Anyone who’s ever tasted Popeye’s legendary Fried Chicken has wondered how they get it so crunchy on the outside while keeping it so moist and tender on the inside. Now, for your COVID-19 lock down cooking pleasure, the chain’s Head of Culinary Innovation shares the secret…
Popeye’s Baked Chicken: Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside…
Amy Alcaron (pictured top of page) reveals that the secret to Popeye’s unique Fried Chicken is really rather simple: long marination in just the right mix of flavours.
“One of the hallmarks of Popeye’s Chicken is the amount of flavor we get from marination, whether it’s a Sandwich Fillet, a piece of Fried Chicken, or a Tender,” she told Forbes magazine. “It’s all been seasoned and allowed to sit for at least 12 hours to add maximum flavor. I find myself doing this at home all the time, too, and Chicken is the perfect [flavour] canvas.”
What you need
For the marinade:
1.5 cup / 325 ml Buttermilk
3 tbs. / 45 ml Crystal Hot Sauce
1 tbs. / 15 ml Tony Chachere’s Creole Spice (plus extra for sprinkling on top)
8 skin-on, bone-in Chicken Thighs
Olive Oil pan spray
What you do
In a mixing bowl, combine the Buttermilk, Hot Sauce, and 1 tbs. / 15 ml of the Creole Spice.
Place mixture inside a gallon size zip closure heavy-duty freezer bag and add in the Chicken Thighs.
Carefully squeeze out the excess air and seal tightly.
Massage the bag for a minute to make sure the marination gets thoroughly coated and mixed around the chicken.
Place in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for a minimum of 12 hours, preferably overnight.
Tips and Hints:
This recipe is intended to serve 4 diners. If you and yours are real Popeye’s fans, it may only serve 2.
Alcaron adds: “As far as ingredients go, I almost always keep buttermilk in the fridge. I have an assortment of different hot sauces to choose from and keep a well-stocked spice cabinet. The particular blend I use here is one of my favorites! While it may seem like using hot sauce would make this particular dish spicy, I use Crystal hot sauce because it’s on the lower end of the spectrum in heat but high in flavor and acidity. The end result is a juicy interior and a well-seasoned, crispy exterior. Definitely not a tongue scorcher, just full of flavor through and through!”
The simplest cooking technique
If you’re not up to breading and frying (let alone deep frying) the first time around, you can simply bake the Chicken in a hot oven.
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Place a wire rack on a sheet pan or cookie sheet and spray with the Olive Oil.
Drain the Chicken Thighs in a colander and shake to remove excess marinade.
Place Chicken on the wire rack skin side up and allow to sit for 15 minutes so the skin an dry out a bit – the key to making it crispy.
Add a spray of Olive Oil to the skin side of the Chicken to enhance browning and crisping.
Sprinkle the remaining Creole Seasoning over the top of the Chicken.
Bake for 40 min. Use a Meat thermometer to ensure the interior temperature of the largest Thigh is at least 165 F.
Once you’ve got the marination down…
… You can carry on cooking the Chicken any way you want. As I mentioned, you can pan fry it, or even deep fry it (if you have the gear and the desire)
If you want that Deep Fried Chicken experience without the fuss and bother,
try coating the wet Chicken in Corn Flake Crumbs and oven-baking…
Coat the wet Chicken pieces in any kind of Breading or Crumbs you prefer and allow to air dry for 15 minutes before cooking. I like using Corn Flake Crumbs on Buttermilk Chicken. This technique produces a result closest in flavour and texture to Popeye’s Chicken from the store. But you probably have your own preference for coating Chicken. Some folks just dredge the wet Chicken pieces in Flour.
My take
Many thanks to Forbes for enticing Any Alcaron to reveal the secret of Popeye’s crispy, juicy Chicken. The truth is, Buttermilk marination can add an extra dimension of flavour and juiciness to any Poultry cut. There are myriad recipes for Buttermilk Marinated Salmon online, as well. Let your imagination be your guide and adjust the Seasonings and Spiciness to your taste. The real secret is, you have to remember to mix up the Marinade and get the Chicken resting the day before you intend to cook and serve it. There’s no shame in writing yourself a note as a reminder…
~ Maggie J.