In the Kitchen With April: Turkish Style Yogurt Marinated Chicken Fried Southern Style

Well everyone loved my Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs so much, that I decided to put a Southern spin on the recipe. I marinated the chicken as you would for the Oven Roasted Chicken in the Turkish style yogurt and spice marinade. I then removed the chicken thighs from the fridge, coated them in seasoned flour and FRIED them! The thighs were so moist and the crust was just a little tangy and spicy from the marinade. If you try this recipe, you may never buy take home chicken again!

Turkish Style Yogurt Marinated Fried Chicken

Ingredients

1 Cup Yogurt
3-4 Cloves Garlic, crushed into a paste
1 Tablespoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1 3/4 Teaspoons Paprika
2 Teaspoons Dried Mint
Juice of 1 Large Lemon
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
6-8 Chicken Thighs
For Frying :
1 Cup Flour
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1/8 Teaspoon Black Pepper
48 ounces Cooking Oil (More or Less Depending on the pan you use)

Cooking Directions

Mix all the ingredients except the chicken in a mixing bowl. Whisk well.
Pour a little of the mixture in the bottom of a large plastic container.
Add a few of the chicken thighs and add more of the marinade.
Add the rest of the chicken and marinade and rub the marinade into the chicken to make sure it is covered well.
Put the lid on the container and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour but over night or 24 hours is best.
Remove the chicken from the fridge.
Use CAUTION when cooking with hot oil. NEVER LEAVE HOT OIL UNATTENDED WHILE COOKING.
Make sure you have enough oil in your fryer and turn the temperature to 375 degrees. If you are using a frying pan or other pan, fill a little over half way (but not more) with cooking oil and use a thermometer to maintain the temperature at 375 degrees.
Put the flour, salt, paprika and black pepper in a shallow dish.
One at a time, take the chicken from the marinade and lay in the flour mixture. Coat all sides evenly. Place on a plate until ready to fry.
When the oil is heated, place the chicken in the fryer and fry until golden about 8-10 minutes. My fryer would only hold two pieces of chicken at a time. If you use a frying pan you can probably do more. Also you can keep the chicken warm if you are cooking in batches by placing in the oven that has been heated to 200 degrees.
Once the chicken is cooked. Drain it on paper towels to remove excess oil.
Enjoy! Afiyet olsun!