When I was a kid Long John Silver’s was my favorite place on earth. That’s why I was dying to make this copycat of Long John Silver’s chicken planks. I always got the Fish N’ More meal (with extra crispies… the little pieces of fried batter left floating around in the deep fryer basket). I loved everything in the meal. And I always wanted more!
Malt Vinegar… On Chicken?
The ‘More’ of the meal was a few hush puppies, sides, and oh yes, chicken planks. Fried in the same great crunchy batter as the fish planks, chicken planks were just as addicting as the fish. And oddly (for me as a kid), just as good with malt vinegar sprinkled on them. I would put an amazing amount of malt vinegar on everything in the basket. Or anything I got at Long John Silver’s. Fries, hush puppies, it didn’t matter.
I get out my big deep fryer when it’s time to fry a large batch of food. It comes to temperature quickly and it maintains that temperature perfectly. It has a built-in oil filter and storage unit so I can re-use the oil several times.
I don’t get my deep fryer out that often but when I do, a copycat of at least one thing from Long John Silver’s, such as these chicken planks, is on my menu. Everything is easy to make, takes almost no time at all, and always gives me an excuse to get out the malt vinegar. Like hush puppies. Yes, I put malt vinegar on my hush puppies.
Copycat Long John Silver’s Chicken Planks
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins
- canola oil for frying
For the batter
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ cup water
Instructions
For the batter
- Combine all but the water in a large bowl.
- Whisk in the water until the batter is smooth. If too runny add a bit more flour.
For the chicken
- Heat a few inches of oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 375 F.
- Working in batches, dip chicken pieces into the batter and turn to coat completely.
- Slowly lower the chicken into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 3 minutes per side.
- Remove to a rack to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
