15-minute skillet fried chicken with tabasco honey sauce

So, I kind of spaced.

On the whole Super Bowl happening this Sunday. Usually, I am somewhat excited because well, duh, the food. Little smokies, queso, more queso, burgers, potato skins, and of course, the anticipation of all the fun commercials.

But this year, I’m kind of “meh” about the whole situation. Probably because all of the hoopla over the deflated footballs. By the way, have you watched the funny SNL video of Coach Belichick and Tom Brady talking about balls? If you need a giggle this morning you should check it out.

Anyways, rather than talk about grown men getting paid millions of dollars to throw a pigskin around, let’s talk fried chicken. At our restaurant,  Bourbon & Baker, in Manhattan, KS, our executive chef makes the best ever fried chicken this side of the Mississippi. His fried chicken making process involves two days, a bucket, soaking, and frying. It’s serious, serious.

However, even though I fully appreciate the discipline to make this superior fried chicken, my impatient self needs an easy out. Because on those mornings when you wake up and crave fried chicken at 8am and not a single restaurant is open, you resort to this 15 minute version.

I know, I know, I might get a few stink-eyes from fried chicken purists. Let me state that this is just a quick fried chicken fix. Buttermilk soaked boneless chicken thighs, dredged through flour, fried one side in a cast iron skillet, and finished in the oven. Drizzled with a mixture of Tabasco and honey….it’s finger lickin’ good.

Wait.

It’s Ickey “Shuffle” Woods  good.

Print Recipe

15-Minute Skillet Fried Chicken with Tabasco-Honey Sauce

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

for the skillet fried chicken:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 cups buttermilk
1 egg, whisked
1 teaspoon Tabasco
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

for the Tabasco-Honey sauce:
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon Tabasco

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

for the skillet fried chicken:
In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, egg, Tabasco, and salt and pepper. Place chicken thighs into the bowl and let it sit for a minute or two. In another bowl, combine flour, cayenee, and salt and pepper.

Add the vegetable oil to a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Heat to medium-high. Next, take a piece of the chicken and dredge it into the flour shaking off any extras. Place chicken in skillet. Repeat with remaining pieces. Cook chicken for about 5 minutes on the first side. Flip and place skillet into the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes. Once cooked, remove skillet from oven and let cook slightly before covering with sauce.

for the Tabasco-Honey sauce:
In a bowl, combine Tabasco and honey until smooth.

adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

All images and text ©Lauren Grier for The Curious Plate