Want to know how to make fried chicken recipes? Read on! Fried chicken recipes are popular with beginner cooks and professional chefs all over the world. Southern fried chicken recipes are especially well loved.
Nearly every cuisine in the world has some type of famous, favorite fried chicken recipe. No other area is quite as passionate about this dish as the Southern US though, where nearly every family has their own favorite deep fried chicken recipe or fried chicken batter recipes.
A lot of fried chicken recipes use chicken in imaginative ways, interesting seasonings and spices and are popular with a lot of people.
Chicken is incredibly popular and it always has been, no matter whether it is roasted, fried, grilled, baked, barbecued, or poached. Chicken is a healthy food choice if you want to prevent heart disease. And oven fried chicken or air fryer chicken is a great idea if you want the flavor of a fried chicken recipe without the fat content.
Chicken is high in protein and low in both cholesterol and fat. If you enjoy eating healthy, it is possible to indulge in healthy versions of fried chicken recipes.
Table of Contents
Different Kinds of Fried Chicken Recipes
Chicken breasts are popular for making chicken fried recipes. They are easy to prepare, economical to buy and can be found in every grocery store.
Chicken breasts are de-boned and ready to use. You can choose skinless chicken breasts if you want to keep the fat to a minimum. Fried skinless chicken breast recipes are easy to make because most of the preparation has already been done.
Chicken is very versatile. It is light in texture and flavor and compatible with many different food preparation methods, sauces and styles, from the heaviest and richest sauce to the lightest and most delicate.
How to Make Fried Chicken Recipes: A Few Tips
Cooking fried chicken is easy and if you have never done it before, there is nothing to worry about. If you want to make fried chicken, you can get good results using a fryer, broiler, capon, young chicken, and roaster or game hen.
- Soaking the chicken overnight in buttermilk or brine makes the meat more tender and juicy.
- Slice whole chicken breasts in half for more even cooking. People who know how to make fried chicken recipes know they also cook faster like this.
- Drain fried chicken on a brown paper bag or metal rack. Draining it on paper towels might make it lose crispiness. Bear in mind that covering it will make it lose all crispiness so don’t do this!
- Adding celery sticks to the frying oil enhances the color and flavor of the fried chicken.
- Dry any wet utensils before they touch the hot cooking oil to avoid the hot fat spattering.
- Use tongs instead of a fork to turn the chicken. A fork might pierce the skin and the chicken will lose juices.
- If you like your chicken fried, try peanut oil. It gives the chicken a great flavor.
The above tips should help to ensure your fried chicken recipes are delicious. If you are using a whole chicken and you have some left over, you can put them in a pot with carrots, parsley, and water to cover. Simmer until the liquid reduces by half, strain and refrigerate. When the mixture is cold, skim off the fat and use it in soups and sauces. You can also freeze it.
If you have an air fryer, you have to try an air fryer chicken recipe! It’s easy learning how to air fry chicken wings. This recipe is healthier than deep fried chicken but just as tasty and crispy!
PrintHow to Air Fry Chicken Wings
Knowing how to air fry chicken is a great kitchen skill to have. The air fryer is easier to clean up than a deep fryer and you need a lot less fat. It will heat up quick and is ideal for juicy moist chicken on the inside with a crunch on the outside.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
2 pounds (1 kg) chicken wings, separated into flats and drums
Dry rub (optional)
Sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Season your chicken wings with dry rub (if liked).
- Put the wings in the air fryer basket and slot it into the fryer.
- Air fry the chicken wings for about 25 minutes, shaking the basket every 10 minutes for even cooking.
- Now turn the temperature up to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and cook for another 5 minutes or until the skin is crisp and golden brown.
- You might have to crisp the wings in batches if your air fryer is small.
- Toss the wings with your favorite buffalo sauce or BBQ sauce (if liked) and serve hot.
- I love them buffalo style with blue cheese, ranch dressing, and carrot and celery sticks. Yum!
Notes
How Long to Cook Chicken in the Air Fryer
You might be wondering how long to air fry chicken wings. Follow my recipe and it takes about 30 minuets from start to finish.
What Sauce to Use
I like to mix equal parts unsalted butter and Frank’s Red Hot sauce to make a great buffalo dressing. A BBQ sauce would also work or lemon pepper sauce. You can leave the sauce off if you prefer.
