Fried Chicken Recipe
When it comes to fried chicken, there are a few requirements in my book to make it good.
- Crispy exterior.
- Juicy interior.
- Lots of flavor.
This recipe checks all three boxes, and I am going to share all the tips and tricks I have for making the best fried chicken you will ever eat. From what oil to use, to what temperature to fry at, and why I marinate in buttermilk, and like to double batter.
Once you have this chicken you will see why each step is important, and you will never make fried chicken any other way.
What Can I use Instead of Buttermilk for Fried Chicken?
Why Double Dredge Chicken?
Can I Bake This Fried Chicken?
It is possible to get a crispy exterior and juicy interior when baking, but I have to say that after testing this recipe several times, it isn’t quite the same.
However, if you want to cut some calories by not frying, I get it. So here is what you need to do:
- Prepare as stated. Marinate, double batter, etc.
- Instead of frying, preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Place chicken pieces on a baking sheet with a cooling rack on top, which will allow air flow and give you a crispier exterior. Be sure to spray the rack with oil so your chicken doesn’t stick. Leave room between each piece of chicken so you get enough air flow to crisp all the edges.
- Spray the chicken itself with cooking spray, and bake for 25 minutes.
- Turn the chicken over, being careful not to disrupt the batter.
- Cook for an additional 25 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees in the thickest part of the chicken.
- Turn oven to broil, broil for 2-3 minutes, watching closely, in order to get a nice golden and crispy exterior.
Trouble Shooting
If you have struggled to make fried chicken before, then you probably haven’t made this fried chicken recipe. But don’t worry, I am going to share some of the common problems when making a fried chicken dinner, and how to avoid them.
Why is my fried chicken not crispy?
Inconsistent heat:
One of the main causes of fried chicken not being crispy is the fryer oil did not stay at a consistent temperature. You can avoid this by using a thermometer in the oil to keep an eye on the temperature.
And also by resting your cold chicken on a counter for 30 minutes before frying so it can come up to room temp and not impact the temperature of the oil too drastically.
Heat too low:
Another common problem is having your heat too low. If the heat is too low, it takes longer for the chicken to fry, and the exterior will end up dense and filled with oil. Not it will become over-dense, oily, and leaden. The skin won’t be crispy.
Blotting oil:
Another thing that can cause the skin to be soggy not crispy is trying to get rid of excess oil by blotting it with a paper towel, or setting the chicken on paper towels like you would bacon. What this does is cause the steam to get trapped, and the moisture turns that beautiful crisp exterior into a soggy mess. Not what you want.
So how can you get rid of the excess oil?
Try setting the chicken on a cooling rack with paper towels beneath it. The paper towels will soak up the oil, but there will still be air flow so the steam won’t get trapped and make your chicken soggy.
What to Serve With Fried Chicken:
- Instant Pot Baked Beans
- Instant Pot Potato Salad
- Buttermilk Biscuits
- Cheddar Bacon Sweet Corn
- Mashed Potatoes
- Potato Wedges
Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs
- 4 chicken drumsticks
Spice Mix
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Buttermilk
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 3 Tbs pickle juice
Seasoned flour for dredging:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 1/2 quarts peanut oil for frying
Instructions
- Place chicken pieces in a large bowl, and add all of the spices from the spice mix: black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, white pepper, and cayenne
- Toss to coat.
- Stir in buttermilk and pickle juice until chicken is coated.
- Cover bowl, and refrigerate to marinate for 4- 6 hours. Can be overnight
- In a large shallow dish, combine flour, salt, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, chipotle, and onion powder.
- Remove chicken from the buttermilk and dredge each piece in the seasoned flour. Shake off any excess
- Pour buttermilk into a shallow dish, and then dip chicken back in buttermilk, and dredge a second time in the flour mixture. This should give you a nice, thick coating.
- Carefully transfer to a plate so as not to lose any of the flour coating. Let sit for about 30 minutes to come up to room temp while you heat the oil.
- In a large Dutch oven, oven medium to medium high heat, heat peanut oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Once oil is hot, carefully add all the chicken to the dutch oven, making sure each piece is submersed in the oil, and cook for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, turn the chicken pieces over, and cook for another 10-15 minutes until internal temperature of the thickest part reaches 165 degrees.
- Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet lined with paper towels, and place a cooling rack on top.
- When time is up and internal temperature shows the chicken is done, remove chicken from oil, and place on cooling rack.
- Let sit for 10 minutes to allow to cool before serving.
Notes
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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