Tex-Mex Mixed Crunchy Fry

Submitted by ratherbeswimmin

"Rachael Ray"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 15mins
• Ingredients: 22
• Serves: 4-6

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Cool to room temperature, remove the jalapeno halves, and stir in the scallions and cilantro.
5. Make the Tex-Mex Crunchy Fry: Preheat oven to 250°.
6. Preheat 1 ½ inches vegetable oil in a high-sided large skillet over medium to med-high heat.
7. 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.
8. While the oil is heating, set up for breading right near the stove.
9. Combine the flour, cumin, and chili powder in a large wide bowl.
10. In a second large, wide bowl, mix the buttermilk and lime zest.
11. Season the chicken tenders with salt and pepper; toss them with all of the chopped cilantro.
12. Working in small batches, run the chicken tenders through the flour, shake off excess, and then coat them in the buttermilk.
13. Transfer them back to the flour and coat them thoroughly, then back into the buttermilk.
14. Dip them back into the flour for a third and final coating.
15. Carefully place the first batch in the hot oil.
16. Fry tenders 6-7 minutes, turning when the first side is golden brown.
17. Remove them from the oil to a paper-towel lined plate and immediately sprinkle with a little salt.
18. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
19. Transfer them to a baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the veggies.
20. 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).
21. Repeat the same flour-butter, flour-buttermilk-flour process with the veggie rings.
22. Cook the veggies 4-5 minutes then drain on paper towels.
23. 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.
24. Serve the chicken, onions, and peppers with the lime wedges and dips.

Reviews

[Shelby Jo]

I made this tonight out of my Rachael Ray 2,4,6,8 cookbook. My fiance and I both enjoyed it a lot. The breading held on nicely. Much better than my normal frying attempts. I only made the chipotley mayo dip; not the sweet and spicy one. We both liked it, but I didn't measure the mayo out, and I should have because I think that it was too limey, so I should have added more. Overall it's a wonderful recipe that I will make again for sure!