Welcome to the Carolina Cuisine Network, home of Southern cooking recipes for beginner cooks written to serve two and easily doubled!

Ingredients:

• 2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or 4 breast tenderloins
• 1 Cup Panko-style breadcrumbs
• 1/2 Cup Flour, wheat or all-purpose
• 1/4 Cup Milk
• 2 Eggs, beaten well with drops of your favorite hot sauce. I prefer Sriracha garlic chili pepper sauce.
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic powder
• 1 Teaspoon Meat Tenderizer
• 1 Teaspoon Paprika, Spanish sweet paprika or smoked
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne pepper powder. Add more for a real kick.
• 1/4 Teaspoon Black pepper, fresh ground
• 3 -4 Tablespoons Olive oil for frying, high heat robust quality oil
• Southern “Swicy” Sauce:
• /3 Cup Sweet Heat Honey
• 1/4 Teaspoon Oil, red chili pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Vinegar, apple cider or seasoned rice wine
• 1 Tablespoon + 1 Teaspoon Butter or ghee
• Optional 1/2 Teaspoon Chili pepper flakes
• Pinch of Salt

You control the heat in “Swicy” Hot Honey Sauce

Directions:

1. Prepare the Chicken: Slice the chicken breast or thighs in half lengthwise. Sprinkle meat tenderizer over each side of each piece. Allow to rest while you assemble a dredging station.
2. Assemble Dredging Station: Use 3 bowls or gallon sized plastic sealable bags. Bowl 1 has all the flour, salt, cayenne and black pepper. Bowl 2 has eggs and milk stirred together well. Bowl 3 has panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder and paprika mixed together.
3. Coat Chicken: First dip chicken pieces in flour, dip in egg mixture to fully coat each piece, then drop into the breadcrumbs and mix well. All pieces should get the mixture pressed into meat. Allow to rest while prepping the pan.
4. Fry Chicken to Golden Perfection: Use a wide frying pan with sides on medium heat and add oil. Use thermometer to check oil for temperature around 355 to 375 degrees F. Use a long-handled skimmer (see below for recommendation) to gently place chicken in pan of hot oil in single layer with space in between pieces. Cook to internal temperature of 165 degrees, flipping once. Try my recommended digital thermometer for perfectly cooked chicken. Transfer to metal wire rack over a sheet pan and keep warm in the oven set at 195 degrees until ready to serve.
5. Southern “Swicy” Sauce: In a small saucepan combine butter or ghee on low heat. Stir in honey, vinegar, salt and red pepper flakes (if adding heat). Warm gently, stirring until honey is well blended. Do not allow mixture to boil. Once all is well heated, remove from heat and drizzle over chicken just before serving. You can also use a spatula to move sauce to a mixing bowl and toss the chicken to fully is before serving. Use spatula again to scoop and drizzle extra sauce over chicken on the serving plates.
6. Optional Herb Topping: Sprinkle sauced chicken with freshly chopped parsley, tarragon, lemon basil, garlic, or combinations. Put your personal touch on the recipe here with fresh herbs.

Notes

Feel free to customize the spiciness of this recipe and let me know how you make this recipe your own.
I always recommend using a digital thermometer for checking oil temperature and meat temperature. No “bad” surprises, just deliciously crispy chicken. Here’s a link to my favorite digital thermometer through Amazon #ad with no additional costs to you, just a few cents tossed my way for sharing my kitchen staple: