Frying chicken has always been a source of mystery and consternation for the uninitiated. But I don’t think it’s that difficult and I know you can do it!
The main thing to remember is that you need to get the fluids out of the meat and the meat cooked all the way to the bone without burning the crust on the outside.
Here are the steps I take to make Fried Chicken. Follow them carefully and you will have a delicious batch to serve to your family.
- Cut up your chicken or buy pre-cut chicken. Wash it and place it in a deep bowl or pan or even in a zip top type bag.
- Pour BUTTERMILK over the chicken. cover the chicken completely.
- Place the chicken and buttermilk in the refrigerator and allow to sit over night or at least 8 hours. If you do not have buttermilk, you may substitute salt water. But it will taste different than my recipe. The buttermilk tenderizes the meat and gives it a wonderful flavor.
- When you are ready to fry the chicken, place about 2 inches of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Place 4-5 cups of self rising flour in a bowl. Take the chicken pieces out of the buttermilk and give each piece a shake, then roll them in the flour. You may season the flour with salt and pepper if you like, I sometimes use 1 teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of pepper per 1 cup of flour. The buttermilk and flour makes the batter. Place them in the HOT oil. - Don’t over-crowd the skillet
- The key is to regulate the heat so that it does not get too hot and begin to burn the chicken. You can regulate the heat in the skillet by turning the temperature up and down on the stove, but don’t make too big of an adjustment at a time. You can also move the pan off the heat a little to reduce the heat and move the pan back over the heat to keep the temperature even.
- Once the chicken is light golden brown on one side, turn down the heat, cover the skillet and allow the chicken to cook for 20 minutes or so.
- It takes about 20 minutes for a thick piece of chicken to cook all the way through on medium high heat. When the chicken has cooked for 20-25 minutes, you may turn the piece over and allow it to cook on the other side, with the skillet uncovered.
Covering the skillet and cooking helps to cook the meat all the way through. Uncovering it helps the crust to get crisp.If you’re not sure whether or not your chicken in done, just take a small sharp knife and cut into the meat at the thickest part of a thigh piece. If the meat is cooked and the juices run clear, the meat is done.
Drain the chicken on clean towels or paper towels.
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This sounds good! I’m going to try it soon!
This is awesome, Sylvia, thank you! We tend to NOT be good at frying chicken up here in Maine and I am no exception to that rule!!
I am trying that one this week; thanks again Sylvia!!!
oxoxoxo
If you cover your chicken while frying be careful when taking the lid off!! Condensation will build up on the lid and water droplets hitting hot oil equal painful splatters!
YUM! One of my favorite comfort foods, but I have to admit, I never fry chicken. It scares me! LOL I make killer fried wings, and homemade breaded chicken breast strips, but an entire chicken, nope, never, not in my entire 27 years of marriage. Now that I have your step my step instruction, I’m going to give it a try sometime soon. My DH will thank me, and YOU!
You’ll do fine, Patty! The soaking of the whole pieces is the first key, the second is hot oil.
Let me know how it goes…
I think the oil is the part that has kept me from frying a whole chicken. I have an electric range, with the flat glass top burners. It is so hard to regulate the heat on mine. It gets so hot. Even on my lowest setting, the pan will boil. I’m going to get brave and try this. Maybe Saturday! : )
Patty you may need to find yourself a very heavy bottomed pan, if you don’t have one, to fry chicken in. A heavy bottomed pan will get hot enough to fry at very low temps and hold that temp longer and more evenly. I hope it works out for you!
Buttermilk is the secret? And you don’t use any breadcrumbs or anything?
Does this work well with boneless, too?
Buttermilk tenderizes the meat, draws out blood, and gives a good flavor. I use flour.
You can also use salt water to soak the meat. Yes it works well with boneless chicken.
Sylvia: Can different flours be used, rather than wheat flour? Like, can oat, rice, or soy flour be used? Will it work ok to use an electric skillet rather than stovetop? I’ll have to buy my chicken already cut up, after all these years, I have not mastered the art of cutting up a chicken; I end up mutilating the poor thing:( Thanks for letting me ask so many ?’s.
Lisa,
I’ve never used other flours but I think it would be worth a try! I don’t see why others wouldn’t work.
Yes you can use an electric skillet. If you are accustomed to using one it might actually be easier to keep the temperature regulated.
Fried chicken is my favorite! I love it but I am not good at cooking it so I will just come to your house! Love ya Sylvia!
Wish I had some!
What kind of oil is best?
April, I use lard or coconut oil, usually a combination of both.
I realize that not everyone uses all natural animal oils and for those folks, vegetable shortening might be best. I used to use vegetable shortening and found that Crisco was the best for frying chicken.
Usually liquid vegetable oils are a good choice for frying chicken because the temperatures have to be so high and the oils burn.
thank you! I have tried to make fried chicken and it just never turns out like this pic… any flour just falls off during the cooking and it doesn’t taste good… just greasy. It may seem odd to someone from the south, but I have never learned how to make it so thank you.
Well, keep trying maybe you’ll get it! If the flour falls off its usually because the grease is not hot enough.
My mama used to soak chicken in salt water and fry in bacon grease. It was finger licking good. I don’t cook bacon much anymore so I don’t have the grease. I just use the vegetable oil. I may have to try the lard and coconut oil. I think the next time I fry chicken I will soak in buttermilk.
Do you cut up your own chickens? My mama taught me how to cut up a whole chicken when I was a teen. It’s not that hard.