How To Fry Chicken
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How do you make fried chicken from scratch?
Cooking perfectly fried chicken with extra crispy skin is not as hard as it seems.
Everyone loves Southern fried chicken for its delicious crisp, crunchy, flavorful coating and juicy, tender meat.
But it can be hard to choose the right blend of Southern fried chicken spices and know all the how-to-fry chicken to-dos on your own.
How do you make the best fried chicken that’s both crispy and tender?
Here are step-by-step how to fry chicken instructions for how to cook the most delicious fried chicken from scratch with homemade Southern fried chicken seasoning!
This post will explain authentic Southern ingredients and deliver a detailed list of instructions for how to fry chicken using hot oil, a deep fryer, or a pan skillet.
How should you safely fry chicken at home?
New to frying chicken?
I suggest using a deep fryer.
What is the use of a deep fryer?
A deep fryer is a wonderful enclosed frying appliance that quickly fries foods like Southern fried chicken in deep oils at high temperatures.
Deep frying can quickly be done indoors or outdoors.
How do you fry chicken in a pressure cooker?
People often ask, “Can you make this in your Instant Pot?”
For how to fry chicken in a pressure cooker, check out this recipe HERE.
Can this be made in an air fryer?
Do air fryers work for soul food Southern fried chicken?
While the ingredients are the same (less cooking oil), the cooking appliances couldn’t be more different!
Check out this recipe for air fryer fried chicken HERE.
What kind of chicken should you buy?
So you’re ready to learn how to fry chicken!
But now you need to know which part of the chicken you should use for a Black folks’ soul food Southern fried chicken recipe?
Great news! You can use this Southern fried chicken recipe on whatever chicken pieces you like!
Whole chicken, half, or just your favorite parts of the chicken – frozen chicken wings, legs, chicken breast, chicken thigh, boneless skinless chicken thighs, chicken tenders, chicken legs, quarters, or drumsticks!
Now, what exactly is Southern fried chicken?
Southern fried chicken is a classic fried chicken recipe originating in the Southern part of the US.
As the name suggests, it’s battered in flour and deep fried in oil to yield chicken with a crispy, crunchy, and flavorful outside, with tender, juicy meat on the inside.
What is the secret to good fried chicken?
The key to making delicious Southern fried chicken is to use the right Southern fried chicken seasonings and ingredients – all of which this recipe will guide you through!
What is the difference between fried chicken and Southern fried chicken?
The difference between fried chicken and Southern fried chicken has everything to do with the seasoning and flavor!
Luck for you – you’ve chosen to use a how-to-fry chicken Southern soul food recipe!
(Aren’t you a smarty!)
How to cook fried chicken
What do you brine your chicken in?
You may use a buttermilk fried chicken recipe like this one HERE.
Why soak chicken in buttermilk?
Marinating chicken in buttermilk (milk + apple cider vinegar) is a process that involves soaking meat for several hours to tenderize it.
A buttermilk marinade can intensify the savory seasoning flavors. But it’s not required for frying chicken.
How do you season chicken before cooking?
Soul food seasoning rule number one:
Always season your chicken or meat before you cook it!
Seasoning chicken before cooking allows the spices to penetrate the meat and helps release the flavor during the cooking process.
The recipe instructions will explain how to season the chicken and then the flour before cooking.
Seasoning for the chicken:
- 1 tablespoon of poultry seasoning or all-purpose seasoning (I use Famous Dave’s Country Roast Chicken Seasoning)
- 1 ½ teaspoons of salt
- ¾ teaspoon of black pepper
Seasoning for the fried chicken flour:
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons of garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons of onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons of paprika
- ¾ teaspoon of red pepper
Are there any Southern fried chicken seasoning substitutes you can use?
You could use a Cajun seasoning in place of the poultry seasoning.
Or cayenne pepper in place of the red pepper/chili pepper.
What else can you use to season the flour?
Corn starch for more crunch, or hot sauce for more heat!
Why add cornstarch to the fried chicken batter?
Some Southern fried chicken recipes call for cornstarch to bind and thicken the batter for an extra crunch! But cornstarch is not required.
At what temperature do you cook soul food fried chicken?
The temperature to maintain the hot oil when deep-frying this Southern fried chicken recipe is 350 degrees F.
Can you use vegetable oil to fry the chicken, or is peanut oil required?
Peanut oil is preferred for deep-frying because of its relatively high smoke point of about 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Other oils have higher smoke points but impart a strong flavor to the food. Peanut oil is a mild-flavored oil, so it won’t interfere with the taste of the fried chicken.
Peanut oil has the least amount of saturated fats compared to other cooking oils, making it the best choice for frying chicken.
Do you have to fry chicken in peanut oil?
No, especially if you’re allergic to peanuts! Instead, use vegetable oil.
How long does it take to fry chicken?
How many minutes do you cook fried chicken? Deep fry the chicken for 10-12 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F, occasionally turning to prevent excessive browning.
You can always use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature.
How do you know when the chicken is cooked?
You’ll know when the chicken batter turns golden brown. Then remove it from the hot oil.
What makes this fried chicken so crispy?
It’s the oil temperature maintained at 350 degrees F.
Hot oil is essential when preparing fried chicken in a deep fryer, Dutch oven, or cast iron skillet. Because it’s the cooking agent for frying the chicken and achieving crispy skin.
