My Dreamy Chili Crisp Pairing

There was a distinct moment that unleashed my wild chili crisp imagination, and it involved crispy fried chicken, specifically Popeyes’. It was just a regular night of eating my feelings and treating myself with Popeyes fried chicken. I was thinking of the other delicious ways I could enjoy this box of crispy goodness. After looking at the box of biscuits, mashed potatoes, and a stack of big pieces of Popeyes chicken, I had a light bulb moment and started building my perfect bite.

I split open that warm, buttery biscuit. Then, I smeared on a generous scoop of mashed potatoes, as if I were frosting a cupcake. Instead of simply adding pieces of chicken, I took a whole layer of crunchy fried chicken skin from one of the big pieces and layered it on top of the mashed potatoes. I was ready to close the top to enjoy this perfection, then I remembered: a jar of chili crisp in my fridge. I quickly ran to the fridge, opened my precious jar of chili crisp, and doused the chicken skin generously, letting it seep into the nooks and crannies. I finally took a bite, and it truly sent me to fried chicken heaven. Buttery biscuits, creamy mashed potatoes, and insanely crunchy chicken skin checked off everything that I was looking for in one mind-blowing bite, but what really connected all of them was a drizzle of chili crisp. The savory and spicy flavors elevated all the components just enough to make this bite truly unforgettable.