Spicy Oven-Fried Chicken with Cheese Grits and Chorizo Reduction

Name: Spicy Oven-Fried Chicken with Cheese Grits and Chorizo Reduction
Total time: 290
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 cup buttermilk; ¼ cup Mexican-style hot sauce (such as Cholula®); 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips; cooking spray; 1 cup bread crumbs; ½ cup all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; ½ teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon dried oregano; ½ teaspoon thyme leaves; ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder; 2 ½ cups milk; 2 ½ cups water; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 cup grits; ½ (8 ounce) package shredded Mexican cheese blend; 4 tablespoons butter; 1 pound ground chorizo; 1 sweet onion, diced; 1 red bell pepper, diced; 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 cup cherry tomatoes; 1 cup vegetable broth; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 tablespoon Mexican-style hot sauce (such as Cholula®)

Recipe by My Hot Southern Mess from allrecipes.com

Dinner 5 Hr. 50 Mins.

Ingredients

8 servings

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1 cup buttermilk
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¼ cup Mexican-style hot sauce (such as Cholula®)
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1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
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cooking spray
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1 cup bread crumbs
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½ cup all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon paprika
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1 teaspoon salt
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½ teaspoon garlic powder
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½ teaspoon ground black pepper
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½ teaspoon onion powder
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½ teaspoon dried oregano
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½ teaspoon thyme leaves
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½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
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2 ½ cups milk
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2 ½ cups water

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1 teaspoon salt
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½ teaspoon ground black pepper
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1 cup grits
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½ (8 ounce) package shredded Mexican cheese blend
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4 tablespoons butter
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1 pound ground chorizo
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1 sweet onion, diced
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1 red bell pepper, diced
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1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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1 cup cherry tomatoes
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1 cup vegetable broth
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1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
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1 tablespoon Mexican-style hot sauce (such as Cholula®)
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½ cup heavy cream
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1 teaspoon crumbled Cotija cheese, or to taste

Instructions

Pour buttermilk and hot sauce into a large bowl or zip-top bag; mix well. Add chicken and marinate for 4 hours to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.
Combine bread crumbs, flour, paprika, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, oregano, thyme, and chili powder in a bowl. Remove chicken from marinade and dredge in crumb mixture. Place coated chicken onto the prepared wire rack.
Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the centers and juices run clear, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, add milk, water, salt, and pepper to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and add grits. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent clumping. Remove from heat and add Mexican cheese and butter; stir until well incorporated and creamy.
While chicken and grits are cooking, cook chorizo, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno in a large skillet over medium-high heat until meat is browned and vegetables are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain grease from the skillet. Stir in garlic and continue to cook over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir cherry tomatoes, vegetable broth, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce into the skillet, reduce heat to low, and let simmer until reduced, stirring as needed, about 15 minutes. Add heavy cream; let simmer and continue to reduce until sauce coats a spoon, about 5 minutes more.
Place grits into a bowl, top with chorizo reduction sauce, and top with spicy fried chicken. Garnish with Cotija cheese.