Basic Fried Chicken Batter
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (adds crispiness)
- 1 egg
- 1 cup sifted flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Beat egg
- Stir in milk
- Add flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, garlic powder, cayenne pepper
- Beat until smooth
- Dip pieces of chicken in batter and allow the pieces to drain off excess batter
- Fry at 350 to 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes
Buttermilk Batter Fried Chicken
- 1 cup sifted flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (adds crispiness)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 egg slightly beaten
- 1 cup buttermilk
- Sift flour, baking soda, and salt
- Combine egg and buttermilk
- Add flour mix
- Beat until smooth
- Dip each piece of chicken in batter and allow excess to drain
- Fry at 350 to 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes
Flour Coated Fried Chicken
- 1 cup of sifted flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (if spicy is desired)
- 1 Cup Milk or Buttermilk
- 1 egg
- Beat both buttermilk and egg well in mixing bowl
- Dip chicken pieces in milk or buttermilk, roll in spiced flour mixture.
For extra crispy, dip again in milk and again in flour mixture.
Brining the Chicken:
The classic brine mixture for fried chicken consists of buttermilk, finely minced garlic, paprika, sugar and salt. Alternately, you can make a simple brine out of water and salt only. Adding spices enhances the flavor when making any brine solution.
Cooking Fried Chicken:
Using a black iron skillet, add peanut oil to 1/3 of pan. Allow oil to reach at least 350 degrees and no higher than 375 degrees before adding battered or floured chicken. Try and keep the temperature at 375 degrees. Allow the first side to brown well before turning. It is best to turn the chicken only once to keep the crust intact.
TIPS on Frying Great Fried Chicken:
- Brine the chicken and add your favorite spices to the brine. Brining will fill the meat with moisture. As long as moisture is coming out during the cooking process, no grease can get in. That is a good thing. Brine for 8 hours if possible, but even an hour will help.
- Use a food thermometer during the frying process
- Use a black iron skillet if at all possible. It is the optimum pan to cook fried chicken.
- Although not quite as healthy as some other cooking oils, peanut oil is the oil of choice. It gives the chicken a great flavor. Peanut oil is followed by Canola oil as the next best choice.
- Put a few pieces of diced celery in the oil before adding the chicken. It will enhance the flavor and give a beautiful golden color to the crust.
- For Floured Fried Chicken, refrigerate the coated chicken pieces for 30 minutes to 1 hour on a flat surface before cooking.
- Keep a close eye on the temperature and keep it between 350-375 degrees. Too hot and the crust burns and chicken does not get cooked properly. Too cool and the batter gets gloppy and oily – not good. Don’t allow the temperature to drop below 350 degrees. 375 degrees is the optimum temperature.
- When the top, uncooked side get tiny little bubbles, and the cooking side of the chicken is golden brown, it’s time to turn the chicken. Turn only once and don’t poke or push it around while it is cooking. Allow the first side to get done before turning. Your chicken will look very delicious.
- To get nice even heat and cooking, cover it for the first half of the cooking time. After that, remove the lid and allow it to crisp. The chicken will cook more thoroughly.
- The side of the chicken that you cook first will always be the better looking side. So, start the pieces skin side down.
- Drain on a brown paper bag – not paper towels to retain and preserve the crispy texture.
- Do not cover the meat while cooling – it will make the crust less crispy.
- One handy tip is to pre-cook the chicken BEFORE you fry it. Brine the meat as usual. Then, put the pieces on a roasting pan and cook at 350 degrees in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Allow the chicken to cool down to room temperature and proceed with flouring or battering the chicken. Fry until golden brown. It should take 8 to 10 minutes, or half the time it normally takes to cook. All you are looking for is a nice golden brown crispy exterior. The chicken will already be done.
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