Hot Cheeto fried chicken recipe is crispy vegan fried chicken that is not too hard to make, but it is best served with a side of bread or cornbread. In addition, hot Cheeto fried chicken is the vegan version of the southern classic.

Comparatively, crispy, crunchy, and fried chicken will leave you craving more. The vegan version has no flour, so this recipe cannot be made in an air fryer like other recipes.

What is the Hot Cheeto fried chicken recipe?

Hot Cheeto fried chicken recipe is a crispy vegan fried chicken with breading. It is served with a side of bread or cornbread, which is excellent for meal prep and entertaining. Hot Cheeto fried chicken is also not hard to make, but it will be best with bread dipping sauce.

Hot Cheetos are made by Frito Lay and come in different flavors. The flavor that will work best in the Hot Cheeto fried chicken recipe is the original flavor because they are the crispiest.

How Long Will It Take To Prepare?

• Prepare time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 25-30 minutes
• Total time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings

How to make Hot Cheeto fried chicken recipe?

Essential Ingredients For Hot Cheeto fried chicken recipe:

• 3 pounds of chicken, a variety of drumsticks, thighs, and bone-in breasts

Dredging Flour Mixture

• 3 cups flour
• Two tablespoons cayenne
• Two tablespoons paprika
• Two tablespoons of garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp old bay
• 1/2 tsp onion powder

Dredging liquid

• 3 cups buttermilk
• 2-3 eggs
• 2 cups grind hot Cheetos
• 6-8 cups peanut or canola oil for frying

Directions for Hot Cheeto fried chicken recipe:

Step 1

In the first place, Cut chicken into pieces. Make sure to cut drumsticks from the shaft and separate breasts from the bone. Cut breasts into two parts if they are a more significant cut.

Step 2

Dredging Flour Mixture

Additionally, place all flour into a large bowl. Add cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, and Old Bay seasoning. Mix well with your hands to form a crumbly mixture.

Step 3

Dredging liquid

In addition, whisk together buttermilk and eggs in another bowl. Grind hot Cheetos in a food processor (or crush by hand) until fine.

Step 4

Similarly, dip chicken pieces into the buttermilk mixture first, then into the flour mixture, then back into the buttermilk mixture, and finally back into the Grind hot Cheetos mixture.

Step 5

Coat each piece of coated chicken with Grind hot Cheetos mixture and shake off the excess.

Step 6

Frying

Then heat oil over medium heat. Place chicken in batches into the hot oil and hot Cheetos. Cook for about 10-15 minutes per batch. Flip each piece of chicken at least once to ensure that both sides are fully cooked and golden brown.

Step 7

Remove from pan and drain on a plate with paper towels. Serve with bread or cornbread and your favorite dipping sauce! Hot Cheeto fried chicken recipe is not only made in a frying pan but is also made in an air fryer.

Additional Tips:

1. For a more white and crispy chicken, use a dryer flour mixture and coat the chicken with flour before dipping it into the buttermilk.
2. If you are making this recipe for meal prep, try not to cook your chicken over because it will become too dry in the oven.
3. You can substitute the hot sauce in this Hot Cheeto fried chicken recipe with barbecue sauce or ranch dressing to make it more authentic.
4. If you don’t have hot Cheetos, you can dry roast your corn tortillas by placing them in a dry skillet. Heat over medium heat until they are lightly browned and cool. Break each piece of corn tortilla in half and make the crumbly flour mixture with cayenne pepper flakes, paprika, garlic powder, and ground old bay seasoning. Then dip the fried corn tortilla pieces into the batter mixture. The more you cut them up, the crispier they will get!
5. If you don’t want to use a dredging flour mixture, you can use a typical flour mixture and dip the cut chicken pieces into the batter mixture and then dredge them in the Grind hot Cheetos mixture.
6. If you do not like hot Cheeto fried chicken as much as other crispy chicken recipes, you could substitute the hot Cheetos with ranch or barbecue seasoning sprinkles on top of your chicken before placing it in the frying pan.

Precautions For Hot Cheeto fried chicken recipe:

1. Make sure to use a dryer flour mixture and coat the chicken with flour before dipping it into the buttermilk batter.
2. Make sure to defrost your chicken for this recipe overnight in the refrigerator.
3. For an extra crispy chicken, make sure to heat your oil over medium-high heat and cook each piece of chicken for about 10-15 minutes per batch using a thermometer to check the temperature of your frying oil. Use tongs to flip each piece of chicken frequently until it is fully cooked and golden brown.
4. If you are making this recipe for meal prep, do not overcook the chicken in the oven because it will dry out your chicken.
5. Make sure to serve hot with bread or cornbread and a dipping sauce! And whatever you do, do not hesitate to use that salt and pepper.
6. This Hot Cheeto fried chicken recipe can also be made using an air fryer. Place the chicken in the basket with a cup of hot Cheetos and close the lid. Shake and turn the basket every 10 minutes to get an even coating. Cook until your chicken is golden brown and crispy.

Nutrition Facts of Hot Cheeto fried chicken recipe:

7 healthy benefits of Hot Cheeto fried chicken recipe-

1. Heart health:

Cheetos are a great source of dietary fiber, which helps lower cholesterol. The high potassium content also helps maintain healthy blood pressure and heart health.

2. Prevent diabetes:

The high fiber content of this recipe also helps prevent type 2 diabetes by regulating insulin levels in your body.

3. Weight loss:

The high-fat content of this recipe helps curb cravings, so you can lose weight instead of gaining it.

4. Weight maintenance:

This recipe’s grams of dietary fiber and overall healthy fats help maintain your muscle mass and prevent weight gain.

5. Eye health:

A serving of Cheetos contains no more than 5g of trans fats (the wrong kind). This increases eye health by reducing risk of cataracts, macular degeneration, and glaucoma.

6. Low cancer risk:

Cheetos contain less than 1g of naturally occurring trans fats and are rich in minerals such as zinc and iron. These help fight chronic diseases like cancer.

7. Healthy teeth:

Cheetos contain no more than 5g of trans fats, making them an excellent snack for maintaining healthy teeth and gums.

Conclusion

Hot Cheetos are the secret to this amazing chicken recipe, and you will not be disappointed with how it turns out.

It is important to note that this recipe yields a large amount of food so you can use it for multiple meals during the week. To make it healthier, consider using boneless chicken breast and pairing it with a salad or vegetables.

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