Crispy Fried Chicken

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If It’s fried chicken you are after then your in the right place because this is all about juicy, finger licking crispy fried chicken.

First coated in special spices and soaked in buttermilk to get it really tender. Then It’s dusted in flour and fried until golden and crunchy.

On Tuesday night after work and after the kids first day back to school my mother in law (God bless her) brought over KFC. It was a KFC feast; a bucket of chicken, nuggets, chips, potato and gravy, coleslaw the works. As I was chowing it all down I thought of this recipe.

This recipe is the closest thing to KFC and who doesn’t love a bucket of fried chicken! I have to say it though, home made is always better. I know a lot of you will disagree with me but before you do, give this recipe a go and then check back in with me.

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Although It’s not going to be one of those 30 minute dinners you throw together after work this is perfect for weekend cooking. Just think of the satisfaction you will have biting into your homemade crispy fried chicken!

I use chicken thighs as they are really tender and cook a lot quicker than the breast. However this recipe can be used on any part of the chicken.

The chicken tastes even better the next day if you are lucky to have any leftover.

Crispy Fried Chicken

Crispy fried chicken is also known as Southern style fried chicken (usually KFC comes to mind) It’s chicken pieces coated in a seasoned batter and then deep fried to get that mouthwatering crispy coating.

There are three steps to getting your chicken extra crispy and delicious and It’s all done before it hits the hot oil;

Step 1: The spices; you firstly coat the chicken in spices. There are so many theories on what the secret spices the kernel uses in his KFC. I have experimented with different spices and different quantities and I think I have the taste pretty close but I will let you be the judge!

step 2: Soaking; once the chicken is coated in the spices it is soaked for an hour in the buttermilk. The buttermilk breaks down the chicken to give you wonderfully tender and juicy chicken.

step 3: Coating; Straight from the buttermilk the chicken goes into a flour mixture which will become the coating. Ensure the chicken is completely coated for the best crispy chicken.

What you will need

Paprika (smokey)

Garlic powder

crushed fennel seeds

Dried oregano

Dried Thyme

Salt & Pepper

Chicken thigh fillets

Buttermilk

Vegetable Oil

Plain flour

Baking powder (Adding baking powder reacts with the hot oil to make your batter extra light and crispy)

What is buttermilk

Buttermilk is the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cream. It has thick texture and a tangy taste.

Buttermilk acts as a tenderising agent for your chicken, the longer you soak the chicken in the buttermilk the more tender it will be. You can soak the chicken overnight but even 30 minutes will make an impact.

You can buy buttermilk at your supermarket but you can easily make it at home with only 2 simple ingredients, milk and lemon juice.

for every cup of milk you need to add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

White vinegar can also be used instead of lemon juice.

Tools to make the job easier

Don’t let the thought of making fried chicken at home intimidate you. Surprisingly It’s simple to make. All you need is to dedicate some time and use the right tools to make the job easier.

Here are my three recommendations on what your going to need.

CAST IRON DUTCH OVEN

When deep frying, you want to use a pot thats going to evenly distribute heat. the beauty of this cast iron dutch oven is that not only is it cast iron but Its coated with an extra layer of porcelain enamel.

This ensures the food is cooked evenly. it’s also important to use a high walled pot so that you will prevent splashing.

A dutch oven is also great because once you are done frying you simply replace the lid on the pot and allow the oil to cool down completely without it continuing to splutter everywhere.

CANDY THERMOMETER

Once you have the right pot sorted It’s equally important to ensure you have the correct oil temperate before adding your chicken. If the oil is not hot enough the chicken will be left soggy and oil logged which no one wants. On the flip side, if It’s too hot then the outside will cook too quickly leaving the inside of the chicken raw.

The perfect temperature to cook your chicken is 180°C (350°F) and using a candy thermometer helps you easily and accurately check this. This one has a nifty pot clip making it super easy as you don’t have to manually hold it in the oil.

COOLING RACKS

Cooling racks are great for draining off the excess oil from the chicken once It’s fried. It’s also perfect for reheating any leftover fried chicken the next day. Just simply place the cooling rack on a baking tray to catch the oil and your good to go.

How to make crispy fried chicken

• Place the spices, salt and pepper in a small bowl and mix well to combine.

• Add half the spices and chicken pieces in a large bowl and toss to coat. Add the buttermilk mix to combine and refrigerate for 1 hour.

• Fill a large cast iron dutch oven or heavy based saucepan half full with oil and place over medium heat and using a candy thermometer heat until the temperature reaches 180°C (350°F).

• Meanwhile, place the flour, remaining half of the spices and baking powder on a large tray. Mix until combined.  

• Remove the chicken from the buttermilk mixture, allowing any excess liquid to drip off. Place on the tray with the flour mixture and toss to coat evenly.

• Carefully add the chicken pieces to the pot cooking in batches, for 6 minutes or until crisp, golden and cooked through. Drain on wire rack and repeat with remaining chicken. (Cooking time is a guide and this will differ depending on the size of the chicken pieces so always check the chicken is cooked thoroughly)

SEE BELOW FOR FULL RECIPE

How to reheat fried chicken

If you are lucky enough to haver any chicken leftover, the best way to reheat it is in the oven. You want to ensure the chicken is fully heated through.

The best way to do this is to preheat your oven to 200 degrees.

Simply place the chicken on a wire rack and place the wire rack on baking tray to catch the oil and your good to go.

Heat for around 8-10 minutes until heated through.

So now you know all the tips and tools to making the ultimate crispy fried chicken. All thats left to do is to give it a go and serve it up with your favourite sides. I love a good squeeze of lime juice and a side of natural yoghurt with jalapenos.

It also goes great with my rainbow salad and my crispy oven baked potato chips

Enjoy XX

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