Whether he’s stirring something new and delicious into his skillet cornbread, adding a healthy twist to a favorite comfort food recipe, or trying out a new exotic spice, Senior Food Editor Josh Miller loves dreaming up delicious, cookable recipes for PioneerWoman.com. When he hangs up his apron for the day, you can him in his pottery studio, creating fun and functional items for the kitchen and home.
Calling all lovers of chicken dinners! This chicken fried chicken recipe is guaranteed to be your favorite new comfort food! A soak in buttermilk and pickle juice brings big flavor and tenderness to this crispy chicken, and the easy dredging method means less mess and easier cleanup. Plus, there's gravy, baby! Try spooning extra gravy over a big pile of mashed potatoes on the side. Pure heaven! This chicken is perfect with your favorite vegetable side dishes, but it's also wonderful on a sandwich for lunch!
How is chicken fried chicken different from fried chicken?
Fried chicken is typically made with bone-in chicken, but chicken fried chicken turns to boneless chicken pieces (like thighs, breasts, or cutlets) for easy eating. Once it's fried, chicken fried chicken gets smothered in white gravy.
Why is it called "chicken fried chicken"?
This recipe takes its name from a Southern classic, chicken fried steak, which is a thin cut of beef (usually cube steak) that is breaded and fried, just like fried chicken, and served with a simple white gravy.
What is the gravy made of?
Ingredients you probably already have on hand: butter, flour, whole milk, salt, and pepper—that's it! It adds next-level decadence to tender fried chicken.
Do you need to use buttermilk to marinate chicken fried chicken?
Buttermilk helps to tenderize the chicken, in addition to making it extra juicy. But if it's hard to find in your area, here's how to make buttermilk: whisk together 2 tablespoons of sour cream, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and enough milk to yield 1 cup total. This mixture will mimic the thickness, acidity, and flavor of buttermilk in a pinch.
Can you use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs for this recipe?
Chicken breasts are perfectly acceptable for this recipe under one condition—avoid giant pieces. The chicken thighs called for in this recipe vary in thickness (as chicken thighs do), but they're generally no more than 1-inch thick. If the chicken you have is a lot thicker, cut the pieces into thinner cutlets that will cook through in the specified amount of time.
What's the trick to perfect fried chicken?
The ticket to delicious, crispy chicken is to get the oil hot enough, and keep it from cooling off too much while frying. The best way to do this is to use an instant-read thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature. Heat the oil to 350 degrees, then add the first couple of pieces of chicken. The oil temperature will drop slightly, but that's OK; just try to keep it above 325 degrees. Other than that, just be sure to not overcrowd the pan, and the chicken will turn out crispy, golden, and perfect.
- Yields:
- 4 - 6 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 10 mins
- Total Time:
- 1 hr 10 mins
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 c.
whole buttermilk
- 1/4 c.
pickle juice (from the jar)
- 1
large egg
- 2 lb.
boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 c.
self-rising flour
- 1 tbsp.
seasoned salt
- 2 tsp.
ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp.
cayenne pepper
Vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
For the Gravy:
- 1/4 c.
salted butter
- 1/3 c.
all-purpose flour
- 4 c.
warm whole milk, divided
- 3/4 tsp.
salt, plus more taste
- 1/2 tsp.
ground black pepper, plus more to taste
Directions
- Step 1For the chicken: Whisk together the buttermilk, pickle juice, and egg in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the chicken to the buttermilk mixture; cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours.)
- Step 2Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 10 minutes before frying. In a medium shallow bowl, stir together the flour, seasoned salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and 3 tablespoons of the chicken marinade until well combined (the mixture will be pebble-y). Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, patting to coat. Shake off the excess flour, and transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Step 3Add oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches in a large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 350°.
- Step 4Preheat the oven to 200°.
- Step 5When the oil is hot enough, fry the chicken, in batches, until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. (The internal temperature of the chicken should read 165° on an instant read thermometer when finished.) Transfer the cooked chicken to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Keep warm in the oven.
- Step 6For the gravy: Discard the remaining oil in the skillet; wipe the skillet clean. Add the butter to the skillet; heat over medium heat until the butter melts. Sprinkle the flour over the butter; cook, whisking constantly, until the flour smells toasty and turns light golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- Step 7Gradually add 3 cups of the milk, whisking to break up any clumps. Add salt and pepper, and bring to gentle simmer. Cook, whisking frequently, until the gravy is smooth and thickened, about 3 minutes. Add more milk, if needed; season with additional salt and black pepper.
- Step 8Divide the chicken among plates; spoon over the warm gravy. Sprinkle with more black pepper.
Tip: Warming the milk before adding it to the gravy will help reduce the amount of lumps, which means less whisking for you!
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