Chicken On A Stick is a San Antonio fiesta staple made with brined chicken that’s breaded and fried to perfection, then topped with a pickled jalapeño. Skip the insane lines and the frozen chicken patties and make this flavorful version at home for a fraction of the cost. This recipe is perfect for hosting your Fiesta at home or serving as a fun alternative to the classic fried chicken.
What Is Chicken On A Stick?
Chicken on a stick is a traditional food served at Fiesta during a Night In Old San Antonio, or NIOSA. Thirty to forty thousand chickens on a stick are sold every year during Fiesta San Antonio. J.J. Gonzalez, or Mr. Chicken as he’s known in San Antonio, developed Fiesta’s chicken on a stick. He admits he doesn’t know how it became so popular since “It’s just a piece of breaded chicken and a big jalapeno on a wooden skewer.”
Despite the recipe’s simplicity, people will stand in crazy-long lines for it. I’m one of the few San Antonio residents who prefer to make my chicken on a stick at home. Why? Because I can’t see myself paying exorbitant amounts for a frozen chicken patty, no matter who hypes it up. I also prefer thighs for my chicken on a stick since they’re juicier.
What Is Fiesta?
Fiesta is a 133-year-old tradition in San Antonio, Texas. It began with a single parade honoring fighters of the battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto. Fiesta San Antonio continues as a celebration of the city’s vibrant, multicultural identity. San Antonians benefit from Fiesta’s hundreds of millions of dollars of annual revenue.
There’s nothing better than a party that gives back.
What Ingredients Do I Need To Make Chicken On A Stick?
To make chicken on a stick, you need boneless, skinless chicken (I prefer thighs), all-purpose flour, Tajín, adobo, eggs, panko breadcrumbs, and pickled jalapeños. The final ingredient in this recipe is an oil with a high smoke point, like vegetable, peanut, or lard, for frying the chicken.
You also need wooden skewers to impale the chicken, a meat tenderizer, and a dutch oven or deep fryer. Some people top their chicken on a stick with Hawaiian bread rolls, but I prefer to keep it simple. You can always make a batch of my Brioche Rolls to top yours with.
Can I Use Chicken Breasts Instead Of Thighs?
Chicken thighs are juicier than chicken breasts, so I recommend using them to make chicken on a stick. You can replace them with chicken tenders if you’re not a fan of dark meat, but I suggest brining them for an additional 15 minutes.
Thighs often have meatier ends, so pound them to 1/4-inch thickness before brining them. Pounding the thighs makes them thinner, which means they fry more evenly. It also looks better on the stick.
Pour the brine from the can of pickled jalapeños over the chicken in a large bowl. The traditional way to eat chicken on a stick is to bite into the jalapeño pepper and drizzle the juice over it. I’m adding more flavor and reducing waste by using that juice as a brine to make my chicken on a stick juicier and more flavorful. You won’t believe me until you taste it, but this brine doesn’t make the chicken spicy. Well, not unless you are very sensitive to spicy flavors.
Allow the chicken to brine while you set up the breading station and begin heating the frying oil or for about 30 minutes. You can always prep the chicken the evening before frying it as well. Just cover the bowl and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. The longer the chicken brines, the spicier it may taste after frying.
Can I Replace The Jalapeños With Something Else If They’re Too Spicy?
If you’re not a fan of jalapeños or spicy flavors, you can replace them with pickles. Brine the chicken in pickle juice and top the chicken on a stick with small gherkins or pickle spears cut in half.
Begin heating your frying oil to 360°F (182°C) in a 7-quart dutch oven before setting up the breading station for your chicken on a stick. You can also use a deep fryer if you have one.
Mix the all-purpose flour, Tajín, and adobo in a wide shallow dish. I prefer Tajín because it’s the classic Mexican spice blend. It has citrus and chili flavors with a hint of salt. The adobo adds a little more salt in addition to garlic and onion flavors. You can replace these with seasoned salt if you don’t have them.
Beat the eggs until runny in another shallow dish. Add the panko breadcrumbs to a third dish to complete your breading station.
