15 Unique Fried Chicken Recipes for Football Season
Updated on March 13, 2023
We know that football isn’t quite as popular all over the world as it is where we come from, but in our family and friends circle, fall time means on very important thing (besides Halloween): football! This is the time of year when all of the kids are getting back into their organized sports, trying out for teams and running back and forth to rehearsals before and after school classes. Besides that, this is also football season for the professional leagues, meaning we can get together and support our favourite teams again! Even more than we love actually watching televised sports, we love getting together with our loved ones and having parties or potlucks to watch them all together. What’s our favourite thing to bring to game parties, you ask? Well, we’ve always actually been known for being the ones to bring delicious, succulent fried chicken for everyone! It might not be everyone’s traditional football snack, but we never attend a party without some kind of fried chicken in tow.
Just in case you love fried chicken as much as we do and also want to get creative with your recipes this fall so you can make the perfect dish for football season, here are 15 awesome and unique fried chicken recipes that will have your friends or guests practically drooling!
1. Chicken strips with homemade lemon pepper sauce
Chicken fingers are always good, even if you’re just making the classic recipe, and if you’re cooking for a large group it’s sometimes safer to make things rather plain so that everyone can enjoy it. In those scenarios, though, the big delicious twist comes in the form of the dipping sauce you make to go with it! That’s why this recipe from Wonky Wonderful caught our attention so well! They show you how to make a mouth watering homemade lemon pepper sauce that people will have trouble not dipping everything on the table into, in addition to the chicken.
2. Chicken sambal BBQ skewers
We’re no strangers to chicken skewers but we find that it’s usually grilled or home style chicken used in those recipes. We know that fried chicken doesn’t taste that much different from other styles, but there’s just something about the flavour that we love more, so imagine our excitement when we actually did find a friend chicken skewer recipe from Eat Drink Laugh! Their recipe also teaches you how to make a delicious sambal BBQ sauce that will take your skewers to the next level taste-wise.
3. Crispy pinkabet from San Juan
If you’ve never had pinkabet then we’re sorry to tell you that you’ve been totally missing out! Pinkabet is a battered and fried chicken dish from San Juan that somewhat resembles the way schnitzel is prepared in Germany and surrounding areas. Appetizing Adventure shows you how to make it with a sweet glaze sauce and sides of sticky rice and a fried egg.
4. Classic chicken parmesan
Are you going to a football party that’s more of a potluck style meal and less of an appetizer spree, meaning you can bring full entrees rather than just finger foods? Then chicken parmesan is an amazing fried chicken option! Sure, it’s kind of classic and not necessarily unconventional, but we’re always surprised how few people we know who have tried chicken parmesan before. Just in case it’s your first time making it, here’s a great recipe from Food Tree that shows you how to include just the right amount of cheese and sauce along with your crispy chicken.
5. Tomato puree fried chicken
Does the aspect of the chicken parmesan we showed you above that involves fried chicken doused in tomato sauce appeal to you like crazy, but you’re not so sure about the cheese portion of the meal? In that case perhaps you’d prefer these tomato sauce doused fried chicken bites instead! Whether you serve them with a side as part of an entrée or just in a bowl with a serving spoon, buffet style, your football party guests will be just as impressed with them either way. Find out how they’re made in more detail on Beauty Health.
6. Mushroom stir fried chicken
Okay, we know that stir fried chicken and fried chicken aren’t quite the same thing, but we actually just attended out first football party of the 2017 fall season and chicken stir fry was one of the meal options presented and it was so good that we just can’t bear to leave the idea off our list! Fun Chinese Cooking shows you how to make an absolutely scrumptious chicken and mushroom stir fry that’s great on its own or served over a bed of rice.
