POPEYES BONAFIDE SPICY CHICKEN (COPYCAT)

Popeyes Bonafide Spicy Chicken (Copycat) image

My revised, reverse-engineered recipe for Popeyes' 'Bonafide' Spicy Fried Chicken. PLEASE NOTE: The Nutritional Information listing here is inaccurate -- since only a fraction of flour, eggs and salt actually end up in the finished product. So be aware -- the suggested sodium, sugar, carbohydrate and calorie levels are ridiculously exaggerated!

Provided by The Spice Guru

Categories Poultry

Time 13h10m

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 22

Ingredients

8 pieces fresh frying chicken
1 (6 ounce) bottle louisiana hot sauce (Louisiana brand)
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dry buttermilk (SACO)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon Accent seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground dill seed (not dill weed)
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried chipotle powder
6 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon white pepper
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon fine sugar
1/2 teaspoon Accent seasoning
3 cups all-purpose flour
beef tallow shortening

Steps:

RINSE chicken pieces and blot; PLACE chicken into a 9 x 13 baking dish; COAT chicken well with contents of one 6-ounce bottle original Louisiana Hot Sauce, rubbing sauce well into skin of chicken.
MEASURE the all of the SEASONING ingredients into a resealable plastic container; SEAL container and shake well to blend; FUNNEL mixture into an empty, clean salt shaker; SPRINKLE the SEASONING evenly and generously on every side of marinated chicken; RUB mixture well into chicken; ALLOW chicken to marinate in seasoning for at least 2 hours, refrigerated and sealed.
BEAT 6 large eggs in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon white pepper, 1 teaspoon fine salt, 1 teaspoon fine sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon Accent seasoning; WHISK mixture in bowl vigorously until smooth.
ADD 3 cups all-purpose flour into a medium bowl for the DREDGING.
PLACE a cooling rack over a baking sheet and set aside.
REMOVE chicken from the marinating dish using tong; (1) DIP chicken into the BATTER until evenly coated; (2) COAT the chicken well in the DREDGING flour; PLACE chicken onto the rack over baking sheet.
REPEAT steps with remaining chicken pieces until all are battered and breaded (NOTE: IF THE FLOUR DREDGING BECOMES CLUMPY, SIFT IT THROUGH A SIEVE TO REMOVE CLUMPS BEFORE CONTINUING); ALLOW breaded chicken to rest at least 15 minutes to absorb the breading.
ADD the manufacturer's recommended amount of deep-frying fat for deep-frying (100% beef tallow shortening or 70% Crisco Shortening with 30% Crisco Butter-Flavor Shortening); PLACE deep-fryer basket into place in deep-fryer; PREHEAT fryer to 315°F (or preheat enough fat to immerse chicken completely in deep heavy stovetop pot between 315°F, using a standard deep-fryer thermometer to gauge).
CAREFULLY lower each piece breaded chicken one at a time, into the deep-fryer basket without crowding (if a standard size home fryer is used, add no more than 2-3 pieces at a time); (if stovetop frying, gently place breaded chicken pieces into hot oil using tongs, turning once halfway through frying duration); FRY for 10 minutes; RAISE frying temperature to 375°F ; CONTINUE frying at the higher temperature for 5 minutes (return frying oil temperature to 315°F for each new batch).
BLOT chicken lightly to drain; TRANSFER rack over a baking sheet and keep chicken warmed in a preheated 170°F oven until serving; SERVE and enjoy!