# Fried Chicken!



## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Someone make some! I have a hankering.
What's the best Fried Chicken recipe you've had?


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

We don’t make oil fried food at home but we do go to Chick fil A.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Old Thomas said:


> We don’t make oil fried food at home but we do go to Chick fil A.


How about bacon grease?😄

I did notice that almost all the fried chicken photos I looked at, looked dry, not at all moist/greasy.


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

this is my "go to" for chicken - everything is from the freezer or a box. 
wings, trimmed and separated
battered in seasoned flour mix twice (following the instructions on the box).
mashed potatoes from the freezer, thawed in the microwave
macaroni n cheese from the freezer, thawed in the microwave
chicken gravy from a bag, following the instructions on the bag
oil at 350* (verified with an oil thermometer).
cooked until desired degree of doneness is reached.
drain on rack, served with mashed potatoes and gravy. mac-n-cheese, (and biscuits if you have time to make them).


































*of course, "doctored up" to suit your own personal taste.*


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

I can't remember if my mother ( and I) used bacon fat and butter or bacon fat and Crisco.
I'm not recommending that, it just makes *good* fried chicken. I'll have to experiment with both one day.
A Fry Daddy & paper towels makes for less absorption of the frying fat.

As I grew up, my palate naturally moved away from so much fat, but, it still is good tasting!









Southern Fried Chicken


Every Southern cook has their special touch for fried chicken.




www.splendidtable.org


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

John Smith_inFL said:


> this is my "go to" for chicken - everything is from the freezer or a box


You forgot the salsa fresca!
😄

My version = fresh red tomatoes, half again as much onion, garlic, cilantro if you like, jalapeno chile pepper or red pepper flakes. No cooking. I use a blender. Just make sure your significant-other eats it, too.

Dip everything in this as you eat.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

I use a recipe like this for chicken pieces and boneless chicken breast. I use an electric frying pan and vegetable oil. I also soak the chicken in buttermilk for a couple/ few hours.








Fried Buttermilk Chicken Strips


An easy and delicious buttermilk chicken tenders recipe. Crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside, these fried strips are sure to please.




www.allrecipes.com


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

Nik333 said:


> I can't remember if my mother ( and I) used bacon fat and butter or bacon fat and Crisco.
> I'm not recommending that, it just makes *good* fried chicken. I'll have to experiment with both one day.
> A Fry Daddy & paper towels makes for less absorption of the frying fat.
> As I grew up, my palate naturally moved away from so much fat, but, it still is good tasting!
> ...


We use vegetable oil. But lard is the best. I hate to use the lard as I need it for other dishes and it takes quite a bit to fill the Fry Daddy. I use the Fry Daddy for wing sections but use a skillet for whole cut up fried chicken. The Fry Daddy is not big enough.
If I'm making fried chicken, its fried in oil. Just heavy salt and pepper and dredged in flour. Thats it. Nothing more.



Two Knots said:


> I use a recipe like this for chicken pieces and boneless chicken breast. I use an electric frying pan and vegetable oil. I also soak the chicken in buttermilk for a couple/ few hours.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My father always used an electric skillet for fried foods. He liked to be able to set the temp and be all set. When he made bollitos he always said the electric skillet was required.
I'm going to make some soon. I make conch fritters once in awhile. But bollitos take time and effort. Especially separating the black eyed peas from there skins.
Buttermilk while popular for soaking chicken pieces in, burns easily in hot oil. When buttermilk is used it must be drained and patted dry before flouring. I have used it before, but the chicken comes out much darker than I like and to be honest I don't see a big advantage.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

@J. V. - I think the buttermilk works by the acid being a tenderizer. It's an ancient tecnique, actually, in regards to soaking in yogurt.

I adore chicken barg ( kabob)









Persian Chicken Kebab (Joojeh Kabob)


Persian chicken kebab (joojeh kabob or kabob eh morgh) is incredibly moist and flavorful because of the saffron, onion and yogurt marinade.




familyspice.com


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

Nik333 said:


> @J. V. - I think the buttermilk works by the acid being a tenderizer. It's an ancient tecnique, actually, in regards to soaking in yogurt.