Kitchen equipment for how to fry chicken
Ingredients for how to fry chicken
- 6-8 pieces of chicken (or one 3-pound chicken cut into pieces)
- 48 oz. of peanut oil, or vegetable oil
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons of garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons of onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons of paprika
- ¾ teaspoon of red pepper (chili pepper)
- 1 tablespoon of poultry seasoning or all-purpose seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons of salt
- ¾ teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 egg
- ½ cup of buttermilk (½ cup of buttermilk = ½ cup of milk & ½ tablespoon of apple cider vinegar)
You can make the buttermilk for this recipe yourself.
Because let’s be real – it’s not a common pantry ingredient!
Buttermilk for this recipe: ½ cup of buttermilk = ½ cup of milk + ½ tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Instructions for how to fry chicken
- Mix the poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub the seasoning mixture all over each piece of chicken.
- Pour the peanut oil (preferred) or vegetable oil into a deep fryer, 6-quart skillet, or Dutch oven until the oil is 1-inch deep.
- Heat the oil over medium heat or until it reaches 350 degrees F.
- While you’re waiting for the oil to heat up, place 1 cup of the divided flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and red pepper in a medium-size mixing bowl or 1-gallon resealable food storage bag.
- Shake (or mix) the sealed bag to combine the ingredients for a homemade poultry seasoning, and set the flour mixture aside.
- Pour the second cup of flour into a second resealable bag (or medium-sized mixing bowl) and set it aside.
- In another medium-sized bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg, and set that mixture aside too.
- The chicken will go through a 3-step process from here.
- First, place the chicken in the bag (or bowl) of seasoned flour and shake or toss to coat the chicken evenly.
- Second, shake off the excess flour and dip the chicken into the buttermilk mixture.
- Third, transfer the chicken to the last bag (or bowl) of flour and shake or toss until it’s very well coated.
- Place the coated chicken into the pre-heated oil, skin-side down, and be careful not to overcrowd the chicken in the oil.
- You can fry a second batch if need be to avoid overcrowding by frying all the chicken at once. Just make sure the hot oil remains at 350 degrees F.
- Cook the chicken pieces for 10 to 12 minutes, occasionally turning to prevent excessive browning.
- As the chicken batter turns golden brown, remove it from the hot oil, and allow it to drain in a closed container (to keep the fried chicken warm) with a paper towel under the chicken.
- Serve this Southern fried chicken recipe right away, and enjoy!
How to fry chicken FAQs
Why isn’t your fried chicken crispy?
The oil in the fryer was either too high or too low. The oil should be maintained at 350 degrees F.
Can you make fried chicken ahead of time?
Yes, but keep in mind there is nothing like a fresh batch of piping hot Southern fried chicken right out of the fryer!
How long is fried chicken good for?
Southern fried chicken is good for 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
What should you serve with this chicken?
What do you serve with a soul food Southern fried chicken recipe?
From baked macaroni and cheese to creamy mashed potatoes, baked beans, Southern coleslaw, or collard greens.
These are only a few soul food favorites that go well with fried chicken.
What sauce goes with Black folks’ soul food, southern fried chicken?
Whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or an afternoon snack, one of these condiments is sure to be a favorite for Southern fried chicken.
- Hot sauce
- Ranch dressing
- Pure honey
- Honey mustard
- Ketchup
- BBQ sauce
What do you think about this recipe?
Have you had it?
Would you make it?
Comment below and lemme know.
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Equipment
- or large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 6-8 pieces chicken or one 3-pound chicken cut into pieces
- 48 oz peanut oil or vegetable oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- ¾ teaspoon red pepper chili pepper
- 1 tablespoon seasoning poultry seasoning or all-purpose seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 egg
- ½ cup buttermilk ½ cup of buttermilk = ½ cup of milk & ½ tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Mix the poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub the seasoning mixture all over each piece of chicken.
- Pour the peanut oil (preferred) or vegetable oil into a deep fryer, 6-quart skillet, or Dutch oven until the oil is 1-inch deep.
- Heat the oil over medium heat or until it reaches 350 degrees F.
- While you’re waiting for the oil to heat up, place 1 cup of the divided flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and red pepper in a medium-size mixing bowl or 1-gallon resealable food storage bag.
- Shake (or mix) the sealed bag to combine the ingredients for a homemade poultry seasoning, and set the flour mixture aside.
- Pour the second cup of flour into a second resealable bag (or medium-sized mixing bowl) and set it aside.
- In another medium-sized bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg, and set that mixture aside too.
- The chicken will go through a 3-step process from here.
- First, place the chicken in the bag (or bowl) of seasoned flour and shake or toss to coat the chicken evenly.
- Second, shake off the excess flour and dip the chicken into the buttermilk mixture.
- Third, transfer the chicken to the last bag (or bowl) of flour and shake or toss until it’s very well coated.
- Place the coated chicken into the pre-heated oil, skin-side down, and be careful not to overcrowd the chicken in the oil.
- You can fry a second batch if need be to avoid overcrowding by frying all the chicken at once. Just make sure the hot oil remains at 350 degrees F.
- Cook the chicken pieces for 10 to 12 minutes, occasionally turning to prevent excessive browning.
- As the chicken batter turns golden brown, remove it from the hot oil, and allow it to drain in a closed container (to keep the fried chicken warm) with a paper towel under the chicken.
- Serve this Southern fried chicken recipe right away, and enjoy!