Drain the chicken thighs in a colander or allow the excess brine to drip off the piece of chicken by holding it up. Dredge the meat in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess. Slide the chicken thigh into the beaten eggs, allowing the excess to drip off before adding it to the breadcrumbs. Press the chicken thighs into the breadcrumbs, coating both sides and shaking off any excess. Continue breading the remaining chicken thighs, placing them on a sheet pan lined with wax paper.
Do I Skewer The Chicken Before Or After Frying?
At Fiesta, chicken on a stick is skewered after frying. That never made sense to me because it means you have to handle a hot piece of chicken, and piercing it so soon after frying allows the juices to run out. Instead, skewer the chicken before. You can buy thick wooden skewers, but I use two thin skewers since that’s what I always have in the kitchen. Make sure they’re at least 12 inches long. Any shorter, and you won’t have room for your jalapeño pepper.
Pierce the top of the chicken about 1/2 inch from the bottom, go under the bulk of the meat and poke through the top a 1 inch from the edge to leave room for the jalapeño. Lay the chicken on the wax paper-lined pan until the oil is hot enough to fry.
How Long Do I Need To Fry Chicken On A Stick?
Once a deep fat thermometer reads 365°F (182°C), carefully slide two chicken skewers into the oil. The great thing about using wooden skewers is that they can go into the oil without issues. If your pot isn’t wide enough, you’ll have to flip them over halfway through cooking.
Fry the chicken on a stick for 8-10 minutes at 365°F (182°) or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (73°C) and the juices run clear. Use a pair of tongs to remove the chicken on a stick from the oil and allow it to drain on a wire rack set over a sheet pan. This method of draining fried foods keeps the crust from becoming soggy.
Continue frying the remaining chicken, letting the oil return to temperature between the batches.
How Do I Serve Chicken On A Stick?
Before serving, top each chicken on a stick with a pickled jalapeño pepper. Some people like to drizzle hot sauce, chamoy, queso, or spicy mayo over their chicken on a stick. Others like to shake on more Tajiín or other spice blends over the fried chicken. You can also add a dinner roll, but I think it’s perfect with the chicken and pepper.
To eat chicken on a stick, take a bite of the chicken, followed by a bite of the jalapeño. Squeeze the jalapeño over the chicken to flavor it with more jalapeño juice, and enjoy!
How Do I Make This For A Fiesta Party?
If you’re looking for more recipes to serve with this chicken on a stick, check these out:
- Chispas Margaritas or Mangonadas Margaritas
- Elotes (Grilled Mexican Corn on the Cob) and Arroz Borracho
- Pico de Gallo and Chunky Guacamole with tortilla chips
- Mexican-Inspired Charcuterie Board
You can’t go wrong adding any of these ingredients to your very own Fiesta-themed celebration.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Store leftover chicken on a stick in a covered container after allowing them to cool completely. Leftovers keep for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator.
You can also freeze chicken on a stick in a freezer-safe container for 3 months. To thaw frozen chicken on a stick, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw completely in the refrigerator.
What’s The Best Way To Reheat Chicken On A Stick?
The best way to reheat leftover chicken on a stick is in a 400°F (204°C) air fryer for 3 to 4 minutes. You can also reheat them in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 5-10 minutes or until warmed.
This Chicken On a Stick recipe will bring Old San Antonio to you no matter where in the world you are. Celebrate Fiesta, Cinco de Mayo, or any other celebration in a delicious way with this juicy, crunchy chicken snack. Drizzle as much (or as little) jalapeño juice over yours for authenticity, but don’t forget to let me know what you think of it in the comments! Share this with your Fiesta-loving friends and don’t forget to pin it to your boards for easy finding later.