Yes. But it seems to burn easily unless you shake and dry up the chicken before dropping into hot oil. For this reason I have stopped using buttermilk. Today I dry brine.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

Mostly I fry deboned thighs in a 350 degree electric skillet alternating sides in 5 minute intervals for about 20-25 minutes. Deboning allows for a mostly uniform thickness and no cold mass in the middle to overcome.

As for the seasoning the 4 hour minimum brined chicken is coated is a mixture of flour,salt, pepper an poultry seasoning (McCormicks).


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

.


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## dd57chevy (Jun 21, 2015)

@Nik333 ,(or TK ,or _anybody_)I must have missed this thread ! 

I have _literally _tried 7 or 8 times in the last couple of years to deep fry chicken . I've tried Paula Deans recipe , a copycat KFC recipe , but this is the one I _really _hoped would turn out well :
Pioneer Take-Out Fried Chicken - Dinner, then Dessert (dinnerthendessert.com)

My problem is , I lose half or _more _of the crust . It won't stick to the chicken !
Anybody have any ideas _why _???


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Try a recipe that includes a dry crust, not a wet batter? And make sure your chicken is as dry as you can get it before you flour/cornstarch it (and knock off _all_ the excess starch before you dip it).


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## dd57chevy (Jun 21, 2015)

Yea , that's what I've done . I carefully pat dry each piece & make sure to shake of the excess flour mix .

The batter is really good when fried , it just won't stay on the chicken ! 😁


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

dd57chevy said:


> @Nik333 ,(or TK ,or _anybody_)I must have missed this thread !
> 
> I have _literally _tried 7 or 8 times in the last couple of years to deep fry chicken . I've tried Paula Deans recipe , a copycat KFC recipe , but this is the one I _really _hoped would turn out well :
> Pioneer Take-Out Fried Chicken - Dinner, then Dessert (dinnerthendessert.com)
> ...





dd57chevy said:


> Yea , that's what I've done . I carefully pat dry each piece & make sure to shake of the excess flour mix .
> 
> The batter is really good when fried , it just won't stay on the chicken ! 😁


Some flour is always going to be released when frying. However you can mitigate this. 
First season heavily with salt and pepper. You can brine if you like but I don't. Watch out for salt when using a salt brine.
Also watch out when brining in buttermilk. This can cause premature over browning and or burning. Especially around the edges.
Dry chicken with a kitchen towel. Paper towels work but you will need more of them. After you dry the chicken well. Place chicken in one layer, on a plate with paper towels or sheet pan with rack and place into the fridge uncovered for at least 4-6 hours. Or better overnight. This helps complete the drying and produces a pellicle on the outside of the chicken. The chicken will hold the flour much better.
I do not do this as I have no issue frying chicken dredged in flour. I rinse, dry, season and dredge all at once.
Another suggestion is to use fine rice flour and some corn starch or a combination including AP flour as the dredging medium.
Make sure the frying oil is at 360 degrees. This sets the dredge on the chicken. If the oil is not hot enough the dredge will fall away. If its to hot the chicken will brown long before its completely cooked.

Now I don't do this but I know this method works.
Dredge dried, seasoned chicken in flour mixture. Dip into remaining buttermilk brine or egg wash with milk and then back into the flour mixture. This will double coat the chicken and lend to the flour mixture staying where you put it.
Another way is to allow the flour dredged chicken pieces to sit for 30-45 minutes in the fridge. Then fry.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

dd57chevy said:


> Yea , that's what I've done . I carefully pat dry each piece & make sure to shake of the excess flour mix .
> 
> The batter is really good when fried , it just won't stay on the chicken ! 😁


I wonder if the batter itself is the problem. Perhaps next time try an egg wash before the batter?


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## dd57chevy (Jun 21, 2015)

I had to look this up and it seems to make sense :
Pellicle (cooking) - Wikipedia

Thanks guys !


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Not sure how the pellicle concept applies to fried chicken—can you enlighten?


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## dd57chevy (Jun 21, 2015)

JV seems to be a legitimate _expert _. Maybe he can explain........
Less than 14 hours ago I hadn't _heard _of it . 😁


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

huesmann said:


> Not sure how the pellicle concept applies to fried chicken—can you enlighten?





dd57chevy said:


> JV seems to be a legitimate _expert _. Maybe he can explain........
> Less than 14 hours ago I hadn't _heard _of it . 😁


Any meat that is allowed to sit uncovered in the fridge will form a pellicle. In simple terms a pellicle is a tacky result. This may lend to the flour adhering to the chicken better. I don't use this method as I don't need to use it for frying chicken.
A pellicle is a great way to get seasonings to stick to meat.

