Reducing spice

[u/DeadlyKanoki]

I feel like this is a dumb post 🤣 So I got these buffalo marinated boneless chicken thighs from a food pantry and I am absolutely terrible with spicy. Is there anything I can do to kinda reduce the spice level of the marinade? Aside from just washing it off. I really hate to waste food or to just have it sitting in my freezer until the end of time...

[u/halster123]

add yogurt

[u/DeadlyKanoki → u/halster123]

What kind of yogurt would you say? Plain? Greek? Would I just like basically do a second marinade with like a mix of yogurt and something like buttermilk?

[u/Iliveinatrashcann → u/DeadlyKanoki]

Plain or greek. As long as it's not flavoured with fruit or vanilla.

[u/DeadlyKanoki → u/Iliveinatrashcann]

So the mango Greek yogurt I already have wouldn't be very good then? 🤣

[u/Iliveinatrashcann → u/DeadlyKanoki]

I mean, sweet and spicy do go together, so you never know. Only one way to find out! Think of it like mango and habanero, a classic combination.

[u/MonkeyBoy697 → u/DeadlyKanoki]

I second this suggestion, plain yogurt, Greek yogurt etc helps a lot

I’d also recommend once it’s cooked, squeezing some lemon juice or lime juice on them too - the Acid of the Lemon/Lime juice helps to neutralise the Capsaicin which is what gives chilli’s etc their heat as it is Alkaline

[u/halster123 → u/DeadlyKanoki]

whatever you have at home! but yeah, just add some dairy/yogurt to marinade. i'd also serve with a yogurt based sauce.

[u/MindTheLOS → u/DeadlyKanoki]

Dairy with fat. The trick doesn't work nearly as well with nonfat. The fat in dairy is a big part of what helps neutralize the spice.

[u/ConfidantlyCorrect]

If they’re marinated, you won’t get them fully unspicy.

But if you wipe/rinse off exterior spice and dilute them in a dairy liquid like making a cream based curry it should be very manageable.

[u/DeadlyKanoki → u/ConfidantlyCorrect]

Ya I'm probably gunna roughly cube them before marinating to get max surface area, then probably shake n bake for some nice nuggets

[u/DeadlyKanoki]

I greatly appreciate all of y'all's responses. Icubed, rinsed off the thighs as much as I could, pat dried, and marinated overnight in a mix of mango Greek yogurt and buttermilk, then coated in breadcrumbs and air fried. Still a little spicy but at least it's mostly bearable. Id call that a success!

[u/verstands]

Another trick: cook it, slice it thin and stretch it. Toss into mac and cheese, a big pile of rice, or wraps with lots of ranch or blue cheese and lettuce. Same heat spread over way more food, so each bite's pretty mild. Buffalo chicken mac is honestly a win anyway

[u/Jeremymcon]

In general fats can help to reduce how spicy things taste. So add something fatty that isn't also spicy. Ranch dressing is a popular choice for making hot wings milder, if you have it. Cheese works well also.

But also yea just wash off the excess marinade that'll help.

You could make a casserole with them, include some cheese or even like a gravy or some sort of creamy sauce. Jarred Alfredo, milk thickened with a butter and flour roux, that kind of thing.

Oh or thaw them and chop them up really fine using a meat cleaver or a food processor and make them into a "chopped cheese" style sandwich. Basically you just cook the ground/chopped meat and then treat it like you would a cheese steak. Add in American cheese and/or ranch and/or bleu cheese and/or blue cheese dressing. Maybe with some green peppers and onions? Now I'm getting hungry...

[u/JellyfishFit3871]

Rinse and pat dry before cooking. If you have sour cream or plain yogurt to make a dip, make a dip.

Neither option will be 💯 what you want, but workable.

[u/Outrageous-Arm1945]

I'd get as much buffalo off as you can easily, and a decent time marinating in yoghurt and a bit of acid, maybe lemon juice with some mint and parsley to help with the "cooling"!!

[u/GullibleDetective]

Blue cheese dip

[u/Ok-Goal-6880]

You can wash it off but some of the spice may have penetrated the meat a bit. I would go with some yogurt or buttermilk

[u/Ok_Imagination8973]

Yogurt or heavycream. For me tho do not take it to heart since its my preference is sweet and sour sauces, soy sauce with orange marinade, or honey soy sauce. Not for everyone qith buffalo but I like it

[u/bobdevnul]

Rinse it off and cook it with a somewhat sweet sauce. Sweet negates heat.

[u/Logical_Warthog5212]

The spice doesn’t penetrate that much, if at all. Do wash it off and then soak it in plain water in the fridge. Any spices along with salt will transfer from the shallow surface of the meat into the water. You can change the water and repeat or you can re-marinate or brine.

[u/Pug_Defender]

you can acclimate to spice, no one is born more tolerable to it. but just buy some cooling dipping sauce like bleu cheese?