Chicken On A Stick
at Sense & EdibilityEquipment
- meat mallet recommended (you can also use a rolling pin)
- 8 wooden skewers at least 12 inches long
- 7-quart dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds (690 grams or 4 each) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 12 ounce can (340 grams) pickled jalapeños drained, brine reserved
- 1 cup (140 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (7 grams) Tajín
- 2 teaspoons (6 grams) adobo or to taste
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups (150 grams) panko breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil for frying (about 6 cups)
To Serve
- Brioche Rolls optional
Instructions
Pound, Then Marinate the Chicken
- Place a chicken thigh between two pieces of wax paper and pound its meatier ends to 1/4-inch thickness with a meat mallet (tenderizer) or a rolling pin. Continue thinning out the remaining chicken thighs.
- Pour the brine reserved from the can of pickled jalapeños over the chicken in a large bowl. Allow the chicken to brine while you set up the breading station and begin heating the oil (or for 30 minutes).
Heat the Oil and Set Up the Breading Station
- Begin heating your frying oil to 360°F (182°C) in a 7-quart dutch oven before setting up the breading station. You can also use a deep fryer if you have one.
- Mix the all-purpose flour, Tajín, and adobo in a wide shallow dish. Beat the eggs until runny in another shallow dish. Add the panko breadcrumbs to a third dish to complete your breading station.
Bread, Then Skewer the Chicken Thighs
- Drain the chicken thighs in a colander or allow the excess brine to drip off the piece of chicken by holding it up. Dredge the meat in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.
- Slide the chicken thigh into the beaten eggs, allowing the excess to drip off before adding it to the breadcrumbs. Press the chicken thighs into the breadcrumbs, coating both sides and shaking off any excess. Continue breading the remaining chicken thighs, placing them on a sheet pan lined with wax paper.
- Pierce the top of the chicken about 1/2 inch from the bottom with two skewers directly against each other, go under the bulk of the meat and poke through the top a 1 inch from the edge to leave room for the jalapeño. Lay the chicken on a wax paper-lined pan until the oil is hot enough to fry.
Fry the Chickens on a Stick
- Once a deep fat thermometer reads 365°F (182°C), carefully slide two chicken skewers into the oil. If your pot isn't wide enough, you'll have to flip them over halfway through cooking.
- Fry the chicken on a stick for 8-10 minutes at 365°F (182°) or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (73°C) and the juices run clear. Use a pair of tongs to remove the chicken on a stick from the oil and allow it to drain on a wire rack set over a sheet pan.
- Continue frying the remaining chicken, letting the oil return to temperature between the batches.
Enjoy Your Chicken On a Stick
- To eat chicken on a stick, take a bite of the chicken, followed by a bite of the jalapeño. Squeeze the jalapeño over the chicken to flavor it with more jalapeño juice, and enjoy!
Notes
- You can replace the thighs with chicken tenders. I suggest brining them for an additional 15 minutes and decreasing the frying time to 6-8 minutes.
- You can replace the jalapeños with dill gherkins or pickles. Brine the chicken in pickle juice and top the chicken on a stick with small gherkins or pickle spears cut in half.
- Replace the Tajín and adobo with seasoned salt if you don't have them.
- Drizzle hot sauce, chamoy, queso, or spicy mayo over your chicken on a stick or shake on more Tajiín or a similar spice blend.
- Pounding the thighs makes them thinner, which means they fry more evenly. It also looks better on the stick.
- You can brine the chicken ahead. Just cover the bowl and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. The longer the chicken brines, the spicier it may taste after frying.
- Ensure the wooden skewers are at least 12 inches long so you'll have room to add the jalapeño pepper.
- Store leftover chicken on a stick in a covered container after allowing them to cool completely. Leftovers keep for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator.
- To freeze chicken on a stick, transfer them to a freezer-safe container for 3 months.
- To thaw frozen chicken on a stick, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw completely in the refrigerator.
- The best way to reheat leftover chicken on a stick is in a 400°F (204°C) air fryer for 3 to 4 minutes. You can also reheat them in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 5-10 minutes or until warmed.
Such a fun way to eat chicken! This recipe was so easy to follow and the creativity and flavor of the dish truly made it irresistible! I will definitely be remaking it again soon. 10/10!
Awesome! Thanks for trying it!