Russ, I used to have the same problems frying that you do. Not anymore.

Below is the recipe I use, but it's the method that you're more concerned about. Lid on, lid off. No more burned chicken and no more raw chicken.

SPICY BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN

1 3-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning

1 teaspoon cayenne

2 cups vegetable shortening

Wash the chicken and pat it dry. In a bag or bowl, combine the

chicken, buttermilk, salt, pepper,. Marinate in the refrigerator

for at least 1 hour.

In a large paper or plastic bag, mix the onion powder, garlic

powder, flour, Old Bay Seasoning, and cayenne.

Put a few pieces of chicken in the bag and shake to coat. Repeat

with the remaining chicken. Shake off any excess flour. Place

the chicken on a baking rack until time to cook.

In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1/2 inch shortening to 350° F. Add the

chicken, skin side down, and cover. After 5 minutes, uncover; the

pan should remain uncovered for the remaining time. After 5

more minutes, turn all the pieces over. Continue cooking about 10

minutes, or until well browned and crisp and the juices run clear.

Remove the chicken to paper towels. Let sit for 5 minutes and

serve.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/07/the-food-lab-southern-fried-chicken-recipe.html

I agree with you, it's a giant pain. I will get wild hare every few years and make some. Last time, I followed the above recipe and method. It worked great, but is even more labor intensive than my family's old method. I actually did step 7 but thought that the coating was too crispy so, delete it without regret.

Sounds like your oil is too hot while frying the size pieces you have. Are you cutting them to a manageable size? Breasts, in particular, need to be halved. As Kenjie does, heat the oil to 425 and then maintain at 300.

If you don't have something like a Thermapen, put it on your list. I love that thing.

I make mine similar to donna. I lightly brown one side with the lid off, then turn and put the lid on. When I think the chicken is cooked through, I take the lid off and turn one final time.

In the past, I have also browned in the cast iron, then put it on a rack and finished baking in the oven.

Russ, thanks for starting this thread – I need help frying chicken! I can cook just about anything and DH loves it (as do I, I am shamelessly a fan of my own cooking!), but fried chicken was lost to me… I relied on my Mom’s, but foolishly never watched her make it and now that she’s gone I’m lost.

The first and only time I made it (last year) was in a cast iron skillet. I followed the directions, and perhaps it would not have turned out black as the skillet if the burner hadn’t gone berserk! We’ve since replaced the element that killed my chicken.

Since that epic failure, I have an extreme phobia of frying chicken. I’m not exaggerating. Cast iron vs. non-stick vs. what? Self-rising vs. all-purpose? I have a deep fryer too! How long to cook and at what temps (med, high, low, degrees)? How do I know it’s done (other than it’s not pink and pink juices)? What oil to use? Help please! (and it’s not like I don’t cook chicken, just not Fried Chicken).

cpartist, I agree, oven frying is far healthier, but DH is a country boy (man) who, every once in a blue moon, I wish to please with his requests… when we first married he asked me to make him soup beans and ham hocks. I thought, my gosh, what’s a ham hock? I had visions of strange ‘pig-parts’ in those dusty glass jars crowded in a haze of cloudy ‘mystery’ liquid! The first time I made a beurre blanc sauce, he asked why the ‘gravy’ was so thin? Since, I’ve exposed him to all types of cuisine and now he loves everything (well, except escargot), and we are eating much healthier these days. BTW, I found a very old southern recipe for soup beans and ham hocks (I now use hambone)… takes a full day just to make the stock, a 2nd full day to finish, and with layers of flavors, I must admit, it’s utterly mouthwatering!

donna_loomis Pretty sure my Mom used Crisco in a skillet (what kind of skillet?) and prepared hers similar to yours, without the old bay and cayenne. Any further suggestions?

Everyone has a method. Seasonings vary, some folks buttermilk-brine, some do not. The recipe I use says to brine for 2 hours, then let the chicken air dry in the fridge for 2 hours.

Whatever. If you have raw chicken, you're probably using too large a bird, pieces that are too big, or you're frying too many pieces at once. I use a 4 lb bird cut into 12 pieces, so each 1/2 breast is cut in half. I fry in two batches, at 375 oF. The chicken pieces fry for 6-8 minutes per side covered, then uncovered as donna says above. I use 4 cups of peanut oil (trust me on this - the oil makes more difference to the flavor than any other component) in an enameled cast iron Dutch oven (Le Creuset) with a 12" diameter. I've never had a raw piece.

Because I fry in two batches, I need the first batch to stay warm while the second batch is frying. I quickly drain the chicken on a paper towel-lined plate, really quickly, because paper towels will steam up and ruin a crisp crust. Then I pop the chicken on a rack over a 1/2 sheet pan and put it in the oven at 200 oF. I do the same to the second batch so it stays warm with the first batch while family/friends gather. Hope this helps. Good luck!

