Categories: Main Dish
Ingredients
- vegetable oil, for frying
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 limes, zested, then cut into wedges
- 2 lbs chicken tenders
- salt
- black pepper
- 2 -3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 large red onion, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices, rings separated
- 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch rings
- Chipotle Mayo Dip-In:
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 -2 chipotle pepper, finely chopped
- 1 -2 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 1 lime, juice of
- Sweet Spicy and Sour Dip-In:
- 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 small jalapeno pepper, cut in half lengthwise
- salt
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Directions
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Make Chipotle Mayo Dip In: in a bowl, mix the mayo, chopped chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and lime juice until well combined; cover and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
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Make Sweet, Spicy, and Sour Dip-In: in a small saucepan, mix the vinegar, sugar, and ¼ cup water; bring to a simmer to dissolve the sugar.
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Once the sugar has dissolved, turn off the heat and add the jalapeno pepper and salt; the residual heat will release the jalapeno?s flavor into the vinegar.
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Cool to room temperature, remove the jalapeno halves, and stir in the scallions and cilantro.
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Make the Tex-Mex Crunchy Fry: Preheat oven to 250°.
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Preheat 1 ½ inches vegetable oil in a high-sided large skillet over medium to med-high heat.
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To test the oil, submerge a wooden spoon handle in the oil and see if bubbles rise out and away from it, you are good to go.
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While the oil is heating, set up for breading right near the stove.
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Combine the flour, cumin, and chili powder in a large wide bowl.
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In a second large, wide bowl, mix the buttermilk and lime zest.
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Season the chicken tenders with salt and pepper; toss them with all of the chopped cilantro.
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Working in small batches, run the chicken tenders through the flour, shake off excess, and then coat them in the buttermilk.
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Transfer them back to the flour and coat them thoroughly, then back into the buttermilk.
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14 Dip them back into the flour for a third and final coating.
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Carefully place the first batch in the hot oil.
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Fry tenders 6-7 minutes, turning when the first side is golden brown.
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Remove them from the oil to a paper-towel lined plate and immediately sprinkle with a little salt.
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Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
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Transfer them to a baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the veggies.
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Sprinkle the red onion rings and red bell pepper rings with a little bit of water, and toss them around a bit (the water will help the first coating of flour stick).
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Repeat the same flour-buttermilk, flour-buttermilk-flour process with the veggie rings.
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Cook the veggies 4-5 minutes then drain on paper towels.
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As you are frying and draining the veggie rings, transfer the fried items to a 2nd cookie sheet and keep them warm in the oven while you continue to fry.
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Serve the chicken, onions, and peppers with the lime wedges and dips.