KFC-Style Fried Chicken Bites (marinated in buttermilk)
Bite-sized chicken breast marinated in buttermilk, dredged in seasoned flour, then coated in panko and fried until deeply golden. Thirty minutes in the marinade is all they need.
Ingredients
Buttermilk Marinade
- 1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Fried Chicken Bites
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, salt, and pepper
- 2 cups panko or breadcrumbs
- Cooking oil for frying
Instructions
- Place the chicken pieces, buttermilk, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes on your counter or up to 24 hours in your fridge.1 lb boneless chicken breast, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Mix the flour with the baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Place the panko in another shallow bowl.¾ cup all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, salt, and pepper, 2 cups panko or breadcrumbs
- Use a slotted spoon to scoop some of the chicken pieces out of the buttermilk, letting the excess buttermilk drip back into the bowl. Put the pieces into the flour and toss to coat. Dip the pieces one at a time back into the buttermilk, then put them in the panko bowl. Coat them in panko, then place on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining pieces. Put the breaded chicken into your fridge for 15 minutes - this helps the breading stick.
- Pour 1 ½ inches of oil into a high-sided pan and warm it over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit - use an oil thermometer. Carefully place several chicken pieces into the hot oil, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined plate. Let the oil return to temperature, then repeat until all the chicken is fried and crispy.
Notes
In one of my recipe tests, I measured the oil left after frying and found that this recipe uses ½ cup of oil, which I used to calculate the nutritional information.
Serving: 1 = ¼ of the recipe, Calories: 632kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 34g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Monounsaturated Fat: 19g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 74mg, Sodium: 1330mg, Potassium: 545mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 59IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 189mg, Iron: 4mg