Thinking further in regards to the poster that cannot keep the dredging on chicken while frying. I think dredging, then resting the chicken in the fridge will greatly improve his results. This will adhere the flour medium much better.
He could always dredge a second time after the first rest.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

But we're not sure if the issue is the flour (1st layer) sticking to the chicken, or the batter (2nd layer) sticking to the chicken (well, sticking to the flour). If it's the latter, pellicle or no pellicle wouldn't matter.


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

My favorite Fried Chicken Recipe is someone elses. I am sad to admit that I have never Fried my own Fried Chicken. Or most any food that requires deep frying. 

I think it comes from my Mom's fear of deep frying. Either she had a fire in the kitchen from deep frying or one of her cousin's did. And, she passed it along. Because I have done most of the cooking in my family, neither of my wives never brought it into the kitchen. 

When I worked in small electrics department I did test a couple of deep fryers and did french frys. They did taste a bit better. And I tried hand cut potatoes going through all the steps of soaking rinsing, etc. and par boiling at different temps and while they were incredible, the added work never seemed worth the payout. Plus, waiting for the oil to cool down, straining and storing the oil, cleaning the deep fryer, etc.. was such a hassle for my wife...

And my kids were happy with oven baked frozen ones so, I stuck with those. Plus, KFC was pretty close..

With the advent of the Air Fryer though, I am now able to quench my fondness of crispy wings at home. Plus I can buy my favorite sauces at the grocery store. And make my own. Not only that, I can BUY disjointed wings at the store as well!! My only wish is that I had a bigger air fryer so that I can cook more at onetime!!!

I still buy KFC and I order it out at a restaurant if they are known for it. And I grill and roast and rotisserie a ton of chicken at home. However, as for Frying Battered Chicken at home? Probably never going to happen at my house. Besides, how do you get rid of that damn smell of burnt grease?


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

Wings are the top of my air-fryer list. Fresh tater fries or medallions not so much.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

I‘m going to make it soon, and see how I do…I plan on using a buttermilk soak and then flour and some spices, frying it, and then finishing it off in the oven.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

I found this old pic from when I made fried chicken.
Here‘s the thread…It looks pretty good.








What’s for Dinner?


Tonite’s dinner - Cut up buttermilk fried chicken breast macaroni salad with chopped egg & a whole avocado Fried eggplant cucumber salad with sour cream with spanish onion. I fried the chicken and eggplant outside on my little table for two...I got an idea to use my electric fry pan outside...




www.diychatroom.com


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

huesmann said:


> But we're not sure if the issue is the flour (1st layer) sticking to the chicken, or the batter (2nd layer) sticking to the chicken (well, sticking to the flour). If it's the latter, pellicle or no pellicle wouldn't matter.


I have never had an issue with dredging chicken in flour and deep frying. I am going to assume in this scenario its a batter issue. There is absolutely no reason to use a batter for fried chicken or especially batter then dredged . Shrimp or fish yes. Fried chicken no.
Oil at the correct temperature and flour works for most everyone. I mean its SOP. Or the OP is expecting something that he cannot replicate.


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

J. V. said:


> I have never had an issue with dredging chicken in flour and deep frying. I am going to assume in this scenario its a batter issue. There is absolutely no reason to use a batter for fried chicken or especially batter then dredged . Shrimp or fish yes. Fried chicken no.
> Oil at the correct temperature and flour works for most everyone. I mean its SOP. Or the OP is expecting something that he cannot replicate.


Since I have never made Fried Chicken, I don't have any recipes and by no means am I an expert. So, I turned to some experts. My favorite is Alton Brown, mostly because he looks at the science behind cooking. And Tyler Florence, another southern boy. I also looked at Bobby Flays recipe and a couple others. 

Most of them do a brine, either in buttermilk or a salt brine. Some (Tyler) did a dry salt/spice brine which I like for steak. All of them recommend uncovered overnight in the fridge. 

