Southern Fried Chicken

Growing up in a Southern family, fried chicken was a food group all by itself. I often wonder how many chickens my mother has fried over the years. Funny thing is, in my early childhood, I don’t remember eating it hot-n-crispy, but I do have fond memories of eating it cold at a beach picnic with potato salad, deviled eggs, and buttery pound cake.

When I fry chicken, I make sure I have enough to enjoy warm for dinner and then some cold for a picnic lunch– just like Mom did it. If you are new to frying your own chicken or intimidated by it, let me offer some helpful tips and tricks to ensure the juiciest, crispiest, and tastiest fried chicken.

Soaking the chicken in a buttermilk marinade will help to produce juicy, tender meat. One of my favorite parts of fried chicken is the crispy nubbins from the flour coating. To achieve maximum nubbinness (that’s not a word), I drizzle a little buttermilk into the flour mixture to form small crumbs that will fry up crisp and crunchy– a little trick my mom taught me years ago. I recommend using a cast-iron pot or skillet to achieve that deep golden color and an oil thermometer to help maintain a proper temperature. I use vegetable shortening rather than oil because it gives the chicken a crisp crust without being greasy. Also, since shortening is more refined than oil, it doesn’t leave an odor in the kitchen when frying. Lastly, I drain the fried chicken on a rack set over a baking sheet instead of paper towels. This ensures the crust will remain crunchy and not get soggy.

Whether you enjoy it hot, room temperature, or cold with a drizzle of honey, it is some down-home crunchy comfort food that will be sure to please.

Southern Fried Chicken

By Nicole Prep: 20 minsCook: 25 minsMarinate Time: 6 hrsTotal: 6 hrs 45 mins Servings: 6 This is finger licking good!!

Equipment

• Large Dutch oven
• Splatter screen

Ingredients 

For the Brine

• 3 ½ to 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Coating

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk
• 3 cups vegetable shortening, or enough to have ½-inch oil in the skillet

Instructions 

1. Separate the chicken legs into thighs and drumsticks; cut each breast in half diagonally through the bone. In a medium plastic container with a lid or a medium bowl, stir together the buttermilk, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken, turning to coat well. Place the lid on the container or cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours or up to, but not exceeding, twelve hours.
2. In another container, whisk together the flour, baking powder, thyme, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Drizzle in the buttermilk and stir to form small crumbs. Remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk mixture and coat well in the flour mixture. Place the coated chicken on a rack to rest for 20-30 minutes at room temperature.
3. Place a deep, heavy skillet or pot with a lid, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat and add the vegetable shortening. The shortening should measure 1/2-inch in the skillet. Heat the shortening to 350ºF on a candy/oil thermometer. Gently lay a few chicken pieces skin side down in the hot fat and cover. Cook for 10 minutes, checking after 5 minutes and moving the pieces if they are browning unevenly or too quickly. (At this point the fat should be bubbling and register between 250ºF and 300ºF on the thermometer.) Remove the lid and turn the chicken with tongs and cook, uncovered, until the second side is richly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Remove the chicken to a rack set over a baking sheet to drain. Chicken can be kept warm in an oven set at the lowest setting or it can be safely held at room temperature for several hours loosely covered with wax paper. Leftovers must be refrigerated. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 1478kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 51g, Fat: 125g, Saturated Fat: 33g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 33g, Monounsaturated Fat: 51g, Trans Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 145mg, Sodium: 1464mg, Potassium: 637mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 367IU, Vitamin C: 0.04mg, Calcium: 174mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.