How Long Do Leftovers Keep?
Keep them refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
How Do I Reheat Air Fryer Chicken Wings?
Give them 5 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and then another couple of minutes at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) until they’re hot.
Keywords: how to air fry chicken wings, air fryer chicken wings, how long to cook chicken wings in air fryer
Best Side Dishes for Fried Chicken
The words fried chicken are usually enough to make our mouths water but what about the wonderful fried chicken side dishes that turn simple fried chicken into a hearty meal?
Favorite fried chicken side dishes vary from person to person but coleslaw, biscuits, green beans, and corn on the cob are all much loved. Some people prefer creamed corn to corn on the cob or even Monterrey corn salad.
Potatoes are very popular with fried chicken and you can choose from potato salad, baked potato with sour cream, French fries, potato wedges or mashed potatoes with gravy. You can even make a sweet potato or yam side dish because the sweet flavor is really good with fried chicken recipes.
Some people prefer to have a rice side dish instead of a potato side dish with fried chicken. In the south, people often dip fried chicken in honey to make it sweeter. The choice of side dish is as important as knowing how to make fried chicken recipes!
Gravy is great with mashed potatoes and simple to make. You need to thicken two tablespoons of meat drippings or Au Jus with a tablespoon or 2 of flour.
Over a medium heat, stir in a cup of water and a cup of milk gradually and season to taste. You can also add onion powder, garlic powder, or herbs if you like.
Side Dishes for a Picnic
Southern fried chicken is great hot or cold. If you plan to eat it cold as part of a picnic, you could also take coleslaw, vegetables with a dip or fruit slices. How about corn on the cob, corn fritters kept warm in aluminum foil, or a tasty 3-bean salad or pasta salad? If you’re having a fried chicken picnic, don’t forget to bring along plenty of napkins!
What Pan is Best for Frying Chicken?
The pan you use to fry chicken impacts how well the chicken cooks and also the flavor. A lot of people use stainless steel skillets because they are cheap, easy to clean and they do the job. The best heat conductor is copper and a copper pan will cook your food quickly but it will cost a lot to buy.
An aluminum pan is good at conducting heat as well as being affordable, resistant to corrosion and lightweight. Cast iron pans are slow to heat but give even heat when they are hot.
Multi-ply pans might be made of stainless steel and aluminum or stainless steel and copper. You can also get copper pans with an aluminum lining. The copper is good for conducting the heat and the aluminum is rustproof.
If you want to know which is the best pan for frying chicken, the answer is that it depends on the chef. Different people have different preferences. Some people don’t mind waiting for a cast iron pan to heat up and other people have a hungry family and want to get their chicken fried as quickly as they can.
You might not be able to afford copper cookware and, if not, you can make excellent fried chicken recipes in stainless steel or aluminum pans too. The most important thing to remember is that you can use pretty much any cookware you have to make a delicious southern fried chicken recipe for the family.
If copper and cast iron are out of your price range, don’t worry about it because you can also make a wonderful meal in your existing frying pan because you know how long it takes to heat up and you are used to using it.
The Best Way to Fry a Chicken
So you want to know more about how to make fried chicken recipes. What’s the best way to fry that bird?
Well, there are different frying methods if you want to make Kentucky fried chicken, southern fried chicken, or another deep fried chicken recipe. You might have thought that deep frying was the only cooking method but you can also pan fry chicken or oven fry it.
Many restaurants choose to use a deep fat fryer rather than fry chicken in a skillet because you can make more at once and you can make it faster that way. Home cooks also seem to prefer deep frying these days because it is a less messy way of doing things.
Health nuts often frown upon the term “deep frying” but deep fried food makes a great occasional treat. Nobody says you have to eat deep fried food every night but it tastes so good that most of us like to indulge ourselves sometimes.
Pan fried chicken was once available at every good southern restaurant but sadly it seems to be a dying tradition. It is easier to drop your chicken pieces into a basket, plunge the basket into hot oil, and set a timer but not everyone agrees that this gives the best flavor.
PrintKY Fried Chicken
Air fryer and oven-fried chicken is all very well but to get that true KY fried chicken taste you need to deep-fry it!
