How To Make Fried Chicken
Though fried chicken is a simple dish there are so many variations and options. The variations are mainly in terms of whether you need to brine the chicken before cooking, at what temperature it should be cooked, which oil is better to use, what starch/flour is better, etc. In this article, I like to share some tips that I learned.
What do you need to make fried chicken?
Cast iron skillet is better for retaining heat and even cooking. If you have a wide (11 or 12 inches), heavy bottom, high-sided pan with a lid that should work. It allows cooking few pieces of chicken at a time.
A wire rack and baking sheet are handy for draining the cooked chicken. Some people prefer to use paper towels that may result in soggy skin.
Temperature
Heat of the oil should be around 350 degrees. If you have a candy thermometer that will help otherwise simply add a little flour in to your heated oil and if it sizzles and immediately comes to the top then the oil is about the right temperature.
Chicken
You can make fried chicken by cutting the whole chicken into pieces or to save time buy chicken parts. A whole chicken can be cut into about 12 pieces for frying and it can serve 4 people, or use 12 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on pieces.
If you’re making this for kids then they may prefer drumsticks. Most people prefer a mixture of bone-in thighs and drumsticks. If you are cooking for someone who prefers white meat then bone-in breasts will also work. The serving size is usually two or three pieces per person, and you can reheat any leftovers and it still tastes good.
Brining Chicken
You can fry chicken without brining but brining make the chicken tender and adds lots of flavors. We highly recommend brining the chicken before frying. There are different ways to brine the chicken, choose the method you prefer.
To Brine the chicken, rinse the chicken, drain and set aside.
Basic Salt Brine
- 3 tablespoons of kosher salt
- 3 1/2 cups of warm water
- Add salt to the water and stir until the salt dissolves
- Put chicken to the salt brining solution and mix well.
- (Optional) add crushed garlic, fresh herbs
- Cover and place it in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours or overnight.
Buttermilk Brine
- Dissolve 2 tablespoons of kosher salt in 3 1/2 cups of fresh buttermilk
- 1 tsp fresh black pepper
- Add chicken and mix all together.
- Cover and place it in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours or overnight.
Coca-Cola Brine
Coca-Cola provides it with a flavour that plays nicely against the hot sauce.
- 3 1/2 cups Coca-cola
- 3 tablespoon salt
- 2 tbsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp hot sauce( tabasco sauce)
- 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme (optional)
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and stir until all salt is dissolved
- Put the chicken in the brine, cover, and marinate for 4-6 hrs or overnight.
- Turn the chicken occasionally while it is marinating.
Pickle Brine
- 3 cups of pickle juice
- Put the chicken to the pickle brining solution and mix well.
- Cover and place it in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours or overnight.
The Batter
A clean, delicious crust is the best part of a fried chicken. The starch coating gives that delicious crust.
Basic Crust
- 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp salt (Adjust salt to your taste)
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tsp hot pepper or paprika (optional)
Add these ingredients to a large sealable plastic bag, mix very well. Add 2 chicken pieces to the bag and close the bag; shake it a few times to coat well. Remove the pieces of chicken, shake off the excess flour, and set them aside. Repeat with the chicken that remains.
If you don’t have a plastic bag you can do the same in a large bowl. Just combine the chicken pieces with seasoned flour.
One thing to note that you’ll want to dredge the chicken right before frying , if you leave the chicken pieces with coating too long it will be soaked and reduce the crispiness.
Buttermilk-Brined Fried Chicken
Ingredients
For Marinating Chicken
- 1 Chicken or 12 Chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on or mix of thighs and drumsticks
- 3 cups buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoons ground black pepper
For Crust
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper more as needed
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt Adjust salt to your taste
- 2 cups peanut oil (lard or any neutral oil like canola, more as needed)
Instructions
- In a bowl, put the chicken pieces and toss with 3 cups buttermilk, 2 tablespoons of salt, and 1 tbsp black pepper. Cover and marinate for a minimum of 2 hour or keep it in the refrigerator for up to one day.
- Set a rack on a tray or baking sheet to place cooked chicken and drain.
- In a big bowl or, preferably, a large sealable plastic bag, mix the 1 1/2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper. Optional: You can add 1 tsp hot pepper or paprika
- Pour oil into a wide heavy-bottomed cast-iron skillet with high sides and a lid, fill it only half way of the skillet Heat the oil slowly to 350 degrees (Use a thermometer) over medium-high heat.
- Remove the chicken from the brine and drain any excess brine liquid. Put the chicken pieces in to the plastic bag filled with flour mixture and shake it well to coat or toss them with the flour mixture in the bowl to coat chicken pieces.
- Shake off the excess flour and add chicken pieces skin-side down into hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan, fry the pieces in batches. When you add the chicken pieces the oil temperature goes down. Adjust the temperature to keep it at 350 degrees. Cover the pan with a lid for five to ten minutes. Remove the lid and turn over the chicken pieces. Cook for another 5-10 minutes uncovered (Do not cover with lid) until they are cooked well and turn in to deep golden brown color. Turn the chicken often to prevent burning and get cooked evenly. The color indicates whether it is cooked so watch out for the color and remove it from the oil without burning the crust.
- Once the chicken pieces are golden brown then remove it from the oil to a rack, to drain all excell oil.
- Serve warm with Pickle Garlic Relish, hot sauce etc.
Read More: 15 Best Essential Kitchen Tools and Appliances for Home Cooking
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