EASY STEP BY STEP TUTORIAL ON HOW TO MAKE FRIED CHICKEN

How to Cook Delicious, Crunchy Fried Chicken in 5 Steps

Fried chicken is a traditional comfort food that is crunchy outside and juicy inside. Whether it’s preparing it for a family dinner or a special get-together, nothing can compete with the savory crunch and juicy goodness of homemade fried chicken. On this guide, we’ll walk you through how to make perfectly crispy fried chicken in your own home.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

For the Chicken:

4-6 bone-in chicken pieces (leg quarters, thighs, breasts, or wings)

2 cups buttermilk (for brining)

1 tablespoon hot sauce (optional, for more flavor)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper, optional for heat

Salt and pepper to taste

For Frying:

Vegetable oil or peanut oil (enough for deep frying)

Paper towels (to drain the chicken after frying)

Instructions:

Marinate the Chicken

The most important thing you can do to your chicken before you cook it, is marinating it so it stays juicy and packed with flavor. In a large bowl, mix the buttermilk with the hot sauce (if using), salt and pepper. Stir well.

Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and ensure they’re entirely submerged in the buttermilk mixture. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours or overnight if you can for maximum flavor and tenderness.

Prepare the Flour Coating

In another large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper (if using), and salt and pepper.

Mix it all together until he all incorporated. This will give the crispy coating to the chicken.

Coat the Chicken

When your chicken has marinated, remove it from the refrigerator. Take each piece out of the buttermilk mixture and allow any excess liquid to drip off.

Coat the chicken pieces with the flour mixture, shaking off the excess. Pat the flour into the chicken to form a thick, even coating. To make it extra crispy, dip the chicken in the buttermilk a second time and then dip in the flour a second time.

Heat the Oil

In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, pour in about 2-3 inches of vegetable oil (or peanut oil) and put over medium-high heat. To test for the oil being hot enough, drop a small bit of flour into the oil. If it shimmers and floats quickly to the surface, it’s ready to fry.

Keep the oil temp in that 350° to 375°F range (175°C to 190°C) so the chicken cooks through without burning, and becomes crispy.

Fry the Chicken

Drop in the breaded chicken in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan. Fry in batches, if needed, so that you don’t drop the temperature of the oil too much.

Fry the chicken for 10-12 minutes on each side, and adjust the cooking time based on the size of the pieces; the crust should be golden brown and crispy, and the internal temperature at 165°F (75°C), confirmed by inserting a meat thermometer.

Tossing the chicken now and again helps it to cook evenly on all sides. For larger pieces, you may need to tweak the cooking time a little.

Drain the Chicken

When cooked, remove the chicken with tongs or a slotted spoon, and transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

Serve and Enjoy

Let the fried chicken rest for several minutes before serving. This gives the juices time to redistribute and helps keep the chicken juicy and tender inside.

Pair this fried chicken with your favorite sides, such as mashed potatoes, coleslaw or cornbread, for the best of comfort food.

How To Make Perfect Fried Chicken:

Use Buttermilk for TendernessSure, using a marinade helps, and marinating adds flavor (may it be for a few hours), however, buttermilk gives extra moisture and tenderness to your chicken.

Work in Batches: Namely, don’t crowd the pan; too much chicken will drop the temperature of the oil, leading to greasy chicken.

Check the Oil Temperature: You want your oil to stay at a consistent temperature for crispy fried chicken. And if the oil is too hot, the coating will scorch before the chicken cooks through. If it’s too cool, the chicken will turn greasy.

Let It Rest: Resting chicken after frying helps it stay crispy and juicy.

Conclusion

Homemade fried chicken that’s crispy, juicy and full of flavor. With the proper techniques, a bit of patience and some practice, you can make fried chicken that is better than any restaurant’s. And if you’re hosting a dinner party, or making a “how do you do” meal for family during the weekend, this fried chicken recipe is guaranteed to dazzle. Now all of that is brought together in the form of our pan fried chicken recipe, so get frying!

They are then trained on the best practices using the above data, such that keywords are picked to make the blog SEO-friendly like : How to make fried chicken, Crispy fried chicken recipe, Homemade fried chicken etc., If you want me to change anything or if you need more tips, just tell me!