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Two pieces of cornmeal-crusted fried chicken with white barbecue sauce and a knife on a metal sheet.
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5 / 2 votes

Cornmeal-Crusted Fried Chicken with White Barbecue Sauce

This cornmeal-crusted fried chicken with white barbecue sauce has a crispy exterior thanks to its breading and tender, juicy meat, which pairs beautifully with a creamy, tangy mayonnaise-based white barbecue sauce.
Prep Time1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time23 hours 40 minutes
Total Time1 day 1 hour
Course: Mains
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 1321

Equipment

  • Deep-fry or candy or instant-read thermometer

Ingredients

For the white barbecue sauce

  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • 3/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the cornmeal-crusted fried chicken

  • One (4-pound) whole bone-in, skin-on chicken, backbone removed, cut into 8 pieces*
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
  • Canola oil, grapeseed oil, or another mild refined vegetable oil, for frying
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the white barbecue sauce

  • In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, pepper, brown sugar, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. Pour 1 1/2 cups sauce into a large resealable plastic bag. Cover and refrigerate the remaining sauce for serving.

Marinate the chicken in the white barbecue sauce

  • Place the chicken pieces in the bag with the remaining white barbecue sauce. Seal the bag, massage the chicken with your hands through the plastic to squish the sauce so it completely coats the chicken, and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Set up for skillet for frying

  • When you’re ready to make fried chicken, in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, whisk together 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs. Grab a second 9-by-13-inch baking dish, dump in the cornmeal and the remaining 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and whisk to combine. Set these up in assembly-line fashion alongside your stove.
  • Pour enough oil into a large, heavy, preferably cast-iron skillet to reach a depth of 1 1/4 inches. Place the skillet over medium heat until the oil registers 340°F (170°C) on a deep-fry or candy or instant-read thermometer
  • Place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and place it on the opposite side of the skillet. Heat the oven to 250°F (120°C).

Coat the chicken

  • Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, remove half the chicken from the marinade, returning the bag to the refrigerator. Dredge the chicken first in the flour mixture (the one without any cornmeal) and shake off any excess. Then dip the chicken in the egg mixture and wait while any excess goop drips off. Then dredge the chicken in the cornmeal mixture and shake off any excess. As you dip the chicken in each mixture, be careful to thoroughly coat all surfaces.

Fry the chicken

  • Carefully place the dipped chicken in the hot oil, skin side down. Fry the chicken, turning it every 5 minutes and doing your best to keep the oil temperature hovering close to 300°F (150°C), until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear, 25 to 27 minutes.
  • Using tongs, transfer the fried chicken to the wire rack to drain. Bring the oil in the skillet back to 340°F (170°C). Repeat the coating, frying, and draining steps with the remaining chicken, discarding the marinade.
  • Pile the fried chicken on a platter or a baking sheet lined with waxed or parchment paper while steaming hot with the white barbecue sauce on the side.

Notes

Cornmeal-Crusted Fried Chicken With White Barbecue Sauce Variation

Cornmeal Crusted Fried Chicken Recipe For Two
If you want to make a rather romantic supper of fried chicken for two, it’s simple. Just ask your butcher to cut the chicken in half rather than into pieces as fried chicken maven Rebecca Lang did for the photo above. It’s not only stunning, it’s savvy, seeing as this nicely guarantees you an ample portion of fried chicken—and equal parts white and dark meat. (You may wish to casually mention to your butcher that he can trim out the backbone, which he should really already know, but just use this as an excuse to ask him to wrap that up separately for you to toss in the freezer and pull out again next time you make chicken stock.)

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 1321kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 86g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 27g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 238mg | Sodium: 1452mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g