THE EASIEST MAMA’S FRIED CHICKEN
TOP REVIEWS:
I’ve been cooking for over 50 years and during that time I have fried chicken hundreds of time. But…in all those years never have I fried chicken that comes even close to being as crispy, moist and delicious as Ms. O’Neill’s “Crispy Fried Chicken”. Without a doubt, her recipe is THE BEST fried chicken I’ve ever prepared or eaten. Not only is
it delicious and crispy hot right out the frying pan, but when warmed up the next day in the oven, the chicken is as crispy as ever.
Thank you, Ms. O’Neill for sharing your wonderful recipe
5++ star rating for this one, Elaine! Your techinque works wonderfully. This plus some tried and true ways, give the most perfect fried chicken every time. Correct oil temp is necessary, about 375, and it takes a while to get that hot. I also brine (soak in salted water) any chicken I prepare and this assures moistness no matter what the cooking method. I have tried many seasoning combos, depending on the mood, and they all are super, as long as you follow Elaine’s way of preparation. Simply the best fried chicken I’ve ever made!
I used boneless filets and cut it into strips. I usually coat my chicken in eggs before flouring them but the buttermilk worked 100 times better. The chicken was more tender and moist than it normally is when I fry chicken. Great prep instructions. I also found that I can freeze the chicken after it is coated in the flour. So, I can just pull it out of the freezer the next time I want to make some and it will be a lil’ quicker. And for a fun variation, every now and again I add garlic powder and dried parmesan to my flour mixture. Then after I fry up my strips, I throw them on top of some pasta with marinara sauce and top with fresh mozzarella and parmesan cheeses to make a quick and easy chicken parmesana! My family loves it and I can’t get rid of my friends when I make it. There is never, never, never any leftovers!
This is my recipe and I’m flabbergasted with the wonderful reviews!! Thank you all so much! I haven’t been able to edit the recipe, but would like to add that you can add any seasonings you like, it’s all personal preference. I didn’t include a lot of spices because everyone has their own preference. Please don’t complain about it being bland if you don’t add your own spices, thanks. The recipe is more about technique than anything else.
OMG! I never grew up eating fried chicken and after trying this recipe I feel deprived as a child! My husband had been asking for fried chicken for a while and I wanted it to be perfect. Having never made this before I read through a bunch of recipes but obviously knew that fried chicken has to be moist on the inside and the breading has to be thick enough to stand up to the frying process so it can be crunchy on the outside. So, I began with a marinade. I put the cut up chicken in a glass bowl and filled it with enough buttermilk to cover plus a couple dashes of tabasco. I turned the chicken a few times during 6 hours. I drained the chicken in a colander and patted it dry then breaded it in the flour. For the flour mixture I used 3 cups flour, 1 Tbsp. garlic powder, 1 Tbsp. onion powder, 2 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. salt. 1 tsp. pepper. I then follwed the steps outlined in this recipe. We used an electric fryer so our cooking time was a bit less than 30 minutes. You have to watch your chicken closely. I don’t know which I like better – fried chicken that’s fresh out of the frier warm or cold out of the fridge the next day. Either way, I’m hooked! Thanks for a wonderful recipe that definitely makes “Crispy Fried Chicken”!
INGREDIENTS:
1 (3- to 4-pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
3 to 4 cups buttermilk
3 to 4 cups self-rising flour
2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
Vegetable oil for frying
DIRECTIONS:
Place chicken in a large bowl or dish. Season evenly with half the salt and pepper.
Pour the buttermilk over the chicken, using enough liquid to submerge all the pieces. Marinate in the buttermilk for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. If marinating overnight, remove chicken from the fridge 1 to 2 hours before frying.
Place flour in a casserole dish or large bowl. Add the remaining salt and pepper, paprika and garlic powder, then mix well.
In the meantime, pour oil into a heavy-bottomed pot and heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
One by one, remove chicken from buttermilk and drip off any excess. Dredge in the flour, getting a heavy coating of flour in all nooks and crannies of the chicken. Tap off any excess flour, then rest for 5 minutes before carefully placing in the hot oil. Fry the chicken in small batches; do not overfill the pot …