The secret to perfect Kentucky style chicken is the combination of 11 different herbs and spices used in the chicken coating.
You can also bake these chicken pieces but, for a more authentic tasting Kentucky style chicken recipe, it is best to fry them like in a traditional Southern home.
This KY fried chicken is really crisp and delicious.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Method: Deep Frying
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
2 cups (275g) all purpose flour (plain flour)
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon basil
4 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons MSG
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 tablespoon celery salt
8 chicken pieces
2 beaten eggs
1 cup (120g) dry unseasoned breadcrumbs
6 to 8 cups (about 1500g or 1500ml) shortening
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients except the breadcrumbs, eggs and chicken in a bowl.
Dip the chicken pieces in the egg and then toss in the breadcrumbs to coat.
Now roll the chicken in the spicy flour mixture.
Preheat the shortening in the deep fryer to 350° F (175 degrees C).
Drop the chicken pieces in, one at a time, with tongs and be careful not to splash the hot oil.
Fry the chicken for 12 to 15 minutes, until it is golden brown and cooked through.
Drain the KY fried chicken on racks for 5 minutes then serve.
Keywords: KY fried chicken, hot fried chicken
Which is Best: Pan Frying or Deep Frying?
Some people prefer pan-frying and others prefer deep-frying. Some people claim that deep frying gives a crispier coating and more tender chicken because the hot fat in the deep fryer seals in the moisture immediately.
I love air frying because if you want to know how long to fry chicken wings, it’s clearly a winner. The oven takes 15 minutes to heat up which is half the air fryer wings cooking time! And deep frying can be messy but quick.
Deep frying however means the chicken is cooked under pressure and this can lead to a wet, soggy skin underneath the ultra-crispy crust.
Other people are more in favor of the pan frying method. Pan frying is the trickier of the two techniques to master because it is harder to regulate the heat. Unevenly cooked chicken pieces is a common problem with newcomers to fried chicken cookery and this is one of the most common reasons why cooks switch to deep fryers without really giving pan frying a second chance.
Many fried chicken chefs prefer to use a cast iron pan to pan fry their chicken but these pans can be slow to heat and slow to cool. If you want a quicker response, aluminum and stainless steel also give good results when making your favorite fried chicken recipe.
Oven Fried Chicken
That leaves oven frying. What is oven fried chicken exactly? It is actually baked chicken with a coating like you would use for fried chicken. If you cook it properly, it comes out juicy and tender with a crispy crust.
Oven fried chicken has a good flavor and texture but it is a cooking method usually favored by those who are trying to cut down on calories and fat, rather than seeking the best way to fry chicken for maximum flavor.
PrintFried Chicken in the Oven with Lime and Chilies
Chicken is great when oven-fried and making oven-fried chicken is simple. It’s healthier than deep frying and still produces perfect crispy chicken. I love using wings but you could use drumsticks if you prefer. They’d take a few extra minutes, remember.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
2 pounds (1 kg) chicken tenders or wings
4 fresh limes
1 1/2 cups (95g) panko breadcrumbs
3 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (120g) melted butter
1/2 cup (120ml) Greek yogurt
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (180 degrees C).
-
Grease a rimmed baking tray.
-
Zest the limes and mix the zest with panko, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of chili powder.
-
Combine the juice of 3 limes with the butter.
-
Dip each piece of chicken into the lime butter then the panko mixture.
-
Oven-fry (bake!) for 35 minutes or until done.
- Blend the juice of the remaining lime with the yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and teaspoon of chili powder to make the dipping sauce.
- Serve hot!
Notes
You can finish these under the broiler if you want them more crispy.
Keywords: fried chicken in oven, recipe for oven fried chicken, chicken wings in oven, chicken tenders in oven
Handy Tips for the Best Fried Chicken
Breasts, thighs, legs, and wings cook at different rates because they are differently sized, so you need to bear this in mind when you make a southern fried chicken recipe.
Smaller pieces seem to fry best. If you use large chicken pieces in your KFC recipe, it is easy to overcook the crust while the middle is still half raw.
The most important tip perhaps when it comes to how to fry chicken is to keep persevering. Try new fried chicken recipes and new fried chicken batter recipes. The more you cook the better at it you will become!
