August 14, 2019

Jamaican Fried Chicken

Chicken with a crunchy, Caribbean spiced coating and topped with a lime yogurt sauce. This Jamaican Fried Chicken is deliciously seasoned and can be made in an air fryer or oven.

Library Trips

Going to the library is simultaneously of my favorite and least favorite activities. On the bright side, I love checking out new books, and I love that my kids get to find new books to read.

On the flip side, my kids are terrible in the library. They want to remove all the books and put them back in new places, find people who are trying to quietly read and ask them multiple questions, run as fast as they can up and down the aisles, and keep the bathroom door open while they perform their business.

About once a month I agree to take them, and then check them out 10 or 15 books so that I don’t have to go back for another month. It works well.
I also like the library for checking out cookbooks. I like to flip through them and get inspiration for new recipes.

However, given that I’m constantly trying to manage my children while I’m at the library, I can’t look through the cookbooks there. My move is to grab a few off the shelf, hope that they’re good, and look at them in a few days.

Cookbooks

As I use the cookbooks for inspiration as opposed to following recipes, my move for grabbing any old cookbook works fairly well. While flipping through one of my blindly selected cookbooks, I saw a recipe for Jamaican fried chicken. I had recently purchased an air fryer, and liked the idea of making chicken that I “fried.”

My first try was not so great. I didn’t use enough spices for the coating, and it turned out quite bland. The second time though, I was pleased. I added a yogurt sauce for the top and they whole family liked it!

Jamaican Fried Chicken

This Jamaican Fried Chicken chicken is crispy, and full of delicious flavor while being on the healthy side. I have included directions to make it in an air fryer or in the oven. Here are a few tips for success:

I have noticed that air fryers vary significantly in time and temp needed for recipes. I have a Cuisinart air fryer. If you have a different brand or style of air fryer, you may need to adjust the temp and time.
Do not skip the sauce! The cool, lime flavor is perfect with the warm, spicy chicken.
I have air fried and oven fried this chicken. They both work well, but I prefer the air fryer as it makes the coating crispier and therefore more satisfying.

Jamaican Fried Chicken

Chicken with a crunchy, Caribbean spiced coating and topped with a lime yogurt sauce. This Jamaican Fried Chicken is deliciously seasoned and can be made in an air fryer or oven.

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Course: Dinner

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Servings: servings

Calories: 214

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Ingredients

Chicken

3 large chicken breasts
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup stone ground cornmeal
1 teaspoon ground all spice
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
zest 1 lime
1 large egg
juice 1 lime

Sauce

1/3 cup sour cream
two pinches salt
juice 1/2 lime
zest of 1 lime

Instructions

Chicken

Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally so that each breast is about 1/2 inch in thickness.
In a shallow bowl, whisk together egg and lime juice.
In a second shallow bowl, stir together panko, cornmeal, all spice, turmeric, coriander, ginger, thyme, garlic, cinnamon, paprika, salt, black pepper, and lime zest.
Dip chicken on both sides in egg mixtures, then dredge through breadcrumb mixture on both sides.
Oven Baking Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or a silicone baking pat. Place an oven safe baking rack on top of prepared sheet. Place coated chicken on baking rack. Spray each piece of chicken on both sides with baking spray (I use olive oil spray for this). Bake for 15 minutes, then flip each piece of chicken. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until each breast is no longer pink in the center.
Air Fryer Directions: Place coated chicken on air fryer rack. Spray each piece of chicken on both sides with baking spray (I use olive oil spray for this). Turn air fryer to 370 degrees. Cook for 10 minutes, then flip each piece of chicken. Cook for an additional 7-10 minutes, or until each piece of chicken is no longer pink in the center.