Spicy Jalapeno Chicken

 Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs *see notes below
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large jalapenos, cut into 1/4 inch slices

Instructions

• Place the prepared chicken into a bowl with the salt and ground black pepper. Toss to coat well.
• Next, add the cornstarch and toss until all of the chicken is well coated. Set this aside until you are ready to fry the chicken.
• In a separate, smaller bowl, add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, and garlic and whisk well to combine. Set that aside.
• Next, slice the jalapenos into 1/4 inch slices. If you want a milder taste, you can remove the seeds from the slices. If you want a nice kick, leave them in. Set those aside until ready to use.
• Finally, add four inches of vegetable oil to a heavy bottomed pot. Turn on the heat and heat the oil to 315 degrees F.
• Once the oil is hot, using tongs, lower the chicken into into the oil one piece at a time. Don’t overcrowd the pot. I tend to fry them four or five pieces at a time. The chicken fries really quickly; it only needs about 5-6 minutes, turning at the halfway mark.
• Once all of the chicken is fried, increase the heat of the oil to 350 degrees. Carefully place all of the chicken back into the oil. This is what I refer to as the second fry and it will add further crisp to your chicken and it only needs another 3-4 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain well.
• In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add the sauce mixture and bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, add in all of the fried chicken and the sliced jalapenos. Toss the chicken well into the sauce and jalapeno mixture.
• Continue to move the chicken about the skillet until the sauce has thickened and the water content has evaporated.
• Once done, transfer to a plate and garnish.