I have always, in the far past, used Crisco.. and cast iron. I love the cast iron enamel dutch oven, so going to give it another try with less oil and see what happens.

Just was jones'n for some fried chicken and was highly disappointed .. lol

But the mashed potatoes and corn came out good! heh

Russ

I do something similar to what Donna does, but don't ever put fried chicken on paper towels as they often will stick to the towel. Instead, put it right out of the skillet on brown paper grocery bags. Germs? Well, I haven't killed anyone yet!

You are tempting me to try my hand at fried chicken. I am terrified of deep frying. My mother once made one of our very favorite Greek desserts (lokoumadis) and the evening ended in the ER. That was the end of deep frying in my house (despite knowing exactly what went wrong.) Hmmm .... I could start small and try frying some okra first.

eam has a good point about the size of the chicken pieces. I don't fry chicken, too much work, but we have a local restaurant that only serves fried chicken (not KFC or a fast food chain) and we always joke that they have the smallest chickens we have ever eaten! But it ends up being really good fried chicken with the perfect ratio of moist meat to crispy batter. Is anyone else hungry now? :-)

I love good fried chicken, but I gave up frying things at home......I just found it too hard to keep the oil at the right temperature, so I either ended up with burns, or food that absorbed too much oil and was greasy.

Now that I think of it, though, my new induction stove might be the key to improving my home-frying method (I also want to create good calamari rings).

I don't know why I keep reading this thread. Now all I want is fried chicken but I gave up all meat and I certainly gave up fried foods because my cholesterol was too high.

cpartist, I know what you mean! I haven't had fried chicken in at least 15 years. I've never made it, or even tried, yet here I am reading this thread and googling "secret to making good fried chicken". Sheesh!

I gave up meat too, but only when I am asleep!

lol

Fried chicken.. mashed potatoes with cheese mixed in.. corn on the cob.

Just close your eyes and pretend you are eating the worlds best damn tofu! lol

R

I just recently tried this recipe from Cooks Illustrated. You briefly fry the chicken and then transfer to oven to finish. By far the best fried chicken I have ever made. I have made it a few times so it is reproducible.

https://www.thatskinnychickcanbake.com/southern-fried-chicken-crazy-cooking-challenge/

I'm a pretty darn good cook, all things considered, but fried chicken is just one of those dishes I don't bother with at home. Too much effort for mediocre results - it's never as good as I'd like it to be so I save it for eating out :-) Same thing with hamburgers - much prefer them from a couple of local great burger places than my own. I also avoid deep frying anything at home for much the same reasons.

I do a number of variations on oven fried chicken, all of which are great.......but not at all the same as real fried chicken!!

I don't fry chicken (actually, I don't fry anything); however, my granny made the best fried chicken and she used the 'brown it in the cast iron skillet just until it is lightly golden' and the crust is no longer 'wet'; put on a rack over a cookie sheet and bake it in the oven - a lot of the Crisco/peanut oil/what have you will drip out - the chicken is still moist but not so greasy. I am 'guessing' she was baking it about 375F or so and probably 20-30 mins. You might need to do this in 'batches' - if so, do the thicker pieces first so they can 'bake' longer.

Rita, I'm Greek too! Yiasou! I love loukoumathes - can't eat them any more (wheat). For anyone wondering.... you can absolutely substitute rice flour for the wheat flour in these chicken recipes. Rice flour gets to that mahogany color a little faster than wheat flour, but it still makes wonderful fried chicken!

Eam, I am Italian and so embarassed I misspelled loukoumathes! We are absolutely mad for all things Greek in our family. I made the gamopilafo this weekend.

As for fried chicken, I failed to muster the courage to make any myself- My husband on the other hand has read all the comments and is going to try Donna's recipe this coming weekend.

I don't fry chicken, but I will fry a few other things. My family's favorites are homemade egg rolls, crispy orange beef and I'll make apple cider doughnuts in the fall. Last year I made deep fried cheese curds with fresh curds I brought home from WI, so yummy!

Okay.. one more thing...(snicker)

I made Deep Fried Boudin Egg Rolls one day...

Boudin (no casing) with sliced and sauted (sp?) jalapenos, bell peppers, onions, garlic, carrots....with a hunk of pepper jack cheese, wrapped in an egg roll wrapper and deep fried with sweet and sour sauce.

We made 48 of them and 5 survived to the next day... for breakfast.. lol

R

hatethecold_gw, I just read the recipe you posted the link to. I'm going to try it, thank you!

2ManyDiversions I hope you like it! Post back after you try it with a review

I haven't fried chicken in YEARS. Doesn't make sense to when I can buy it down the street, and it is every bit as good as the best I have ever eaten.

