My version of Ireland's favourite take-away, this Irish Spice Bag is a wonderful concoction of crispy fries, with spicy fried chicken bits and some fried onions and peppers thrown in. All tossed in a spicy, salty mixture.
St. Patrick's Day is the day we all get to be Irish for a day! And if we were Irish for a day, in Ireland, chances are very good that we might pick up a spice bag on the way home after a pint or two at the pub. Yes, the Irish Spice Bag is a recent phenomenon, but well on it's way to become iconic Irish fare.
From what I've gleaned, the Irish Spice Bag had it's roots in Chinese restaurants, who mixed chicken balls, with vegetables and threw it all together with fries and served it as take-away in brown paper bags. Different restaurants offered different versions, but the basics of spicy fries in a bag were always the same. Yes, it's Ireland's answer for when only fried food, salt and spice will do :)
Cook's Notes for Irish Spice Bag
Now obviously, I'm Canadian, not Irish, so I'm not going to pretend I know how close my version is to the "real thing", but I did do my research and made every effort to try and re-create it as best I could from the descriptions available. I seek forgiveness from the Irish if I've really messed it up. Feel free to set me straight :)
You can make your fries any way you like - fry, bake or air fry, as I did (my favourite fry preparation tool!).
If you don't have or want to use buttermilk, you can substitute regular milk in the marinade. Maybe throw a 1/2 tsp of white vinegar in with it.
I used Frank's™ brand hot sauce for my spice bag.
In my research, I have seen "skinny" versions, that skip the breading of the chicken and use oven-baked fries. That's always an option, but speaking for myself, I'd really miss the crispy, spicy breading in this one, so I'd recommend going all in.
Irish Spice Bag
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Buttermilk Marinade:
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 Tbsp hot sauce
Spice Mix
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- Freshly ground pepper
Flour dip:
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Spice Mix
To prepare:
- Cooking oil for cooking chicken
- 1 red pepper thinly sliced
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- Warm, crispy french fries cooked any way you like
Instructions
- Cut chicken thighs in to small pieces, discarding any fatty bits. In a medium bowl, stir together the buttermilk and hot sauce. Add chicken to marinade and let stand at least 20 minutes, or cover and refrigerate to marinate longer.
- While chicken is marinating, make spice mix by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir to combine well. Set aside.
- Start your fries cooking.
- In a large, flat dish, prepare the flour dip by combining the ingredients and stirring well to combine. Take a few pieces of the chicken from the marinade and toss in the flour dip. Return to the buttermilk marinade briefly and dip in the flour dip again. Place on a metal cooling rack, while you proceed to bread all the chicken pieces. When all the chicken has been breaded, heat a 1/2-inch or so of oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Fry the chicken, until golden on the underside, then flip over and fry on the other side. Cook until golden and cooked through. Remove all chicken to a plate.
- Discard most of the oil from the skillet, leaving just a tiny bit. Return the skillet to the stove-top over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and onion and saute quickly until lightly browned and softened. Add sauteed vegetables to a large bowl. Add the warm chicken and cooked fries. Sprinkle with a generous amount of Spice Mix, to taste and toss well to coat.
- Spoon in to paper bags to serve :)
Nutrition (per serving)
sssoc says
As well as the five spice an essential ingredient in the Irish Spice Bag is sugar. Yes, sugar. Plain old granulated sugar. Must be used sparingly (ratio about 1:8 or 1:10 of other seasonings) but it’s not a proper spice bag without it.
Jennifer says
Good to know! I can see that. The sweet/salty combination is always a winner :) Thanks!
Emmet O'Donoghue says
You forgot Chinese 5 spice in the spice mix that's what makes it authentic. I haven't tried your recipe yet but I am making spice bags tonight and I will finish off my spice mix and then try yours. I do know my spice mix tastes exactly like the takeaways here but with mine I know what goes into it. I want to try some of your other recipes the pumpkin bread/cake looks nice. New follower.
Jennifer says
Interesting! I didn't see that when I was researching it. Will try that :) Thanks!
Rebecca English says
ahh so excited to try this minus the chicken... looks delicious! xx I'm Irish so i'm verrrryy familiar with spice bags but because I'm a vegetarian and I have food allergies, I've never been able to try one. Heres hoping it goes right ..so I can finally understand the hype XD
Jennifer says
Do enjoy, Rebecca!
Giselle @ The Busy Spatula says
Oh man, this looks like a flavor bomb. It has everything I like in it: fries, chicken, and peppers! Delicious :D
Jennifer says
Thanks so much, Giselle :)
Lynn | The Road to Honey says
Wow Jennifer! I had no idea what this was when I first saw it but now that I am clued in, I can easily see this becoming a huge hit in the states. I mean. . .french fries. . .fried chicken. . .spiciness. . .it's everything Americans love in splurge food. I myself did not grow up on fried food so I find that I am clueless when it comes this cooking technique. . .but I am very intrigued by air frying. I feel like it just might be the type of frying I could possibly handle.
Jennifer says
Thanks Lynn :) And yes, I love my air fryer. As I mentioned, I pretty much use it only for fries, but I suspect you could air fry the chicken, too (must try that!)
Tessa | Salted Plains says
I had no idea what an Irish Spice Bag was, thank you for introducing me! It looks absolutely delicious!
Jennifer says
Thanks so much, Tessa :)
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks says
I've never heard of an Irish Spice Bag, but after seeing your beautiful version I'm sold!
Jennifer says
Thanks so much, Rachelle :)
Ruby & Cake says
This looks far superior to any spicey bags I munched on in Dublin! I just want to dive through my computer screen!
Jennifer says
Thanks so much :)
Jenny says
In my opinion, every pub should give these out on St . Patricks Day! Fried food take-away bags are a must after a day of libation!
