Bangin' Grove Chicken Bites

Kinda' Sorta' Like A Certain Shrimp Dish But Not

Appetizers
Lunch
Dinner

My Thoughts

These crispy, creamy, and awesomely spicy chicken bites make a great appetizer, topping for a salad, or awesome meal with some steamed vegetables.

This did start as a copycat version of Bang Bang Shrimp (or Bang Bang Chicken - they have that on the menu at Bonefish too, or at least did at one time). Because The Picky Eater is not only allergic to shrimp (hence the chicken substitute) she's also got diverticulitis and the pepper seeds that are in sweet Thia chili paste is a real pain to strain out. So, this is an alternative. It does not taste exactly like the restaurant version, but The Picky Eater says that this is actually better!

The How To Do It

  1. In a large sauce pan add the peanut oil. You will want to heat the oil to 350°-375°. Be sure to use a frying thermometer to monitor the temp. Too hot and it will burn the outside and leave the inside raw and too cool and you'll end up with greasy food. I usually use about a quart of oil. Make sure to use a sauce pan that is large enough so that there are several inches from the top of the oil to the top of the pan. You also want the oil to be 4-5 inches deep in the bottom. If you have a stove top deep fryer, use it instead and follow the instructions for frying in it.
  2. Cut the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces. Try to make them as even in size as possible so that they all cook at the same rate (we don't want medium rare chicken people)!
  3. Thinly slice the green onion on the bias (at a slant) into 1/4-inch pieces.
  4. In a large bowl combine the chicken with the buttermilk and let set aside until the oil is hot. It takes me a few minutes to get it to where it needs to be. Your stove/fryer may work quicker so keep an eye on the temp of the oil.
  5. Once the chicken is in the buttermilk, poor the cornstarch into a wide/shallow bowl (I use a pie pan/tin).
  6. In a mixing bowl, combine the mayo, honey, sriracha, lime juice, granulated garlic, smoked paprika, and salt.
  7. Once the oil is up to temperature, using one hand place part of the chicken into the cornstarch dredge and coat them with a nice layer of the cornstarch using the other hand (otherwise you end up with monster fingers).
  8. Working in batches (I don't use a large enough fryer and don't want to use that much oil), place the dredged chicken into the oil and let it fry until done. This usually takes about 5 minutes, but it can take longer if your pieces are larger. Once I think they are done, I remove a few from the oil and spot check them for doneness with a probe thermometer. I never trust chicken to "looking like it is done".
  9. Fry the rest of the chicken until you've finished all of it. You may have to wait a few minutes between each batch. The chicken is relatively cold and it will lower the temp of the oil, so you may have to wait a bit for it to come back up to temp.
  10. Once you've finished frying the chicken, place them into a bowl and coat with the mayo sriracha sauce. Plate them however you like and sprinkle them with the sliced scallions.

Ingredients

Bangin' Beechgrove Chicken Bites
2 lrgs
chicken breast
1 cup
avocado mayo
2 tbsp
Beechgrove honey
2 tbsp
sriracha
2 cups
corn starch
1 tsp
lime juice
½ tsp
granulated garlic
½ tsp
smoked paprika
1 qrt
peanut oil
1 pinch
kosher salt
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