This homemade Al Baik Chicken recipe will bring all of the delicious crispy chicken joy of the Al Baik restaurants into your home. Saudi fried chicken at its very best!
Have you heard about Al Baik chicken – it's a deliciously crispy, perfectly spiced fried chicken recipe (well, technically it’s “broasted”, but this homemade version is fried!). It's sure to be something you make over, and over, and over again.
Okay…There's a good chance you've never heard of the Al Baik franchises, or of Al Baik chicken (sometimes called broast), despite it being amongst the most popular fried chicken restaurants in the world. Ask anyone who has lived in Saudi Arabia what their top 3 memories of the kingdom are, and I can pretty much guarantee Al Baik's fried chicken recipe will feature.
In my case, the love for Al Baik is almost comical. Every time I'd fly back to Saudi Arabia from boarding school, my first stop on the way home from the airport would be Al Baik. I'd get home, say hi to mum and dad, and sit myself down in the living room with a box of fried chicken.
It was the same routine every time: I'd come home and eat Al Baik, while watching my VHS copy of Bloodsport. (In case you’re not in ‘the know’, Bloodsport is a very old but very good martial arts movie starring Jean Claude Van Damme.)
Seriously, bestie. It's a classic. I've watched it over 50 times. Do yourself a favour and treat yourself to some high-kicking secret martial arts tournament action!
(Sorry, where were we? Oh yeah. Al Baik Chicken!)
Jump to:
What is Al Baik Chicken?
Al Baik is a fried chicken restaurant franchise founded in Saudi Arabia in 1974 (though it wasn't officially registered as a trademark until 1986). Though the restaurants also sell seafood, the franchise is iconic for its broasted (that is, a mix of pressure cooking and deep frying) chicken. Most meals are served alongside fries and garlic sauce.
Of course, I'd be wrong to say that I've made a perfect copy of Al Baik's fried chicken recipe here. I haven't (don't trust anyone that tells you they have a perfect copycat recipe that you can easily make at home for any fast foodโฆit is a “secret recipe” after all).
However, I do have a pretty darn good approximation of it. I've gone with recreating the spicy chicken option (because something was missing every time I tried making the non-spicy version), and I'm confident that you'll be happy making this recipe over and over again as a means to scratch that Al Baik itch.
What is broasted chicken
Al Baik Chicken is often referred to as “broast chicken”, but what does that actually mean? Broasted chicken was a type of fried chicken using specialised equipment that involved deep frying and pressure cooking chicken. It resulted in a crispy and golden brown skin, while keeping moisture in the meat of the chicken.
The process originated from Wisconsin.
If you don’t happen to have a pressure fryer contraption, or you don’t want to go through the headache of using a deep fryer and a pressure cooker to make fried chicken, then this recipe is for you.
3 secrets to perfect fried chicken
1. Don't skip the brining step
I know, I knowโฆit's time-consuming, and requires planning in advance. And I admit, I've skipped the full-brine in favour of the ol' "mmmmmmmmmmm-I'll-leave-it-in-here-for-20-mins-that'll-totally-work" method. But if you're looking for perfectly moist fried chicken, then you shouldn't skip this stage. I've suggested brining the chicken overnight for this recipe, but if you're really in a pinch, I'd say you can get away with at least 4 hours.
2. Don't fry the chicken…while it's still cold
Let your chicken come down to room temperature before getting started. Cooking the chicken right out of the fridge results in uneven cooking as the cold of the chicken will actually cool your cooking oil. No bueno, bestie.
3. Switching out the oil
I didn't realise this would be a common issue many people face (because it is technically changing the recipe), but some years ago a friend told me about how his fried chicken tasted awfully bitter. He initially blamed the recipe he had used, but upon closer inspection, we discovered something:
He had switched out the peanut oil the recipe he was using had suggested, and instead used olive oil. That's a no-no! You want an oil with a neutral taste and high smoke point. I use canola oil, but vegetable oil should work just fine too.
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking he should've looked over my How to Read a Recipe post. I agree. You're right. I love how we're on the same wavelength!
(You’re probably also wondering who uses olive oil for frying…that stuff is way too expensive.)
What sauce to have with Al Baik Chicken
The garlic sauce typically served with Al Baik is a version of toum. Now while, no homemade sauce will be exactly the same as a manufactured sauce, this Lebanese toum recipe is a good place to start with when you need some to accompany your Al Baik Chicken dinner!
