Fried Chicken Donuts

Ground chicken thigh formed into a real donut ring, triple-dredged for a shattering crust, and fried till deep gold. A hot honey-butter glaze sets up shiny right on top, so it eats like a bakery case donut with a fried chicken heart.

Serves 6 · as served on Bluesky ↗

The fryer was already hot when I read that question, so I figured why not settle it. Ground chicken thigh works like a good donut dough here — pack it with onion and garlic, punch a hole through the middle with your thumb, and you've got a ring that fries up just as golden as any cruller. Double dredge is the trick: seasoned flour, a hot-sauce buttermilk bath, then panko for a shatter-crisp shell that holds up under a glaze. And it gets a real glaze too, honey and butter and a splash more hot sauce, brushed on while the donut's still too hot to touch so it sets up shiny like it came from a case at the bakery. My daughter's softball team ate a whole tray of these at the end-of-season potluck before anybody even sat down. Chives on top for color, but really they're just there so it looks like sprinkles.

Ingredients

Fresh

• ¼ cup yellow onion (minced)
• 3 clove garlic (minced)
• 2 tbsp chives (chopped)

Fridge

• 2 lb ground chicken thigh
• 2 egg (divided)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter

Pantry

• 1½ cup panko breadcrumbs (divided)
• 3 tbsp hot sauce (divided)
• 1½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 6 cup vegetable oil (for frying)
• ½ cup honey

Spice rack

• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp kosher salt (divided)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken thigh, the yellow onion, the garlic, one egg, half the panko breadcrumbs, one teaspoon of the kosher salt, the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper, and mix with your hands just until it comes together.
2. Divide the mixture into twelve balls, flatten each into a three-inch patty, and punch a hole through the center with your thumb so it holds a donut shape; set the rings on a tray and chill to firm up. ⏱ 30 min
3. Set up a dredging line: whisk the all-purpose flour, the cornstarch, the baking powder, and the remaining kosher salt in one bowl; whisk the buttermilk, the remaining egg, and two tablespoons of the hot sauce in a second bowl; and pour the remaining panko breadcrumbs into a third.
4. Press each chilled ring first through the seasoned flour, then the buttermilk mixture, then the panko, patting gently so the coating packs on and the hole stays open.
5. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy pot to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Fry the chicken donuts two or three at a time, turning once, until deep golden and cooked through, then drain on a wire rack. ⏱ 8 min
7. Melt the unsalted butter with the honey and the remaining hot sauce in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until glossy. ⏱ 2 min
8. While the donuts are still hot, dip the tops in the glaze, let it set a couple minutes, then finish with a scatter of chopped chives. ⏱ 2 min

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