 kg chicken thighs, skin-on (10 pieces)

Buttermilk Marinade

• 2 cups 500 mL buttermilk
• 1 Tbsp 15 mL sweet paprika
• 2 tsp 10 mL celery seeds (if you have them)
• 2 Tbsp 30 mL hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco

Coating and Frying

• 1½ cups 180 g all-purpose flour
• ½ cup 60 g cornstarch
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder optional
• ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 to 6 cups beef tallow 900–1350 g or 4 to 6 cups (1 to 1.5 L) peanut oil

Potato Wedges

• Potatoes cut into wedges, skin on.

Equipment

• Deep Fryer

Method

 

Brine

1. Combine the onion, salt, sugar, mustard seeds, peppercorns, bay leaves, and 1 cup (250 mL) water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Pour into a large bowl and let cool. Add the remaining 4 cups (1 L) of water and refrigerate until fully chilled.
2. Add the chicken thighs to the cold brine in a non-reactive bowl, pressing to fully submerge, or place them in an extra-large resealable plastic bag set in a container. Cover or seal and refrigerate for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.

Buttermilk Marinade

1. Drain and discard the brine. Rinse the thighs and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
2. Combine buttermilk, paprika, celery seeds, and hot pepper sauce in a clean, large non-reactive bowl or container. Add the chicken and turn to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, up to 24 hours.

Coating and Frying

1. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, paprika, thyme, salt, garlic powder (if using), pepper, and cayenne. You may need extra flour mixture; any leftover coating can be used for frying vegetables.
2. Scoop the beef tallow into a deep fryer, or pour the peanut oil into the fryer, and heat over medium heat to 350°F (180°C).
3. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
4. If making potato wedges, fry them first for 3½ minutes, until lightly browned but not cooked through. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
5. Spoon 2 Tbsp (30 mL) of the buttermilk marinade into the flour mixture, whisking until small clumps form. Working with 1–2 pieces at a time, remove the chicken from the marinade and dredge in the flour mixture, turning and pressing to coat well. Place the coated pieces on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Repeat until all pieces are coated.
6. Carefully add the chicken thighs to the hot tallow, two at a time. Fry for 2½–3 minutes, until browned, then flip, cover, and fry for another 4½–5 minutes, or until deep golden-brown and crispy.
7. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.
8. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Fry the final batch for about 2 minutes longer and finish in the oven if necessary.
9. Fry your blooming onion, if making.
10. The internal temperature of the chicken thighs should reach 165°F (74°C). If needed, bake on the rack for an additional 5–10 minutes, then recheck the temperature.

Notes

1. If time permits, brine the chicken for the full 24 hours for maximum juiciness.
2. Use plain, unflavoured buttermilk only.
3. Reheat leftover chicken thighs in an air fryer for the best results.
4. If you don’t own a deep fryer, use the shallow fry method outlined in the original recipe.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!