Fried chicken is one of the few things I do in an electric skillet I picked up a some years ago at Home Depot. Brand name is Everstar. My skillet is a square stainless, no non stick crap, and I use about just under an inch of oil to fry chicken. Used to use Crisco shortening but now that they have cut the trans fat next to nothing may as well use vegetable oil. I love my cheap 20 dollar skillet so much I bought a back up. It sets and keeps the temp well but I pretty much eyeball the heat and whether the chicken is browning too quickly or not.

I use the same non- recipe I grew up with, put flour seasoned with salt,pepper and paprika in a bag and toss the chicken in a few pieces at a time to coat. No batter, no egg or milk just the dry ingredients.

hatethecold_gw, I will - making it this Friday night, will post a review Monday - Thanks again! BTW, last time I bought a fryer was last year when I ruined our fried chicken (usually buy breasts or thighs only) and once again could not believe how inexpensive it was!

Anglo - we do the paper bag thing, too! And no, haven't killed anyone yet. :)

watchmelol, that is exactly how I used to make it, years ago. Can't beat the ol' electric skillets! Same recipe too. :-)

We cheated. Batter it up, and stick it in a 350 F oven. No oils needed for frying...

I enjoy it just as much as the traditional way. Often, more.

"I enjoy it just as much as the traditional way. Often, more."

I do enjoy "oven fried", but it's just not the same. I make chicken wings in the oven too, but I can't say that they're as satisfying as the fried ones. Of course, they are better for me and still good, but I do get a craving for real fried chicken 2 or 3 times a year.....right now, I usually indulge in some Mary Brown's take out when it hits.

Review of hatethecold_gw’s fried chicken recipe:

Thank you hatethecold_gw for the BEST Fried Chicken recipe!!!Last week I visited my darling friend who is a 89 years 'young', recently widowed. When she casually said “oh, yes, I made fried chicken for myself last week” I thought, heck, if she can do it, I can too! She’s such a sweetheart, always active, and a lovely role model.

Russ Barnard, read no further if you don’t want to make chicken again this week : ) The recipe sets you up for perfect fried chicken.. I followed it to the letter, with only one exception – I used ¾ peanut oil, and ¼ canola. Not sure how much difference it made. The coating has an amazingly delicious crisp, just right. The chicken meat was incredibly moist, almost fall apart tender, and flavorful throughout each bite. And no greasy fingers!

Brined for 3 hours – the brine is incredibly flavorful, and I didn’t rinse the chicken before coating. The coating is a bit unusual in that you add a little buttermilk to the flour mixture and pinch together with yourfingers, creating little pieces that turn to crispy coating.

My thermometer read 160- 165 degrees when I put it in (not as hot as called for), and I used a bit too much oil…

You can see that lovely coating…

You finish it in the oven on a rack over a pan – this gets rid of the excess oil as it drips into the pan. I had to be careful with my tongs when plating it, it was crispy outside, but so tender it wanted to fall apart.

Gravy:

I poured all but 4 tbs. of the oil out of my cast iron skillet, leaving all the crusty bits, and because it was chock-full of seasoning added more flour for gravy than usual – 4 tbs AP flour, whisked over medium-high to brown and cook through; slowly whisked in 2+ cups milk, seasoned only with a bit more pepper… Yum!

DH and I gorged ourselves, declaring it the moistest, most beautifully crispy-skinned, best flavored chicken we’ve ever eaten. And as my darling friend suggested, it wasn’t difficult at all! Thank you hatethecold_gw for sharing! This is a keeper!

Final Notes: Easy recipe. I cut the chicken into smaller pieces and didn't crowd while frying. If you don't like well-seasoned chicken, cut back on brine seasonings or rinse your brine before dipping into the (seasoned) flour mix (but I wouldn't!). Even including mashed potatoes, gravy, peas, and two mixed greens salads this was 1/2 the cost and far better than any chicken we can can buy. Leftovers were delightful!

2ManyDiversions,

So glad you liked the chicken- I was a little worried after you said you would try it that you wouldn't!!! I have never made gravy, my DH doesn't like it and it's the last thing I need. Sure sounds good though.

Thank you for the thorough review and the mouth watering pictures. And I completely agree it is pretty easy.

The secret of a commercial fryer is that they also use pressure.

If I'm in the mood for fried chicken, I go to KFC.

If I'm in the mood for fried chicken, I go to KFC.

Gah! I'm sorry, but these days, that's barely even chicken, let alone fried. The colonel has been dead a long, long time now, for all that Yum! tries to resurrect him periodically. The few KFCs still in my area are all KFC/Long John Silvers now, and there's certainly nothing like fish and chicken fried in the same old oil. Ick.

