Start by dry brining the chicken. Pat the chicken completely dry, then season with 2 teaspoons of Kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Set aside while you prepare the glaze.
Purée the roasted red peppers with honey, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, mustard, granulated garlic, onion powder, and paprika with an immersion blender or in a food processor until smooth. Stain through a fine mesh strainer to remove fibrous solids, then transfer to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 20-22 minutes, until the mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
When you are ready to fry the chicken, add oil to your 6.5 qt. Signature Round Deep Oven and heat over high heat with a candy thermometer until it reaches approximately 315°F – 325°F.
While the oil heats, prepare the dredges. In a medium bowl, add 3 cups of all purpose flour and season with 3 teaspoons of Kosher salt. In a second bowl, add the remaining cup of all purpose flour, rice flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Slowly whisk in 2¼ cups of cold seltzer water. Check your batter’s consistency – it should be fluid enough to flow smoothly off a spoon and coat the chicken evenly, similar to heavy cream. Add more seltzer water, a tablespoon or two at a time, as needed to achieve that consistency.
To dredge the chicken, take a piece of chicken and dunk in the flour, allowing it to coat the entire piece. Transfer to the wet batter and again dunk to coat the entire piece of chicken, allowing any excess to drip off. Finish the chicken by returning it to the bowl of flour and coating entirely again – this creates the craggy, crunchy shell for the chicken.
Transfer the chicken to the oil and fry, making sure the chicken doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot as you submerge it. Fry until your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Here’s a guide for timing based on the piece of chicken you are frying:
- Chicken tenders: 5–6 minutes
- Chicken breasts: 8–10 minutes
- Chicken thighs (bone-in): 13–15 minutes
- Chicken legs (drumsticks): 10–11 minutes
Pro tip: as you are frying, try to keep the oil temperature as close to 315°F - 325°F as possible, adjusting the heat up or down as the oil temperature fluctuates. Generally, the temperature goes down when you’re adding chicken, so be careful of adding too much at once, as it can more drastically lower the temperature.
When the chicken is cooked, remove and place on a wire rack to allow any excess oil to drip off.
Toss with the prepared glaze and serve alongside your favorite ranch dip.
If you are eating your chicken later, cool completely on the wire rack, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill. When you are ready to serve the chicken, return the chicken pieces to the wire rack and bake at 400°F. for 10-12 minutes, until the chicken is warmed and the outside is crisped.
