Southern Fried Barbecue Chicken

Southern Fried Barbecue Chicken is a recipe that gives an old favorite a new twist.

Yield: 4 to 5 servings

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons garlic salt
• 3 tablespoons black pepper
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon mesquite seasoning
• 2 to 3 cups oil for frying, or as needed
• 1 (4 pound) chicken, cut into pieces
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 cup (8 ounces) favorite barbecue sauce
• 1 (22 ounce) can BUSH'S® Bourbon and Brown Sugar Grillin'Beans™ for accompaniment

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, milk, 2 tablespoons of garlic salt and 2 tablespoons of pepper until smooth.
2. In a large flat pan stir together the flour, remaining tablespoons of garlic salt, pepper, onion powder and mesquite seasoning.
3. Fill a large heavy skillet or wok halfway full with oil and heat over medium-high heat to 365 degrees F on the barbecue grill or side burner. Use tongs to dip each chicken piece into the egg mixture, then into the flour mixture, back into the egg mixture and back into the flour mixture again. Set on a platter until all pieces are coated. Cook the chicken in batches; do not overcrowd the skillet. Brown on each side.
4. Coat a large baking dish generously with nonstick cooking spray then arrange the fried chicken pieces in the pan. Pour the barbecue sauce over the chicken.
5. Bake in the oven at 365 degrees F (185 degrees C) for 10 to 15 minutes in the barbecue sauce, until the sauce has bubbled and caramelized and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken breast has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (75 degrees C).

Notes

Recipe and photograph used with permission from: Bush's® Beans through ECES, Inc., Electronic Color Editorial Services
Developed by PBS "Barbecue America," host Rick Browne.