Almond Fried Chicken

I’ll have the almond fried chicken, please… at home… and when I want it.

Note: This recipe has been updated since the TikTok video. Please follow this recipe for the best results.

Almond Fried Chicken

Gravy

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon flour
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1-2 teaspoons Chicken Better Than Bouillon or chicken bouillon
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2-3 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup slivered, chopped, or sliced almonds

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When it is hot, first whisk in flour. Cook for a few minutes while whisking.

Whisk in chicken stock, Better Than Bouillon, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and some salt.

After it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and cook & stir until gravy thickens into a nice, light brown sauce.

Keep warm until ready to use.

Breaded Chicken

• 4 cups avocado, peanut, or vegetable oil (for frying)
• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt plus more for sprinkling
• 10 ounces club soda, chilled
• 3-4 pounds boneless chicken thighs and/or breasts

Preheat oil for frying in a deep fryer to 375°F. If you’d rather, you can heat it in a heavy-duty pan and use a thermometer.

Line a baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels to rest your fried items on after frying so excess oil will drain onto the paper towels.

Pat food dry with paper towels if it is wet. This will allow the tempura to stick to it better.

Place dry ingredients in a medium-large bowl and whisk until well combined. Pour in the club soda. Gently stir together just until combined yet still lumpy. Don’t overmix. Allow tempura mixture to sit while oil finishes heating up.

When frying oil reaches 375°F, coat food with tempura mixture and carefully place in fryer. Do not crowd fryer because if you do, your battered pieces will stick together during cooking or will cool down your oil too much. Oil that has cooled down too much will make for soggy breading rather than a lovely crunchy coating.

Cook for about 3 minutes on each side. Measure the internal temperature of the chicken with a meat thermometer right after you remove them from the oil to be sure the thickest parts are at least 165°F. The coating should be a beautiful light golden brown. Place them on the baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt immediately.

Let the chicken rest for about five minutes on the tray before serving.

Serving

Place chicken on a platter or on plates. Top with gravy, green onions, and almonds.

Tempura is optional. This recipe is just as delicious without the tempura breading. Just cook the chicken and stir it into the sauce.