Fried chicken is popular because it's tasty and can be eaten hot or cold (during a picnic or as a snack). Fried chicken is so popular that it's included on the menu of many fast food chain restaurants and, in fact, of all meats, only chicken tends to be fried on a regular basis. Done correctly, fried chicken is really delicious, which explains why very few people give up this dish!
Making fried chicken at home has a number of advantages: you control the quality of the ingredients, which means you can use the freshest ones possible, and you can opt for organic chicken if you wish. Also, you can vary the ingredients to taste. Chances are, everyone will want to eat chicken for family meals, so it's one of the best options to serve with meals. This article provides several variations of fried chicken that you can try.
Ingredients
Breaded Chicken Escalope
- 1 chicken of about 1.5 kg cut into 8 boneless and skinless pieces
- 1 small white loaf without crusts; stale bread (2 days) is better
- 1 tablespoon of mustard
- 1 tsp chopped fresh herbs
- 2 beaten eggs
- sunflower oil for frying
Southern fried chicken
- 2 skinless chicken breasts
- 2 boneless skinless chicken legs
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper, preferably fresh
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
- 150ml of buttermilk (butter milk)
- 4 slices of canadian bacon
- 150g of fresh white breadcrumbs
- sunflower oil for frying
original fried chicken
- 1 egg
- 3 cups of milk
- 1 cup of wheat flour
- 3 cups of fine breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder (no salt)
- 1/2 spoon of onion powder (without salt)
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 4 teaspoons of black pepper
- 6-8 cups of cooking oil
- 2 chickens cut into pieces
- 1 teaspoon or 2 teaspoon of red pepper powder for a spicy flavor (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of pounded onion
fried chicken
- 1 chicken
- 2 tablespoons of oil
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon of powdered ginger (optional)
- white breadcrumbs
- Pieces of lemon to decorate
Fried chicken
- 115g of unsalted butter, softened
- Juice and 1 lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons of chopped tarragon
- 4 large skinless chicken breasts
- 1 big egg
- 115g of fresh white breadcrumbs
- sunflower oil for frying
Steps
Method 1 of 6: Breaded Chicken Escalope
This is a method of preparing shallow frying of chicken.
Step 1. Prepare the fillets
Remove the skin and tendons from the chicken. Place the chicken fillets between two layers of plastic or waxed paper and beat with a rolling pin. The goal is to flatten them evenly so that they are about 1cm thick. The flat pieces are now known as scallops.
Step 2. Chop the bread slices
Add the cut pieces in a food processor and process into breadcrumbs. Pour the breadcrumbs into a shallow dish.
Step 3. Season the scallops with salt and pepper to taste
Brush each scallop with mustard and sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs.
Step 4. Pass each scallop in beaten egg
Be sure to soak both sides evenly.
Step 5. Pass the scallops in the breadcrumbs
Try to cover the scallops as completely as possible.
Step 6. Heat the oil in the skillet
Add about 1cm of oil to the skillet.
Step 7. Place the scallops in the skillet
Fry in shallow oil for about 4-5 minutes. They will be ready when they turn a golden brown color.
Step 8. Remove from heat
Drain on kitchen paper.
Step 9. Serve
If you are cooking one at a time, keep the scallops already fried in the oven until serving time.
Method 2 of 6: Southern Fried Chicken
This is a method of preparing shallow frying of chicken.
Step 1. Cut each breast and thigh diagonally into 4 pieces
Step 2. Mix the mustard with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper
Brush the chicken pieces with this mixture.
Step 3. Place the chicken pieces in a bowl filled with buttermilk
Gently turn the chicken pieces so that they are soaked in the buttermilk.
Step 4. Prepare the bacon
Pour 1cm of oil into a skillet and heat it up. Fry bacon pieces until crisp. Remove them from the pan and let them cool. When they are cool enough, cut them into small pieces.
Step 5. Mix the chopped bacon pieces with the breadcrumbs
Cover the chicken pieces (already wet with buttermilk) with the bacon and breadcrumb mixture.
Step 6. Put more oil in the same skillet used to fry the bacon
Again, the oil depth should be 1cm. Heat the oil slightly.
It is important that the oil temperature is not too hot, as this can make the chicken crunchy on the outside but raw on the inside. If you notice the oil starting to smoke, it is too hot. Add a little more oil and immediately reduce the temperature
Step 7. Add chicken pieces
Fry for about 10 minutes. Turn side once during frying time. The amount of time needed for frying depends on the thickness of the pieces; a golden brown color is a good indication that the chicken is on point.
Step 8. Remove from pan and serve
Sprinkle with salt to taste.
Keep the fried chicken pieces in the oven until ready to serve
Method 3 of 6: Original Fried Chicken
This is a traditional fried chicken preparation method.
Step 1. Prepare the “coating” by placing the eggs and milk in a bowl
Step 2. Mix all-purpose flour, breadcrumbs and seasonings in another bowl
Step 3. Spread each piece of chicken in the flour, then in the milk, and again in the flour
Place the breaded pieces on a plate.
Step 4. Put the oil in a deep pot or deep fryer
The fryer must be suitable for frying chicken. Turn heat on at medium temperature. Make sure the oil doesn't get too hot and splash on you. To test the oil temperature, place a matchstick in the pan with the oil still cold. When the match lights up, you'll know the oil is hot enough to fry the chicken.
