What makes Southern fried chicken stand out from all other fried chicken? A crisp fried batter crust and juicy, tender meat that falls off the bone.
Usually to make true Southern fried chicken you need to start the day before frying (or at least early in the morning). Chicken pieces are allowed to marinate for at least 8 hours in buttermilk before being coated with the batter that will encase it, becoming it's crisp shell. If you are pressed for time, the marinating can be skipped but the flavor of the meat will be slightly less savory.
To properly coat the chicken you will need a medium sized bowl and either a disposable paper lunch bag or a quart sized plastic zipper bag. For frying you will need a deep frying pan with a lid or a dutch oven.
Follow all of the instructions below for traditional Southern fried chicken or skip the marinating and go straight to the coating. If you are not marinating your chicken be sure to rinse the chicken well and pat it dry before rolling it in flour.
Southern Fried Chicken:
Marinating Ingredients:
- 2 # frying chicken cut into pieces
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 3 or 4 dashes of Tabasco or other similar hot sauce
- 1 gallon plastic zipper bag or 13x9 pan
Marinating Method:
- Pour buttermilk into bag
- Add Tabasco sauce
- Seal bag and shake
- Wash chicken well, pat it dry and put into zipper bag with buttermilk
- Shake bag to coat chicken (or if using pan, roll pieces in milk and cover with plastic wrap
- Place in refrigerator and allow to sit at least 8 hours or overnight
Fried Chicken Ingredients:
- 2# marinated chicken pieces (drain off all milk used for marinating)
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 cups vegetable oil
Fried Chicken Method:
- Pour 2 cups of oil in frying pan or dutch oven begin heating oil over medium high heat
- Place milk and egg in a med sized bowl and beat with a fork until egg and milk are incorporated
- Mix all dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl
- Pour about 1/3 to 1/2 of the flour mixture into your shaking bag (paper lunch bag or quart size zipper bag)
- Using only 1 piece of chicken at a time, place chicken if shaking bag and shake to coat
- Set each piece of chicken on a tray or plate as you work on other pieces
- After each piece of chicken has been coated with flour, take chicken pieces one at a time and dip them first in the egg mixture and then back into the flour mixture in the shaking bag to coat well (add more flour mixture from the mixing bowl as needed)
- Shake off any excess flour and place pieces on a dry plate or tray to await frying
- When oil temp reaches 360 degrees reduce heat to med and carefully lay coated chicken pieces in oil one at a time
- Be careful of hot oil, it can pop and splash
- When the pan is full (you may have to cook the chicken in more than one batch) put the lid on and allow to fry for 25 min turning chicken 2 or 3 times. Be careful when lifting the lid, condensation on the inside of the lid can collect and fall into the hot oil causing the oil to pop and splash.
- If the temp of the oil falls too low chicken will not cook all the way through before the crust browns. Using a frying or candy thermometer to monitor oil temp.
- When chicken is done, remove piece by piece using tongs
- Place chicken on a large plate or tray covered with paper towel or brown paper bags to absorb excess oil and help keep the crust crisp and not greasy.
Fried chicken will not keep crisp if stored overnight in the refrigerator but many people enjoy it cold the next day as a snack or at a beach lunch or picnic.
Jackie Milligan - My name is Jackie and I am a foodie. As a small child, my mother inspired me with the love of good fresh food made from scratch. I ...
