Fried Chicken Salad
This fried chicken salad is crunchy and fresh and perfect for summertime. It is my new favorite loaded salad.
Ingredients
- Salad base
- ½ small red onion thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeño thinly sliced
- 4 cups thinly sliced cabbage
- ½ cup pickle slices
- ⅛ th cup olive oil
- ¼ cup pickle juice
- Fried Chicken - you can also just ascertain some fried chicken from a to-go spot
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 4- ounce skinless boneless chicken thighs
- Peanut or vegetable oil for frying
- Spicy Mayo Dressing
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Cholula or Sriracha
- Optional: cayenne pepper if you want it extra spicy
- Special Equipment
- A cast iron pot for frying
- A deep-fry thermometer
Instructions
- Spicy Mayo
- Mix garlic powder, mayonnaise, and hot pepper sauce in a small bowl; set aside.
- Briny Slaw
- Whisk together olive oil and pickle juice in a small bowl or jar.
- Toss onion, jalapeño, cabbage, pickles, an EVOO/pickle juice in a large bowl to combine; cover and chill.
- Fried Chicken and Assembly
- *Note: you can totally just get some take-out fried chicken and this salad will be divine*
- Marinate the chicken in the buttermilk and smoked paprika for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer.
- In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, and cornstarch; whisk with your fork to combine in.
- Pour oil into a large heavy skillet to a depth of ½-inch. Heat over medium heat until a thermometer registers 350°.
- Dredge each chicken thigh in the flour mixture, and then fry chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a baking sheet; season with salt.
- Portion out the salad and put a piece of fried chicken on the top. Sprinkle some cilantro on top!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!