Crispy Fried Chicken

It is Sunday. Which means Sunday dinner is happening. This is not a drill. It isn’t time for experimentation. It is time for tried and tested recipes. I mean you can’t bring out a new recipe for Sunday dinner unless you are confident. So this crispy fried chicken recipe is officially legit. Always a picnic favorite, this recipe is delicious either hot or room temperature.

It is a THING in my house. It is a staple. Out of the 100 recipes I have on the blog this has been the 2nd most used in our family. Right behind my grandma’s biscuits.

Wanna hear a funny story? My family gets together on Sundays for dinner. This is a fact. Rain or sunshine- Hurricane or blistering heat- dinner will go on.  During hurricane Wilma while the rest of our neighbors were bolted up we were having Sunday dinner. Why? Because that is what we do. That’s just how we roll.

So I have a couple for tips for awesome crispy fried chicken. The key is not noter batter the chicken. I hate a heavy batter. It takes super long to crisp up and sometimes the skin doesn’t get to really fry and crackle. Which in my book is a sin. It should be a crime.

Also have some patience with the process of frying chicken. Don’t over crowd the pan. I used a skillet for these and in a 12 inch pan I only placed in 3 pieces. Also when you remove it from the oil- place it on a rack. Allow the chicken to cool down- your mouth will thank me. SIDE NOTE: If you look in the picture above- can you see where I started to munch on the chicken. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help it. Hahaha!

Make it a complete dinner with these recipes:

Buttermilk Parmesan Biscuits 

OR

Sweet Cornbread

Then you can top it with some of this Whipped Honey Butter.

Yup, I went there.I had to guys! Just have fun with these recipes. It is only cooking. I hope you guys try this out and enjoy it as much as I did. This literally was the best week of my kids life because they got fried chicken a couple of nights. 🙂 Send me your pictures and tagged me online.

XOXO,

Ann

5 from 4 votes

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Crispy Fried Chicken

This crispy fried chicken recipe is a picnic favorite. Easy enough for weeknight dinners or Sunday get togethers. Wonderfully crisp and perfectly seasoned. Make it and love it!

Ingredients

Brine

• 2 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
• 2 Tablespoon Onion Powder
• 2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
• 2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
• 3 Teaspoon Cheyenne Pepper

Batter

• 1 1/2 Cup Buttermilk
• 1 Cup Cornstarch
• 1 1/2 Cup Flour
• Pinch salt and pepper
• 8 Pieces Chicken
• 6 cups High heat oil (Peanut oil or safflower oil)
• 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

Instructions

1.  Dry brine:

   Take all the ingredients for the brine and the chicken pieces place them in a ziplock bag or air tight container. Rub the brine into the chicken. Don't be shy. Let sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight( I recommend overnight).

   Put the flour, corn starch, sugar, salt and pepper in a large plastic bag. 

   Open the ziplock bag with the chicken and pour in buttermilk. Give them a good shake. Take out a couple pieces of chicken at a time and place them in the bag with the flour, seal the bag and shake to coat well. Place the coated chicken on a wire rack and cover them with a dish towel/ paper towel what ever you have. Allow them to sit and the flour/buttermilk mixture to get sticky. This requires trust. It works.

   Fill a large cast iron skillet about 1/2 full with oil. Heat until VERY hot but not smoking. Put in the leg and thighs first. remember not to over crowd. Fry the chicken on both sides until brown. When browned, reduce heat and cover skillet; let cook for 30 minutes (this is how the chicken will cook on the inside). Now for the crispy skin: remove the cover, raise heat again and continue to fry until crispy.

   Remove the chicken from the oil and place the chicken on paper towels. Then to cool place them on a wire rack and place in an oven to keep warm while the other pieces are frying. That is why I recommend frying the dark pieces first so that they won't dry out in the oven.  

   Serve warm or at room temp with honey. Enjoy!