Chicken Fry Recipes

CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN WITH WHITE GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Fit cooling racks into 2 baking sheets.
• Place 1 chicken breast in a one-gallon resealable plastic bag with the seal left open (alternatively, place between 2 pieces of plastic wrap). Pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until it is 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a shallow dish. Whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce and egg in a medium bowl. Set up a dredging station by arranging the chicken, dry ingredients, wet ingredients and prepared baking sheet in an assembly line. Dredge 1 chicken breast in the dry ingredients to coat, then dip in the wet ingredients and shake off any excess. Dredge once again in the dry ingredients to coat and transfer to one of the cooling racks. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Fill a deep cast-iron skillet with 3/4 to 1 inch of oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Working in 2 batches, fry the chicken until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Place on the second cooling rack and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.
• For the gravy: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking continuously, until light brown, about 2 minutes. Pour in the milk in a steady stream while whisking. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, then the vinegar. Cook at a simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Serve the chicken fried chicken topped with the white gravy.

CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, hot sauce (optional, for added flavor), salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Add in chicken pieces. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours.
• When ready to cook, pour the vegetable oil in a skillet until it is about 3/4 inch deep. Heat to 350 degrees.
• Prepare the breading by combining the flour, cornstarch, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, basil, white pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, and salt in a gallon sized resealable plastic bag or shallow dish. Mix it thoroughly.
• Working one at a time, remove chicken pieces from buttermilk mixture. Shake it gently to remove the excess. Place it in the breading mix and coat thoroughly. Tap off the excess.
• Place the breaded chicken into the 350 degree oil. Fry 3 or 4 pieces at a time. The chicken will drop the temperature of the oil so keep it as close to 350 degrees as possible. Fry each piece for 14 minutes, turning each piece about half way through, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
• Remove from the oil and place on paper towels. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

HOW TO FRY CHICKEN TO PERFECTION

Steps:

• Thoroughly rinse the chicken pieces, then place them in a bowl and cover with 4 cups of the buttermilk. Soak in the fridge overnight or up to 24 hours.
• When you're ready to fry the chicken, remove the bowl from the fridge and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes, just to take the chill off.
• In the meantime, preheat the oven to 360˚ and mix up the breading. Place the flour, seasoned salt, paprika, black pepper, thyme and cayenne (plus extra cayenne if you like heat) in a very large bowl. Stir together well.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk and the milk. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and gradually mix with a fork until there are little lumps throughout; these will adhere to the chicken and make for a crispier breading. If necessary, add a little more flour or milk to make the breading slightly lumpy.
• Heat 1 1/2 to 2 inches of oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 365˚. Lower the heat slightly, if necessary, to keep the oil from getting hotter.
• Working in batches, thoroughly coat each chicken piece with breading, pressing extra breading onto the chicken if necessary. Place the breaded pieces on a plate.
• Add the breaded chicken to the oil, 3 or 4 pieces at a time; make sure they don't stick together. Cover the pan and fry for 5 to 7 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure the chicken isn't getting too brown. Turn the pieces over, cover again, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes more. All the while, monitor the temperature of the oil to make sure the chicken doesn't burn.
• Transfer the fried chicken to a baking sheet and continue frying the rest of the chicken. When all the chicken has been fried, remove the wings and legs to a rack set over a paper towel-lined baking sheet and keep covered. (These should be cooked all the way through by now, but always check if any pink juice or meat is visible. If so, return to the hot oil for another minute or so, until fully cooked.) Leave the thighs and breasts on the baking sheet.
• Bake the thighs and breasts for 15 minutes to finish cooking. (You can cut into the thicker part of one of the larger pieces just to make sure the chicken is cooked through. If any pink juice or meat is visible, the chicken needs to continue cooking in the oven.) Drain on the rack set over the baking sheet.