Oh. My. Goodness. Spicy honey fried chicken made using the Vortex is off-the-charts fantastic. Crispy crunchy skin. Juicy, moist, tender chicken. You’ll find it hard to believe that this chicken wasn’t deep-fried. Nope, it was made on a charcoal grill, took less than an hour to make, and with no fuss or mess at all. And the drizzle? It’s a wonderful spicy honey mixture, that brings the heat and the sweet in each and every bite. You can make it sorta hot and spicy, super hot and spicy, or even leave out the kick entirely!
You can adjust just how much kick your spicy honey fried chicken using the Vortex has by using a different pepper, and using more or less than the recipe calls for. I used a whole serrano pepper, which is pretty spicy. A jalapeno would be about right for most folks without having to worry about scaring them off, and of course you don’t have to use the entire pepper. A habanero will wake up just about anyone. If you want to go the non-spicy route, just drizzle it with honey without the spicy pepper.
Also try my buttery garlic fried chicken using the Vortex. And my Amish fried chicken is fantastic too!
Spicy Honey Fried Chicken using the Vortex
Equipment
Ingredients
For the crispy chicken
- 4-6 large chicken pieces, I prefer bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- ¾ cup buttermilk you might need a bit more
- 1 large egg beaten lightly
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- hot sauce to taste
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
For the honey jalapeno drizzle
- 1 cup honey
- 1 large jalapeno sliced
Instructions
- Combine the buttermilk, egg, Cajun seasoning and hot sauce in a re-sealable container. Add the chicken. If the chicken isn't completely covered in marinade, add more buttermilk. Refrigerate for 1 hour to overnight.
- Fire up your grill with the Vortex BBQ insert. Fill it completely with charcoal and let the coals get ashed over and hot.
- Combine the flour, Cajun seasoning, cornstarch and baking powder in a pie plate, bowl, or large baggie.
- Grab each piece of chicken and shake off the excess marinade.
- Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture. Coat well then shake off any excess.
- Transfer the chicken to the Vortex. Close the lid and cook for 40 minutes. Rotate the lid every 15 minutes. The chicken should be near 165 F.
- Meanwhile, prepare the honey jalapeno drizzle by heating the honey in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the jalapeno slices. Once the honey starts to bubble remove from heat and let cool while the chicken cooks.
- Lightly brush the chicken with the vegetable oil and cook another 5 minutes or until at 165 F.
- Remove the chicken from the grill and transfer to a platter. Drizzle with the jalapeno honey mixture and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
