Popeyes Bonafide Mild Chicken (Copycat)

Submitted by The Spice Guru

"My revised, reverse-engineered recipe for Popeyes' 'Bonafide' Mild Fried Chicken. PLEASE NOTE: The Nutritional Information listing here is inaccurate -- since only a fraction of flour, eggs and salt actually end up in the finished product. So be aware -- the suggested sodium, sugar, carbohydrate and calorie levels are ridiculously exaggerated!"

 

• Ready In: 13hrs 10mins
• Ingredients: 22
• Serves: 4-6

ingredients

• CHICKEN

• 8 pieces fresh frying chicken
• 2 tablespoons louisiana hot sauce (Louisiana brand)

• SEASONING

• 2 teaspoons fine salt
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon dry buttermilk (SACO)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon Accent seasoning
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1⁄2 teaspoon superfine sugar
• 3⁄8 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground dill seed (not dill weed)
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• BATTER

• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon fine sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon Accent seasoning

• DREDGING

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• DEEP-FRYING FAT

• beef tallow shortening

directions

1. RINSE chicken pieces and blot; PLACE chicken into a 9 x 13 baking dish; COAT chicken well with 2 tablespoons original Louisiana Hot Sauce, rubbing sauce well into skin of chicken.
2. MEASURE the all of the SEASONING ingredients into a resealable plastic container; SEAL container and shake well to blend; FUNNEL mixture into an empty, clean salt shaker; SPRINKLE the SEASONING evenly and generously on every side of marinated chicken; RUB mixture well into chicken; ALLOW chicken to marinate in seasoning for at least 2 hours, refrigerated and sealed.
3. BEAT 6 large eggs in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon white pepper, 1 teaspoon fine salt, 1 teaspoon fine sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon Accent seasoning; WHISK mixture in bowl vigorously until smooth.
4. ADD 3 cups all-purpose flour into a medium bowl for the DREDGING.
5. PLACE a cooling rack over a baking sheet and set aside.
6. REMOVE chicken from the marinating dish using tongs; (1) DIP chicken into the BATTER until evenly coated; (2) COAT the chicken well in the DREDGING flour; PLACE chicken onto the rack over baking sheet.
7. REPEAT steps with remaining chicken pieces until all are battered and breaded (NOTE: IF THE FLOUR DREDGING BECOMES CLUMPY, SIFT IT THROUGH A SIEVE TO REMOVE CLUMPS BEFORE CONTINUING); ALLOW breaded chicken to rest at least 15 minutes to absorb the breading.
8. ADD the manufacturer's recommended amount of deep-frying fat for deep-frying (100% beef tallow shortening or 70% Crisco Shortening with 30% Crisco Butter-Flavor Shortening); PLACE deep-fryer basket into place in deep-fryer; PREHEAT fryer to 315°F (or preheat enough fat to immerse chicken completely in deep heavy stovetop pot between 315°F, using a standard deep-fryer thermometer to gauge).
9. CAREFULLY lower each piece breaded chicken one at a time, into the deep-fryer basket without crowding (if a standard size home fryer is used, add no more than 2-3 pieces at a time); (if stovetop frying, gently place breaded chicken pieces into hot oil using tongs, turning once halfway through frying duration); FRY for 10 minutes; RAISE frying temperature to 375°F ; CONTINUE frying at the higher temperature for 5 minutes (return frying oil temperature to 315°F for each new batch).
10. BLOT chicken lightly to drain; TRANSFER rack over a baking sheet and keep chicken warmed in a preheated 170°F oven until serving; SERVE and enjoy!