Spicy Garlic Buttermilk Battered Fried Chicken Strips

Tasty mixture of spice and garlic create a crispy chicken coating that will be the hit any time it is served.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 8 strips

Ingredients

• 2  lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2  cups buttermilk
• 1  teaspoon  red pepper sauce
• 2  garlic cloves, mashed
• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1  tablespoon dried oregano
• 1  tablespoon garlic powder
• 1  teaspoon paprika
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2  cups  vegetable oil

Directions

1. In a deep bowl mix together buttermilk, pepper sauce, and mashed garlic.
2. Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise so that they are in strips roughly 1 inch wide and 4-7 inches long.
3. Add chicken to buttermilk, pepper, garlic mix and stir so that chicken is well coated. Cover the bowl and marinate in the refrigerator several hours or overnight.
4. Remove chicken from refrigerator about 1/2 hour before cooking.
5. In a shallow dish mix together the all purpose flour, oregano, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, salt, and ground pepper. Exact amounts of spices can be adjusted to personal tastes.
6. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture one piece at a time shake off excess liquid and then toss into flour mixture to coat. Place each piece on a clean dry baking pan. When all pieces are coated, dip each piece, one at a time again, into buttermilk and toss again in flour mixture, remove and set in back into baking pan.
7. Pour about 1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil (canola, corn, peanut, etc.) into a heavy skillet or use a deep fryer filled with oil (as per fryer specifications), and heat oil to 360 degrees.
8. Carefully drop pieces of chicken a few at a time into hot oil and cook about 3-4 minutes until pieces are golden brown. Do not add too many pieces at one time or the oil temperature will drop too low.
9. Remove chicken from hot oil and place on clean paper towels to drain. These serve immediately or allow to cool to room temperature.
10. For extra spicy chicken increase amount of cayenne pepper in flour mixture.