Soul Food Southern Fried Chicken Seasoning
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What is Southern fried chicken?
Southern fried chicken is a beloved dish that originated in the Southern United States. As its name suggests, it is coated in flour and deep-fried in oil, resulting in a crispy, crunchy, and flavorful exterior, while the meat inside stays tender and juicy.
The credit for this dish primarily goes to the African American cooking community, who understands that mastering the art of creating crispy fried chicken relies heavily on seasoning.
The unique qualities of this dish are particularly enhanced when using authentic soul food seasoning, a blend of flavorful herbs and spices that elevate regular fried chicken to Southern fried chicken. Key spices in this seasoning typically include garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, poultry seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
Seasoning secrets for Southern fried chicken
What is the secret to good fried chicken?
Soul food is a comforting cuisine that originates from African American culture in the Southern United States. It traditionally combines African American culinary influences with elements of American and British cuisine, infused with the warmth, flavors, and traditions of West African seasonings.
Southern fried chicken—a dish created and perfected by Black cooks and an essential part of any soul food menu—relies on flavorful seasonings to be considered “good” fried chicken!
When preparing Southern fried chicken, achieving the perfect balance is key: tender meat on the inside and crispy, well-seasoned skin on the outside create a recipe for success!
Do you season fried chicken before or after frying?
When it comes to frying chicken, it’s important to know when to season it. A common mistake is to season the hot oil or to add seasoning after the chicken is fried.
So, to answer the question directly, “Should you put oil on chicken to season it?” The answer is no because the oil itself doesn’t contribute to the flavor.
This Southern fried chicken seasoning recipe includes a detailed list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions that emphasize the importance of seasoning the chicken before frying it!
Ingredients
What seasonings pair well together?
A great combination includes garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black and red pepper. I’m excited to share my acclaimed Southern fried chicken seasoning mix. This is what you’ve been looking for—a blend of premium spices that delivers savory flavor every time!
- Garlic powder lays the foundation with its robust, earthy tone.
- Onion powder follows, offering a sweet yet sharp contrast.
- Paprika introduces a smokey layer, coloring the mix with vibrant shades of red.
- Chili powder adds heat, sparking a fiery dance on the palate.
- Poultry seasoning, a medley in itself, weaves complex herbal notes throughout. I use Famous Dave’s Country Roast Chicken Seasoning.
- Salt acts as the enhancer, amplifying each distinct flavor.
- Black pepper rounds out the blend, providing a subtle kick that lingers.
How to season fried chicken
Should you season the chicken or the flour?
Always season both.
The first rule of soul food seasoning is to always season your chicken or meat! Seasoning your chicken or meat before cooking is essential, as it allows the spices to penetrate the meat, enhancing the flavors during cooking.
Before coating the chicken in seasoned flour, follow these steps:
- Mix the poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub the seasoning mixture all over each piece of chicken.
How to make this fried chicken seasoning blend
The next step in making this soul food fried chicken seasoning blend is to place the chicken in a bag or bowl filled with flour and the seasonings. Then, shake or toss the mixture to ensure an even coating.
There’s a common joke among Black folks that you need a plastic grocery store bag to mix and shake the combined seasonings and flour for the best flavor. While it’s meant humorously, it reflects a bit of old-school soul food wisdom about using what you have available to you!
Southern fried chicken recipes
A traditional Southern food menu is incomplete without a classic Southern fried chicken recipe, so selecting the right combination of spices is crucial for achieving the perfect flavor.
Mastering this spice blend, which is deeply rooted in soulful heritage and family kitchen secrets, involves learned skills and adaptations. It’s important to recognize that ingredients matter just as much as the cooking techniques used to prepare beloved fried chicken dishes.
These adaptions include classic soul food Southern fried chicken, chicken and waffles, air fryer Southern fried chicken, Instant Pot fried chicken, and a buttermilk fried chicken recipe.
Equipment
- or large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven
Ingredients
Seasoning for the chicken:
- 1 tablespoon seasoning poultry seasoning or all-purpose seasoning – I use Famous Dave's Country Roast Chicken Seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
Seasoning for the fried chicken batter:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- ¾ teaspoon red pepper
To fry the chicken you’ll also need the following:
- 6-8 pieces chicken
- 48 oz. peanut oil or vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- ½ cup buttermilk ½ cup of buttermilk = ½ cup of milk & ½ tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
Instructions
How to use this Southern fried chicken seasoning 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.
- To keep the fried chicken warm, allow it to drain in a closed container with a paper towel under the chicken.
- Serve this Southern fried chicken seasoning recipe right away, and enjoy!
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Nutrition
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I plan on trying a few of your recipes soon. I’m in the process of writing a grocery list. I am reading your recipe for Southern fried chicken and noticed that 1 -inch of oil is used to fry chicken. Is that correct? Thanx for your help
Yes, and thanks for asking! That is correct if you’re using a skillet to fry chicken. For a deep fryer, use the appliance’s fill line.