Jennifer says
Thanks Jenny and wouldn't that be great?! :)
Laura | Tutti Dolci says
What an addictive snack! I love that spice mix :)
Jennifer says
Thanks so much, Laura!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Obviously I need to make a few phone calls to my relatives, because I'm part Irish and I've never heard of an Irish Spice Bag. Clearly someone has been holding out on me!!! These look so beyond delicious it's CRAZY! Fries, fried chicken AND fried onions n' peppers!?!? WHAT? This is everything I want in my life! Seriously, Jennifer, you have outdone yourself here! I am drooling!! Can't wait to try this... immediately! Pinned obviously! Cheers!
Jennifer says
Thanks Cheyanne and yes, I think they have been holding out on you :) From what I hear, anyway!
Mary says
I have decided to take this post down to my local 'chippie' to give them an idea for St Patrick's Day! You could almost make yourself believe this was healthy?. Can't wait to recreate this for our St Paddy's Day celebration dinner. For sure!
Jennifer says
I'm pretty sure the smattering of veggies in these makes them healthy, doesn't it??!! ;)
Mary says
It's St Patrick's Day and I made this fun recipe for dinner tonight - in paper bags too. It was so tasty and such fun served in the bags. I now need a trip to Ireland to have the real thing!
I think this will become a 'must have' for St Patrick's Day every year now but it may sneak in at other times as well.
We are so glad you offered this recipe. What fun! ??
Jennifer says
Happy St. Patrick's Day, Mary! And so glad you made and enjoyed these fun spice bags. Thanks for coming back to let me know :)
Meg | Meg is Well says
I'm so happy and thankful you did research and found something new for all us foodies to latch onto! I can completely understand why this is the new cool food trend-it looks absolutely amazing!
Jennifer says
Thanks Meg :) I actually had a lot of fun scouring the internet for all the details on these spice bags! It was a fun and delicious project!
Michele @ Bacon Fatte says
I absolutely love this idea, Jennifer... It's a fun, colorful "something different" idea for St. Patrick's Day fare that's sure to be a big hit! And the other #saintpatricksdayfeast2017 recipes? What a fabulous roundup! One-stop Irish Party menu planning at its finest. Thank you!
Jennifer says
Thanks so much, Michele and yes, so many fabulous St. Patrick's Day recipes today!
Tamara Andersen says
OMG! I have not heard of Irish spice bags, but I'm in love! I don't fry food very often (healthy food blogger and all), but when I do, it's got to be worth the calories. Your recipe definitely qualifies. :-) Lovely photos and fantastic recipe! Happy St. Patrick's Day Jennifer!
Jennifer says
Thanks so much, Tamara and yes, I'm the same way. If I'm going to be frying, it has to be worth it (and these were definitely!).
Kevin | Keviniscooking says
I'd have to ask for two bags because I would not be sharing. These look incredible!
Jennifer says
Thanks so much, Kevin. I loved eating out of a paper bag. I'm going to do it more often :)
Milena | craftbeering.com says
These bags are brilliant! Totally brilliant. I don't remember ever having something this delicious looking while living in Ireland:) Love the casual presentation, beautiful shots.
Jennifer says
Thanks so much, Milena :) From what I gather, these spice bags are quite a recent thing - maybe just the last couple of years, but they have apparently caught on quickly!
Natasha @ Salt & Lavender says
Where has this been all my life?! Seriously.
Jennifer says
I feel the same way, Natasha! :)
Cindy says
You have outdone yourself, as this is so darn beautiful. Two years ago, I received an air-fryer as a gift, and I didn't know anything about it. It is actually quite amazing! I don't know many others who use it, so I smiled when I saw you mention it. Anyhow, I am not Irish, but I would love to grant you forgiveness, praises, and lots of love for bringing this recipe to life. Beautiful. Creative. And Delicious Looking.
Jennifer says
Thanks so much, Cindy :) I have to confess, I don't use my Air Fryer for much beyond fries, but when it comes to fries, you really can't beat it! Infinitely better fries than "oven fries" and so much easier, cleaner and lighter than deep frying. The air fryer earns it keep in my kitchen just for that!
sue | theviewfromgreatisland says
LOVE this! I've never had it, but it sounds so delicious and your photos are amazing. I just made good old fish and chips last night, so we're on the same crispy fried Irish page! Love your list of other bloggers' recipes, too, I'm off to explore :)
Jennifer says
Thanks Sue and yes, life needs some crispy fried goodness once in a while :)
annie@ciaochowbambina says
I could literally dive into that little bag head first! So glad you went with the crispy spicy breading! Go big or go home, I say!! Well done, my friend!
Jennifer says
Thanks Annie and yep, I'm a go big or go home gal, too :)
Cathy | whatshouldimakefor.com says
I am so all in for this. Sometimes you have to go for it and these spice bags are it! Love the buttermilk and of course all that delicious crispiness going on. I've never heard of a spice bag before so I can't speak to the tradition, but I can speak to the YUM!
Jennifer says
Thanks Cathy and I hadn't heard of it until recently either, but like you, I recognize yum when I see it ;)
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Holy moly! Does this look good! After having a beverage or two on St. Patrick's Day this would be the perfect thing to dig into! I've never heard of this before, so where has it been all my life, lol :D Pinning this one! Happy St. Patrick's Day!!
Jennifer says
Thanks so much, Dawn and I thought the same thing :)
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Wow! I've never heard of this, but you can totally count me in Jennifer! That spice mix sounds delicious!
Jennifer says
Thanks Mary Ann. It was a fun treat!
Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert says
My husband would be all over this one! I've never tried an Irish Spice Bag but I would if I could :) What a delicious way to be Irish for a day!
Jennifer says
Thanks Tricia and yes, I'm happy to adopt this Irish treat :)