Kettle Fried Chicken

[Mike in Roseville]

The idea of kettle fried chicken has probably intrigued me more than any recipe idea on here in recent months.

Is it really like fried chicken? Or closer to Shake ‘n’ Bake? Or somewhere in the realm of TV dinner breaded chicken?

There is only one way to find out!

I followed Troy’s recipe almost exactly. Seltzer, honey butter, etc. The only thing I didn’t have was the BPS seasoning. I substituted 2tbs Oakridge Santa Maria, 1tbs Oakridge Secret Weapon, 1tbs Jailbird Chicken, and about one more tbs of salt.

I cooked the chicken to 165-170 and pulled them. The vortex likes to run at 450 which is a little hot for “fried” chicken. I throttled it back through the cook, but it still ran a little hotter than I liked.







Results?

A solid first attempt. I mean the cook went well, but I somehow didn’t achieve the same results as Troy. The chicken was cooked perfectly and very juicy. However, the breading did not yield the same level of crunch that Troy got in his video. I found the breading to be a little under seasoned (even though I added more salt) and a tad too “floury” for my taste.

A few things to take away and change for another attempt.

1) If you use Troys recipe, double the batter (wet mix). I had 6 legs and 6 thighs, and sadly I was running out of wet batter at thigh #2. The last two thighs got Oakridge Secret Weapon instead. I felt that even with the seasonings I used, it needed more salt and pepper. Your mileage may vary on this. If you don’t have the BPS rub Troy used, try his suggested seasoning or a good fried chicken seasoning protocol.

2) I would personally suggest buttermilk or brine the chicken ahead of time prior to batter. There are also a few other “fried chicken tricks” I might incorporate for a future attempt.

3) I’m pondering an attempt at a lower temperature for longer. I think the WSM, wise open with no water gets me in the 325-350 range. That might be how I want to proceed. However, I am a little hesitant to cook it exactly at the same temp as fried chicken because, we are baking and not using oil. I don’t need to worry about my fry oil smoking.

4) Another issue I dealt with was some "sticking." Although this was minimal, I wonder if oiling the grates, adding oil to the batter, or using a non-stick grill mat might remedy this. I am trying to avoid incorporating a hybrid technique to see if we can really nail this chicken without the use of fry oil. We will know after a few more attempts.

Also, I have enlisted the help of my closest WKC neighbor @inkaddictedchef1 to help in the “WKC Test Kitchen.” Apparently, he claims that he likes to cook. We are going to bounce some ideas and give this one another shot. Perhaps we may team up for a tandem Kettle Chicken cook in the near future?

That’s all for now!







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[JEBIV]

Well the finished chicken looks good, looking forward to the "WKC Test Kitchen"

[Mike in Roseville]

Thanks! Yeah it *looks* pretty close to a KFC-style chicken. It's a little light in color for a "picnic-style fried chicken."

My wife was happy we tried a new "weeknight" recipe. I am also glad I finally had a chance to test this out.

Maybe @Troy can share any potential issues he came across in his attempts with making this recipe?

[Troy]

Great post!!

I apologize if my recipe wasn't exact - i usually eyeball it

A couple things: you mentioned scaling back the heat, that seems like a culprit of your crunch deficit.

Great advice on the buttermilk brine, that always helps and I highly recommend it.

[Mike in Roseville]

Thanks Troy for chiming in!

Lowering the temp was something I considered, but I really didn't reduce that much. 450....down to 425 then 400 by the end of the cook.

Most chicken is fried in the 300-375 range so I figured that was still hot enough to get crispy. And it did get some crisp to it. I know you cooked yours a bit above 165 iternal, so maybe my chicken needed a little more time in the heat to get batter a little crispier. I'm not sure.

Some people use buttermilk. Some people brine it with water and salt or msg. Either way, I think that step can add some flavor to the meat.

[HoosierKettle]

For legs and thighs, I usually cook to about 180 internal at least. Whether I'm grilling or kettle frying. I dump a full lit chimney in the baskets or vortex with all vents open. Usually takes an hour. I would guess I'm cooking 450-500. I don't know if this is good advice for this particular recipe. I haven't tried it. I usually season then flour with KFC flour. I haven't tried a wet batter yet.

I prefer my legs and thighs be cooked to a higher internal because I prefer the fat all be rendered and the dark meat is forgiving enough to stay juicy.

This is just personal preference though. You might not like it that done. I started doing this a long time ago because the kids preferred them well done and I started to prefer this way as well.

Mine normally probe between 182 to 187 when I pull them.


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[HoosierKettle]

I think yours looks great by the way. I like original recipe as opposed to extra crispy anyway


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[Firemunkee]

Thanks for sharing! I am looking forward to the WKC Test Kitchen results.

[inkaddictedchef1]

Thanks for sharing! I am looking forward to the WKC Test Kitchen results.

WKC Test Kitchen... I like the sound of that

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[MikeRocksTheRed]

For legs and thighs, I usually cook to about 180 internal at least. Whether I'm grilling or kettle frying. I dump a full lit chimney in the baskets or vortex with all vents open. Usually takes an hour. I would guess I'm cooking 450-500. I don't know if this is good advice for this particular recipe. I haven't tried it. I usually season then flour with KFC flour. I haven't tried a wet batter yet.

I prefer my legs and thighs be cooked to a higher internal because I prefer the fat all be rendered and the dark meat is forgiving enough to stay juicy.

This is just personal preference though. You might not like it that done. I started doing this a long time ago because the kids preferred them well done and I started to prefer this way as well.

Mine normally probe between 182 to 187 when I pull them.


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My thoughts exactly.  With wings, legs and thighs, I cook until the skin (breaded or unbreaded) is where I want it.  With wings I usually end up with an internal temp between 185-200, but I've only temped them a few times out of pure curiosity.  Same with with not temping legs and thighs much, but they have been around 180-190 the few times I have temped them.  They are still plenty moist and are fall off the bone.

[Al b que]

Here's my first attempt at Kettle Fried Chicken soaked in buttermilk approximately 2 hours house Autry chicken breader added a little Cayenne
Set up using the vortec foil lined around for drip edge and air flow about 30 minutes in
Cooking at around 450 to 500 Degrees. Inside temp around 190 most crispy chicken of ever tasted off of Grill absolutely delicious!!
Sorry had to take a bath you know Pitmaster privilege,

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[Al b que]

Here's my first attempt at Kettle Fried Chicken soaked in buttermilk approximately 2 hours house Autry chicken breader added a little Cayenne
Set up using the vortec foil lined around for drip edge and air flow about 30 minutes in
Cooking at around 450 to 500 Degrees. Inside temp around 190 most crispy chicken of ever tasted off of Grill absolutely delicious!!
Sorry had to take a bath you know Pitmaster privilege,

Sent from my VS988 using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

Flipping off auto spell. Bite Not bath. LOL

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[Bigmac]

I gonna have to try kettle fried chicken pretty soon,you guys are making me hungry with all these pics. Keep em coming!👍

[Mike in Roseville]

Your chicken looks great Al! 190 eh? Maybe I just need to cook mine a bit longer next time. I'll probably try again next week and take it past 165-170.

I also love your foil idea btw.

Chef Matt said he picked up some provisions to take another shot at this so stay tuned!


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[Talus]

I used this breading with great results.  I just sprayed the quarters with olive oil (like Pam but olive oil) and dipped in the breading. 
https://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/copycat-kfc-original-style-chicken/97c93d14-9d8c-4bc7-96dc-1e0b37e4fcaa