I can remember as a kid in Miami how Sanders would keep an eye on all the stores and make unannounced visits to each one to check that they were following his recipe correctly. He'd have a heart attack if he could see what has happened to his brand.

writersblock I have to agree. We used to grab a 2-piece 'basket' at KFC and loved it... that was some time ago. Last few times I was too busy to cook it was simply awful and that's pretty much the way it's been for a couple years now. Chicken tasted like it was a few days old, and the coating was just a greasy wad of soft skin with a few bits of crunch. If we ordered extras, the green beans were bland and overcooked, the mashed potatoes and gravy was cold, and the coleslaw tasteless - not to mention rock-hard cold biscuits.

What's happened to the 'art' of home cooking? I realize many are busy with jobs, but so am I - I have a very demanding job and my hours can be killer. If we eat late, we eat late. I cook and freeze for my busier days and plan the week's meals best I can before I go to the grocery store (there will always be a few times a month we eat take-out, but frankly a sandwich is better tasting and healthier if I'm in a pinch). I'd rather cook, eat very well, and be a bit more tired. DH was so used to take-out/restaurant food when we married he kept commenting on how hot dinner was. What a concept, hot food.

What happened to the idea of saving money? Take-out is no longer the cheap meal, and it's tasteless IMO (I do remember my first Wendy's burger when they started up - it was wonderful! Now it's a squashed bun, cold lump of greasy meat with under-ripe tomatoes and wilted lettuce). We have a local deli that sells fried chicken breasts cheaper and better than KFC, but as I said above, I can beat that with a stick if I buy a whole fryer - and we get a full meal. We rarely eat out, but I prepare filet mignon with Bearnaise, steamed asparagus and a salad once every month or two - our filet's are far better than any we can purchase. Cost for same meal and same quality at a restaurant $100+ for two. Cost at home if I prepare it $28. ETA: And we can afford the occasional steak dinner because I cook our other meals.

What happened to well-balanced meals? Even at high-end restaurants here, we pay extra for vegetables and salads, and they are by no means comparable to what I cook. Yes, we eat 'unhealthy' meals withe meat and pastas, but I balance it to our satisfaction with wholesome lighter meals.

"If I'm in the mood for fried chicken, I go to KFC."

Yanno, I USED to be fine with KFC. I don't know what it is about it, but I just cannot eat it anymore - leaves a greasy heavy taste and does not feel good in my tummy at all. I never eat there anymore - just cannot tolerate their fried chicken. But that's okay cuz we have SO many places here that make killer fried chicken. Way too easy to get to!

As far as the "art of home cooking", I think it is certainly still there. But for many of us, at least in my case, I am older, live alone, son is off on his own (which means I never have a house full of teens eating though dishes as fast as I can make them), and I swear the older I get the more things it seems I have to do. I always thought it would be the reverse....but it's not darn it. So convenience is much more important for me now. I rarely even eat dinner during the week (I hit the gym after work and really only want a snack when I get home) so I just don't have the need or "want to" to spend time cooking up meals that will probably leave leftovers that get tossed anyway. There are certainly exceptions of course - I seriously crave chicken pot pie when it starts getting cold weather, so that is one of my "singnature dishes" that I take the time to make. And even if the BF does not finish it, I will portion it out into containers and freeze it for my lunches. Some things are worth spending a little time on, LOL.

I wish I ate out more! They can do a better job of cooking some things that I do, and there's nothing for me to clean up. But I don't, because I'm usually eating alone and if I'm going to eat alone I'd rather do it with my feet up. KFC? No, but there are many places with great smoky BBQ, fried chicken, eggplant parm, and chicken mole that I couldn't manage well at home.

I haven't had KFC in 20 years or more. I used to love it, but I expect that my palate has changed even more than their recipe, and whatever the real reasons, disappointment is what I expect as an outcome.

But that's okay cuz we have SO many places here that make killer fried chicken. Way too easy to get to!

I'm jealous. Around here all we have these days are chains. If you want real fried chicken you have to make it yourself.

They have a place here that makes a killer.. I mean KIL-LER chicken fried steak.... jes sayin...

writersblock, Oh we have chains too, but some of them make excellent fried chicken. Both Hardee's and BoJangles have very good fried chicken here. We also have a local chain (Pollards - about 10 locations) that is my absolute all-time favorite place for chicken tenders. I LOVE them. I have no reason at all to fry chicken with that place nearby. :-) And then we also have the restaurant down at the border, that has an afternoon/dinner buffet with about the best fried chicken you will ever eat, bar none. Maybe it's just the area I live in, but good fried chicken here is very easy to find. Unfortunately LOL.

Russ Barnard, don't get me started. I make that myself, though I haven't in YEARS. Freaking LOVE it.

Oh I make it too.. but when you are tired and it is late.. you have to find a place that understands how to make it.. and this place.. boy howdy... heh, they are good ;)

@Chess - you knoooooowww you want some now ;)

R

LOL!

At one of the many lovely restaurants known for fried chicken. No clean up!