7. Togarashi fried chicken
When you first came up with the idea of serving fried chicken at your next football party, were you picturing classic fried wings, legs, and chicken breasts but you were definitely still looking around for a way of boosting the flavour just a little bit so people really remember how much they liked the food? In that case, we have a feeling you’ll be pretty into this togarashi fried chick recipe from Tasting Table! They show you how to season the chicken with a blend of spices, including chili pepper, dried orange peel, seaweed, and sesame seeds.
8. Korean fried chicken
Do all of your favourite fried chicken recipes come served in delicious sauces, just like they’d come if you went for wing night at your favourite local pub? Then why not bring that flavoured joy to your next football party with a recipe like this one from OC Mom Dining? Sure, you could make a more traditional flavour of chicken wing, like honey garlic, but we think this fried wing version served in a peppery, slightly spicy Korean sauce will stand out on the table a little bit more than things nearly everyone has already tried before.
9. Fried chicken skins
When we were kids, our absolute favourite part of eating fried chicken was eating the crispy batter skins off the outside of the pieces. We knew that it isn’t the healthiest part of the dish for you, but when it’s breaded just right and fried to perfection, it’s just as delicious and satisfying as the chicken itself. In fact, some people like fried chicken skins so much that they make them as a dish on their own! Check out how Dallas Observer made these ones served with a slightly spicy Buffalo sauce.
10. Japanese fried chicken
Did you know that North America isn’t the only place that makes absolutely delicious fried chicken? Well, if you didn’t, Serious Eats is here to tell you all about another kind of fried chicken that’s made in Japan! We’re huge fans of this particular style of fried chicken because it’s lighter and it’s also gluten free thanks to being rolled in potato starch rather than flour like the classic North American recipe. It’s a simple change to make but it makes a big difference because everyone in attendance will be able to enjoy it, not just some people.
11. Southern style fried chicken
Are you actually such a big of fried chicken during fall football season that instead of looking for unique and unconventional recipes, you’ve actually been on the hunt for the most traditional recipe you can possibly find? In that case, this classic homemade fried chicken meal from Dave’s Kitchen is actually right up your alley! Believe it or not, this one’s modeled after the very recipe that Kentucky Fried Chicken was actually based on when the restaurant was first created.
12. Cornbread fried chicken mashed potato cake
We’ve talked about traditional fried chicken recipes and we’ve talked about slightly unconventional recipes, but what if you’re looking for something that’s really novelty and out there? Then we’re not sure you’ll find anything quite so fitting as this mashed potato and fried chicken “cake” featured on She Knows! The body of the cake is actually made of carefully shaped mashed potatoes rather than sponge cake and the décor on top is delicious fried chicken nestled into the potatoes. Instead of icing, make a “drizzle” out of gravy! This is certain to wow all guests of all ages the next time you host a party for the big game.
13. Buttermilk fried chicken
In the interest of presenting you all the options possible, here’s another quite traditional fried chicken recipe for the books! Rather than simply dipping your chicken pieces in flour and tossing them into the fryer, Simply Recipes guides you through the process of making your batter mixture with buttermilk for a little extra taste. It’s possible that not everyone will notice the difference, but us chicken connoisseurs can sure tell this deliciousness apart from other recipes!
14. Orange fried chicken bites
Are you still thinking about how great bite sized fried chicken chunks taste when they’re fried up in a flavourful sauce, but none of the sauces we’ve shown you so far on this list quite appeal to you enough for you to want to take them to an event? In that case, we present to you this deliciously citrus alternative option from Twin Goddesses! These chicken bites are packed full of orange flavour with every bite.
15. Fried chicken tacos
We’ve had plenty of chicken tacos in our time, but almost none of the recipes we’ve tried are made with grilled chicken rather than fried. Imagine how excited we were, then, when we found this recipe from Going My Wayz that does use fried chicken! They also contain rice, veggies, and a signature sauce that’s practically irresistible. Imagine how great these would be for a self-serve taco station at your next game party!
Do you know someone who loves fried chicken just as much as we do, if not more? Share this post with them to show them all kinds of new and exciting ways to enjoy their favourite thing!