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Simple Fried Chicken Recipe - Best Southern Fried Chicken (Video)
An easy recipe for fried chicken
Oh, I love southern fried chicken! Well, I don't know if it's "southern" fried chicken I like--or just fried chicken. I love fried chicken. Period. Hey, I grew up in the southern region,though, and I grew up eating fried chicken . . . thus, southern fried chicken. My mom made--and still makes--the best fried chicken. It's crispy, juicy, and always perfect. Colonel Sanders has nothing on her!
When I first started cooking, I didn't even attempt to fry chicken very often. Although it's one of very favorite foods ever, it just seemed too hard to make. But it's not. it can be messy, yes, with popping hot oil leaving a greasy mess on the stove. Still, any mess is worth it.
Once I discovered that fried chicken really didn't have to be that difficult to make, I started making it now and then. It is such a treat. I've experimented with different recipes for coatings for fried chicken, as well as hybrid ways to cook it that involved the stovetop as well as the oven. When I want a simple batch in as short a time as possible, I opt for a simple batter that takes very little time to mix up and makes some delicious fried chicken.
Cook Time
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Ingredients for Fried Chicken
- pre-cut pieces or whole chicken, with skin
- 2 eggs (more as needed), beaten
- dash of milk, to thin out egg mixture
- 1 cup flour, add more as needed
- cooking oil, 1/4 inch in pan; add as needed
- sprinkles salt, pepper, to taste
- spices, optional
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Instructions for Frying Chicken
- First, get your ingredients for the batter ready. Beat up a couple of eggs in a mixing bowl, along with a splash of milk to make the mixture a bit thinner.
- Put one cup of flour in another mixing bowl. Line up egg and then flour bowl next to a frying pan of hot oil. Add more as you cook if needed.
- Dip chicken in egg mixture. Then, roll the piece of chicken in the flour, covering completely. Place in pan of hot oil. Hot oil will make the skin crispy as well as seal in the juices to make the chicken moist.
- Once pan is full of battered chicken, sprinkle on salt and pepper, plus any other spices you prefer, such as garlic or perhaps a spice mix.
- Fry on medium-high for about 7-10 minutes on each side. Lower heat if chicken appears to be burning. Stoves cook differently, so keep an eye on the chicken. Turn earlier if needed.
- When both sides of chicken are golden brown, check inside to see if meat is done (clear juices, no red meat). You can use a meat thermometer, if you have one. Temperature of cooked chicken should be 165. I always err on the side of caution and actually cut open a piece of chicken to check doneness.
- When chicken is done, remove from pan onto plate with paper towel to soak up some of oil When chicken is cool enough to eat, have at it! ___________________________________________________
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More coating options for fried chicken
There are some other coating options that will make an excellent crust. Sometimes I use a mixture of garlic, paprika, and other spices, fry chicken on the stove to brown it, and then finish it in the oven.
I've heard that some cooks use milk or buttermilk to coat the chicken before applying the flour. I want to try the buttermilk. While I hate drinking the stuff, it works great in any recipe I've ever tried with it.
I don't always have buttermilk on hand, though, while I usually have flour and always have eggs. The availability of the ingredients in many kitchens is what also makes this fried chicken recipe very simple.
Simple ingredients, simple cooking. Simply delicious.