Step 5. Remove the chicken pieces from the pan after they turn a golden brown color
Step 6. Leave them on absorbent paper
Step 7. Serve
Serve with steamed coleslaw or vegetables of your choice.
If you're taking the fried chicken on a picnic, let the pieces cool before putting them in a container
Method 4 of 6: Fried Chicken
This is a method of preparing fried chicken.
Step 1. Prepare the necessary ingredients and utensils
Step 2. Cut the chicken into 6 pieces, that is, two wings, two thighs and the breast in two pieces
Step 3. Mix two tablespoons of oil with lemon juice
Add salt and pepper to taste, and a little cayenne pepper.
Step 4. Add the finely chopped garlic, parsley and, if using, powdered ginger
Step 5. Arrange the chicken pieces in a bowl or tray to be seasoned
Pour the seasoning mixture over the chicken pieces. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
Step 6. Drain excess seasoning from the chicken pieces
Step 7. Pass the chicken pieces in the breadcrumbs
Step 8. Heat the oil to 180°C
Step 9. Add each piece of chicken to the pan with hot oil
Cook for 13-15 minutes or until golden.
Step 10. Remove the chicken pieces from the pan
Drain onto kitchen paper.
Step 11. Sprinkle with a little more salt
Serve with lemon slices to decorate.
Method 5 of 6: Fried Chicken
This is a method of preparing fried chicken.
Step 1. Prepare the necessary ingredients and utensils
Step 2. Add the butter, lemon zest and tarragon in a bowl
Mix well until mixture is smooth.
Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste
Step 3. Place the butter mixture on a piece of aluminum foil
Shape it into a rectangular shape. Roll up this rectangular block and place in the freezer. Remove only when it is solid.
Step 4. Beat (or roll) the chicken breast into a scallop shape (see method above under "Breaded chicken scallops")
Step 5. Remove the frozen butter from the freezer
Cut it into four equal pieces.
Step 6. Place each piece of butter inside a scallop, enveloping the piece of butter completely
Wrap each fillet tightly over the butter.
Step 7. Keep the buttered chicken fillet intact, piercing each end with a toothpick to secure the sides
Step 8. Break the egg and beat it lightly
Dip the chicken pieces into the egg to cover them evenly.
Step 9. Pass the egg-covered chicken fillets in the breadcrumbs
Be sure to cover the chicken fillets evenly; it may be necessary to press them well against the breadcrumbs.
Step 10. Refrigerate the breaded chicken fillets
The liner must be seated well before you take the fillets out of the refrigerator.
Step 11. Heat the oil in the frying pan or fryer
It should reach a temperature of 180°C. Do not use a temperature higher than this, otherwise the outside of the chicken will be cooked and the inside will be raw.
Step 12. Fry a maximum of 2 fillets at a time
Fry for about 10 minutes. They can be removed when they gain a golden color.
Keep pieces already fried in the oven
Step 13. Drain on kitchen paper
Step 14. Serve
Remember to remove toothpicks before serving. When cut, the buttery interior should melt deliciously.
Method 6 of 6: Keep Fried Chicken Warm
In all the fried chicken variants suggested above, it is recommended to only fry a small amount at a time to ensure the best consistency and proper cooking. So this means that you usually have to fry them in portions, and you'll need to keep some hot fried pieces waiting to be served. Here's a guaranteed method to maintain the flavor of your chicken:
Step 1. Put some water in a cake tin, crush pieces of aluminum foil into balls
Step 2. Place aluminum foil balls in the pan and, on top of them, a piece of aluminum foil large enough to enclose all the fried chicken pieces
Step 3. Cover everything with a lid and place in an oven heated to 150-200ºC
Now you have created a homemade steam pot.
Step 4. Keep chicken in the oven until ready to be served
It will be really soft.
Tips
- Cook the chicken thoroughly. To ensure food safety, chicken must be thoroughly cooked. Therefore, it is important to observe the cooking times or the suggestions explained in the recipe, to guarantee both the best taste and maximum safety.
- If you fry a lot of chicken pieces, it is recommended to do it in small portions so that you can keep a good control over the temperature and cooking time. Fried pieces can be kept warm on a plate in the oven if necessary.
- For frying poultry, choose oils that withstand high temperatures well. The oil should have a relatively high flash point (the point at which it starts to burn and change color), and it should also have a subtle flavor rather than a predominant flavor. Good choices include peanut oil, sunflower oil and some other vegetable oils.
- If you fry in portions in a shallow pan, renew the oil between each portion to remove loose crumbs, otherwise they will burn.
- For an easier method of preparing chicken, mix all dry ingredients in a large zippered freezer bag. Add a few pieces of chicken at a time, and swirl to evenly coat each piece. Once coated, place the pieces on a plate and add more pieces to the bag. Repeat until all pieces are coated. Then pass them through the egg and fry.
- If you want the chicken to be crispy and well cooked, set the heat on medium/low so that the inside of the chicken is well cooked.
Notices
- Make sure the oil doesn't get too hot, otherwise only the outside of the chicken will be cooked, while the inside will be raw.
- Handle hot oil with utmost care. Handle with care and keep children and pets away while you're frying. Keep your face away from the oil as the oil can unexpectedly sneeze and burn if it comes into contact with your skin and eyes.
- Use tongs to place and remove chicken from the pan.
- When serving chicken, avoid burns by wearing kitchen gloves.
- Check that the inside of the chicken is not pink; Raw or undercooked chicken can harbor diseases such as salmonella and can also cause food poisoning. Make sure the meat is very white and opaque.