How to Make Southern Fried Chicken
Southern fried chicken is such a well loved dish. Imagine succulent, tender chicken encased in a crispy, perfectly flavored batter. You might prefer mashed potatoes with gravy or French fries alongside your Kentucky fried chicken and perhaps a salad or some hot corn on the cob with butter melting over it.
If you are like most people, that image alone might be enough to make your eyes water. So, if you want to know how to make southern fried chicken like a professional chef, you will be pleased to know it is easy.
Southern fried chicken can be made with boneless or bone-in chicken and it can be made with skinless chicken or chicken with skin. The chicken pieces are coated in flour and a batter or breadcrumb mixture and then deep fried. It can also be oven fried or pan fried. The coating makes the outside of the chicken crispy.
Learning how to make southern fried chicken is easy. You simply coat the chicken in your preferred coating and fry it until it is golden brown and delicious.
The History of Fried Chicken
Food has been deep fried for hundreds of years, in many different countries. Mexico, Russia and Japan have all used this cooking method for centuries and deep frying was popular in Europe in the medieval era.
Fried chicken was popular as soon as it was introduced in the American south. The slaves on the plantations introduced flavorful seasonings and spices to the original fried chicken recipe, which was quite bland. They were allowed to keep chickens so southern fried chicken became incredibly popular all over the American south in a short space of time. From then its popularity spread worldwide and now more and more people want to learn how to make southern fried chicken because it tastes so good.
How Long Does Fried Chicken Keep?
It is unlikely that you will have any fried chicken left over if you follow one of our delicious southern fried chicken recipes but how long can you keep deep fried chicken in the fridge if there are leftovers?
Well, 3 to 4 days is the recommended guideline if you want to know how long does fried chicken keep. If you have some fried chicken left over, transfer it to a covered container and keep it in the refrigerator.
Leftover southern fried chicken is nice eaten cold the following day and you can have it with a salad or add it to your lunch pack.
Reheating Fried Chicken
Cook cold fried chicken for at least twenty minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) to reheat it safely. The crispy coating might be slightly less crispy but the chicken should still be juicy and succulent and taste good. Reheating fried chicken is safe.
Leave it at room temperature for at least half an hour, if you have time, before reheating it. When you put chilled chicken from the refrigerator into a hot oven it can reheat unevenly if you do not do this.
In order to stop your southern fried chicken going soggy, you should make sure the oven is hot before popping the chicken in there.
Also, covering the chicken in foil before you bake it helps to keep it as crisp as possible. If you have a convection oven, it will only take about twelve minutes to reheat the chicken. In addition to that, convection ovens tend to really crisp up leftover chicken when you reheat it.
You can freeze fried chicken for up to 4months and reheat it for 20 minutes in a 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven or until it is hot through. Put something absorbent underneath because it will leach out the fat it was cooked in.
Thawed fried chicken does not taste as good as fresh fried chicken so it is best to make it fresh each time, or chill it for up to 4 days in the refrigerator, instead of making too much.
Nothing Melts in the Mouth Like Fried Chicken
Fried chicken has an aroma that can make your mouth water and the flavor is indescribably good. Good fried chicken recipes should be succulent and tender inside and crispy on the outside. Many people would claim that fried chicken is their favorite comfort food and it is not hard to see why.
Fried Chicken is Easy to Make
There is nothing difficult or mysterious about making fried chicken. Easy fried chicken recipes mean that you can make the coating for your chicken within a few minutes and fry or bake the chicken without any problems too.
You Have Total Control Over the Ingredients
You can use different cuts of chicken when making your own southern fried chicken recipes. Also up to you is which coating to use, how spicy to make the chicken and also the cooking method. Oven fry or air fry chicken to make it healthier if you like.
Cooking at Home is Convenient and Economical
Going to a restaurant can be fun but sometimes it is far more convenient to make dinner at home and easy fried chicken recipes allow you to do this with ease. Also making your own fried chicken is cheaper than buying it from a restaurant.
There are Lots of Different Fried Chicken Recipes to Try
You can make a different fried chicken recipe every week if you want to because there are so many to have a go at. Perhaps you would like to try a Chinese fried chicken dish or a spicy southern fried chicken with a dipping sauce for a change.