Other chicken recipes to try
While I know you'll love this recipe for fried chicken. Here are a couple of other chicken recipes you'll want to try:
- Super Easy Filipino Chicken Adobo
- Chicken with Cumin, Tahini, Lemon, and Burnt Onions
- Captain Crunch Chicken with Maple Sriracha Sauce
Helpful tools
The links below are affiliate links. This means that if you choose to purchase using them, I will receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you.
This is the Dutch oven I use at home. And here's a link to the Blu-Ray edition of Bloodsport. You know you want to.
If you like what I’m doing here, and you want to help, why not go ahead and become a Patron? You can support Chocolates & Chai for as little as the price of a cup of coffee!
Let me know if you've ever tried Al Baik chicken in the comments below, and if you've tried this recipe, let me knowโฆwere we able to create that Saudi fried chicken magic? (Or just comment with your favourite Bloodsport quote!)
๐ Recipe
Al Baik Chicken Recipe
- Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 pieces 1x
Description
A deliciously crispy recipe for homemade Al Baik chicken (fried chicken).ย
Ingredients
- 3 cups buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons sriracha, divided
- 1 (approx. 2 ยฝ lbs) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
- 3 large eggs
- โ cup water
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ยฝ tablespoons sea salt
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 ยฝ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Canola oil
Instructions
Brining
- In a large bowl, stir together buttermilk and 2 tablespoons of the sriracha. Submerge the chicken pieces into the buttermilk mixture.
- Cover (cling film, a lid, or foil are all fine) and refrigerate overnight.
Breading
- Whisk together eggs, water, and the remaining tablespoon of sriracha in a medium bowl. In a separate large bowl, stir together flour, salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, paprika, ground cinnamon, and garlic powder in a large bowl.
- Into a large Dutch oven, pour oil (you want enough that it's about 2 ยฝ inches deep), and heat to 325 F over medium-high.
- Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture, and dip the chicken pieces one by one into the egg mixture. Dredge the wet chicken in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess flour. Dip again in egg mixture, and dredge in flour again, once again shaking off any excess flour.
Frying
- Carefully add the breaded chicken to hot oil, and fry until golden brown and cooked through – around 8 to 10 minutes.
- Drain on a wire rack (over paper towels). Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
- Enjoy your homemade Al Baik chicken!
Notes
- I recommend using a cooking thermometer to ensure that you maintain the correct temperature while frying the chicken.
- Let your fried chicken cool on a wire rack instead of a bunch of paper towels to maintain maximum crispiness! If you don't have a wire rack, just use paper towelsโฆit won't be the end of the world.
- If you happen to have a deep fryer, you can use that instead of a Dutch oven.
If you want a video, check out my Al Baik Chicken recipe video!ย
- Prep Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch & Dinner
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Saudi
Supriya Kutty
What a fantastic attempt at recreating this iconic chicken recipe at home, it truly looks crispy and full of flavor. The way youโve broken down the process makes it feel simple and approachable for anyone trying it for the first time. I really appreciate the attention to detail in capturing that signature texture and taste. This dish seems perfect for satisfying those takeaway cravings without stepping out. Thanks for sharing such a well-explained and tempting recipe, definitely inspired to give it a try soon.
Riz Asad
Hi Supriya,
Thanks so much for your kind comment! It’s always a bit scary when I work on popular recipes as simple homemade methods can be a little different from commercial in-store methods, but I do my best to recreate in an authentic way that represents that original.
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Riz
Tony
I saw this recipe getting trashed by idiots on YouTube so I tried it for myself. Itโs actually really flipping good. Itโs a bit different from the injection style some al baik recipes say is required but itโs definitely the best of all the homemade Al baik style chickens Iโve tried so far.
Riz
Thank you so much!
Alex
Hi Riz,
Thanks for the Al Baik chicken recipe. Making it today….
I grew up in Jeddah and was sent back to the UK to attend boarding school. We had to leave Saudi in 1993, and I have longed to eat Al Baik ever since. KFC has nothing on the broast. Plus the garlic sauce is amazing. I grew up on Laban. I wouldn’t say buttermilk is the same thing. Many thanks, Alex
Riz
Hi Alex,
You’re right – laban and buttermilk aren’t exactly the same thing, just a simple/familiar way to explain. Hope you enjoyed the recipe!