Spicy Curry Fried Chicken with Mango Sour

Our Spicy Curry Fried Chicken recipe with mango sour will ignite your senses. Seasoned in a dry version of a Caribbean green seasoning, dredged in buttermilk, and fried to golden perfection – it's better than anything you'll find at the bottom of a bucket.

Fried chicken is the ultimate comfort food and one of our favorite chicken recipes - look no further than our Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Tenders or our Copycat KFC Fried Chicken. Skinless chicken thighs covered in batter, dredged in flour, and deep-fried, what’s not to love? Crispy on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside, and packed with intense flavors, our curry fried chicken is a West Indian twist on the classic. 

Brined in a dry version of a Caribbean green seasoning, using curry powder, garam masala, geera (toasted cumin), and other spices, it’s then dredged in a buttermilk batter, coated in a chunky flour mixture and fried. Each bite reveals a crunchy outer layer with deep, earthy flavor from the curry powder, and a juicy center packed with punch. Consider it similar to kid-friendly chicken tenders, that are adult-approved too!

And while we could stop here at a crispy fried chicken recipe, our version takes it up a few notches and is served with mango sour – a sweet and tangy pepper sauce traditionally used in Guyanese cooking. It's like a mango version of a plum sauce and perfect for dipping or drizzling overtop our curry fried chicken for a bright, bold, and spicy bite. Serve by itself or alongside our Creamy Sweet Coleslaw, House Salad, or Oven Baked French Fries.

If you love Indian flavors you’ll also love our Dairy Free Butter Chicken, Spicy Curry Beef Pot Pie with Potatoes, Curried Pork Patty Pies, or our Curry Chicken Pot Pie Recipe – wow, that’s a lot of pie. 

Ingredient List

Spice Mix

• Onion powder: Along with garlic salt are mimicking the flavor of green seasoning commonly found in West Indian cooking.
• Garlic salt: If you only have garlic powder, add additional salt to the recipe.
• Salt: Kosher or sea salt, flaky salt for finishing if available.
• Thyme: Dried thyme is preferred, but fresh is acceptable.
• Curry powder: Caribbean or West Indian style, if available.  Chief Hot and Spicy Duck/Goat Curry Powder is our go-to. Otherwise, use whatever curry powder is available to you.
• Garam masala: Available in most grocery store spice aisles. It’s a fragrant spice used in Indian cooking.
• Geera (roasted cumin powder): Geera will be available in most Caribbean or West Indian Stores. Alternatively, you can toast cumin seed and grind it, or just use ground cumin.

Fried Chicken

• Chicken thighs: The best quality available to you, boneless and skinless.
• Buttermilk: Can be substituted with regular milk with a splash of vinegar.
• Egg: As fresh as possible
• All-purpose flour: Preferred, but we’ve made fried chicken with whole wheat, bread, and pastry with similar results.
• Frying oil: We use peanut oil for frying, however, use any neutral oil with a high smoking point.

Mango Sour (Optional - Ingredients not pictured):

• Mango: Find a mango that is green and firm, it will provide the sourness to the sauce.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic for flavor:
• Hot pepper: Wiri pepper is preferred, but Scotch bonnet or chili will also work.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Recipe Steps: How to Make Curry Fried Chicken

1. Make the spice mixture.

Combine onion powder, curry powder, garam masala, garlic salt, salt, thyme, and geera in a small bowl.

2. Dry brine the chicken.

Sprinkle a tablespoon and a half of the spice mixture over the chicken and massage until it is evenly coated. Set aside for 30 minutes.

(Optional) Make the Mango Sour: boil mango, garlic, pepper, and water in a pot for 30 minutes. Blend and season. Cool before serving.

3. Make the wet dredge.

In a small bowl, whisk buttermilk and egg. Pour over the chicken and gently mix it to get all the chicken completely coated in the buttermilk.

4. Heat the oil.

Heat to 350°F in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat.

5. Make the dry dredge.

In a large shallow bowl, combine the remaining spice mixture and flour.

6. Dredge the chicken.

Working one at a time, coat the chicken in the flour mixture. Transfer to a wire rack until frying.

7. Fry the chicken.

Fry 2-3 pieces of chicken for 5-6 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until golden brown and cooked through.

8. Season and drain.

Transfer to a wire rack to allow excess oil to drain, and season with salt. 

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Recipe Card

Spicy Curry Fried Chicken with Mango Sour

5 from 1 vote

Philip Lago and Mystique Mattai

This Curry Fried Chicken recipe with mango sour is loaded with intense flavor. Brined spicy curry seasoning, dredged in buttermilk, and fried to golden perfection – it's better than anything you'd find at the bottom of a bucket.

Servings: 6 servings

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Inactive Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 tablespoon onion powder
• ▢ 2 tablespoon curry powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon garam masala
• ▢ 1 tablespoon garlic salt
• ▢ 2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 teaspoon thyme
• ▢ 2 teaspoon geera (roasted cumin seed) or ground cumin
• ▢ 12 chicken thighs boneless and skinless
• ▢ 1 cup buttermilk
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 6 cups frying oil

Instructions

 

• Combine onion powder, curry powder, garm masalad, garlic salt, salt, thyme, and geera in a small bowl.
• Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 ½ tablespoons of the spice mixture. Massage the spices into the chicken and set aside to brine for 30 minutes to 1 hour to let the chicken absorb the spices and come to room temperature.
• In a small bowl, whisk buttermilk and egg. Pour over the chicken and toss to ensure the all the chicken is completely coated in the buttermilk.
• Heat to 350°F in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat.
• In a large shallow bowl, combine remaining spice mixture and flour.
• Working one at a time, use tongs to transfer a chicken thigh to the spiced flour and press it down firmly to get a good coating. Flip and press down again to coat, then transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining chicken.
• Carefully lay 2-3 pieces of chicken into the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes, then flip and fry another 2-3 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. (A thermometer inserted in the center of the chicken should read at least 160°F) Transfer to wire rack to allow excess oil to drain, and season with salt.
• Serve with a side of our Mango Sour and creamy coleslaw.

Recipe Notes

Scroll up for a visual walk through of the recipe.

Spice substitutions: If you can't find West Indian curry, then use what is available to you. Geera, can be easily substituted with ground cumin. Garlic salt can be substituted with 3 parts salt to 1 part garlic powder.

Oil: We prefer peanut oil for deep frying, however, use any neutral oil with high smoke point.

Keeping Fried Chicken Warm: While frying the chicken in batches, keep cooked chicken warm on a wire rack over a baking sheet in the oven, heated at 275°F.

Storage: Keep leftover chicken in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F until hot, with chicken placed on a wire rack over a baking sheet. 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 2649kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 259g | Saturated Fat: 44g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 133g | Monounsaturated Fat: 66g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 253mg | Sodium: 2170mg | Potassium: 648mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 342IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 5mg

Additional Information

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Caribbean Inspired, Fusion Food, West Indian Inspired

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 2649

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