The chicken is always drained, salt brined is rinsed, then the chicken is patted dry. 

For those who a dry dredge, they usually did a buttermilk brine. For those who do a wet dredge, they do either a dry brine or a salt brine. 

The wet portion of the wet dredge usually includes Buttermilk and hot sauce. Sometimes eggs other products are included. Alton added Bourbon to his. 

The dredge always contains spices ranging from your usual bland spices, (Garlic Powder, Onion Powder and Paprika) to unusual ones like Sumac or hot spices like cayenne, chipotle, and other peppers. The sky's the limit. For the flour portion, AP, Cake, Regular wheat, Rice, some include corn starch and other ingredients. If it is a wet dredge, the dry portion of the dredge is divided in half, one half is for pre-wet and the other is for post wet. 

Regardless of the dredge type, after each dredge, resting is required. This is probably when the pellicle is formed or at least starting to form. 

In a wet dredge, after a bit of resting, you then dip in the wet portion, shake off the excess, some suggest putting it on a cooling rack and letting it rest for a bit, others went directly to the dredge. Then to the rest. 

One thing I found interesting is that in a couple of recipes, notably Alton's, they suggest rubbing the dredge into the chicken. This is done to promote the crust sticking to the skin. I think this could help with the problem of the crust falling off. 

They all recommend either cooking in batches or arranging the chicken so that the dark pieces are in the hot zone and the light pieces are in the cooler zone. Most recommend a cast iron skillet, cast iron pot or similar. Most recommend shortening, a few suggest peanut oil or other high smoke point oil. I don't think one of them using a deep fryer. 

Alton suggested using a cooling rack placed over paper instead of putting the fried chicken directly ON the paper. This makes sense to me as the it would allow the excess oil to drain while keeping the chicken crisp. 
Here is a link to some recipes:
Tyler Florence
Alton's Dry Dredge
Alton's Wet Dredge


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## dd57chevy (Jun 21, 2015)

J. V. said:


> I have never had an issue with dredging chicken in flour and deep frying. I am going to assume in this scenario its a batter issue. *There is absolutely* *no reason to use a batter * for fried chicken or especially batter then dredged . Shrimp or fish yes. Fried chicken no.
> Oil at the correct temperature and flour works for most everyone. I mean its SOP. Or the OP is expecting something that he cannot replicate.


Not trying to argue J.V , but see the link in my post # 13 . It is a copycat recipe for Pioneer FC which is one I've tried to duplicate . 
I guess I don't understand why batter fried chicken would necessarily be "verboten" .


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

dd57chevy said:


> Not trying to argue J.V , but see the link in my post # 13 . It is a copycat recipe for Pioneer FC which is one I've tried to duplicate .
> I guess I don't understand why batter fried chicken would necessarily be "verboten" .


I found several wet dredge recipes. From Chefs like Bobby Flay, Tyler Florence and Alton Brown. 

A Wet Dredge or batter crust, gives you an extra crispy crust from the double layer of of the flour dredge, with a dipping in a liquid between. 

It is not my thing, but if you like KFC's extra crispy style of chicken, then a wet dredge is the recipe for you. 

The "Traditional" Southern style of Fried Chicken is a dry dredge from everything I looked at. 

There is no correct method of cooking Fried Chicken except for the way you like to cook it. 

I would suggest that if you like the wet dredge, massage the flour into the chicken and let it rest before frying it. Heck, do it for any type of fried chicken. It helps promote the flour and spices to adhere better.


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## YaterSpoon (Dec 1, 2016)

Popeye's


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

YaterSpoon said:


> Popeye's


Had it once, didn't like it. But, that is my choice. to each their own.


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## dd57chevy (Jun 21, 2015)

The truth is , I've never _had _ Pioneer F chicken . I stumbled across it by accident . But it _looks _like chicken from the now defunct "Bishop's Buffet" Restuarant ., a small Iowa chain I remember from my youth . _GREAT _ chicken !
.
,
I wonder if they could get away with advertising specifically for a woman baker _today ........_
Ad circa 1968 :


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

My grandpa’s iron skillet says chicken fryer on the bottom and is extra deep. I was on here a few years ago when I tried to fry chicken and started a fire on my stove top so I haven’t tried since. I use corn flake crumbs and bake in the oven.


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