Marinated Fried Chicken Thighs

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 servings

Description

A spicy marinade of yogurt, garlic, ginger, and citrus adds delicious flavor to fried chicken thighs.

Ingredients

4 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 medium lemon, juiced
2 cloves garlic, or more to taste, minced
1 (1/2 inch) piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 cups peanut oil, or as needed

Directions

1 Use a sharp knife to slice a criss-cross pattern (#) into the top of each chicken thigh. Place chicken, hatched-sides up, into a large glass or ceramic bowl.
2 Add yogurt, marmalade, pepper flakes, paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper, lemon juice, garlic, and ginger to the chicken. Mix with a spatula until all ingredients are well mixed and chicken is completely covered in the marinade. The paprika will give the marinade a light red color; don't be alarmed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 4 hours.
3 Remove chicken from the marinade and let sit for 1 hour before frying.
4 When ready to fry, heat 1 inch oil in a large frying pan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
5 Shake excess marinade off chicken; don't shake off too much though! Discard the remaining marinade. Add chicken to the hot oil with the hatched-sides down. Fry until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 4 to 5 minutes per side. A little black is good, it adds tons of flavor. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
6 Remove from the oil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.