Best Next Level Fried Chicken Recipes

MAKE-AHEAD FRIED CHICKEN

Make-Ahead Fried Chicken image

Fried chicken is one of the few fried foods that tastes just as good served at room temperature as it does when it's served hot enough to burn your fingers. This recipe has been specially engineered to be made in advance. It's seasoned assertively, so the flavors won't dull as it cools. But the real key is double-dipping the chicken in the flour mixture before you fry it, making for an extra-crunchy crust that holds up all afternoon. And it lets you serve fried chicken to your guests and still have enough time to clean the kitchen and take a shower before they arrive. Although the recipe calls for all drumsticks, which won't dry out as they sit, feel free to substitute other chicken parts.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories dinner, lunch, main course

Time 1h

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

1 quart buttermilk
2 torn bay leaves
2 thinly sliced shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon honey
12 drumsticks, about 2½ to 3 pounds chicken
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon good chile power such as chipotle powder
Corn, grapeseed or vegetable oil, for frying

Steps:

Make the marinade: Whisk together all the marinade ingredients, except the chicken, and place in a large bowl or plastic bag. Submerge the chicken in the marinade, cover bowl or seal bag, and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or, better, overnight.
Make the coating: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cayenne, salt and chile powder. Place a paper bag inside another paper bag (to prevent seepage, use large bags or several small ones) and transfer the flour mixture into it. This is so you can shake the chicken pieces. (You can also just mix flour in a bowl and dredge the chicken parts in it, or use a heavy-duty plastic zipper bag for shaking.)
Take a piece of chicken out of the marinade and place it in the bag with the flour mixture. Close the bag and shake it so the chicken is fully coated. (Or, if you are using a bowl, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture.) Remove and place on a plate or sheet pan. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces, one by one. Let chicken rest for 30 minutes so it can come to room temperature. Reserve the coating mixture.
In a large Dutch oven or heavy skillet with a lid, heat the oil until it reaches 350 degrees. Just before frying, shake the chicken pieces in the coating mixture once again, one by one.
Fry the chicken for 6 minutes, covered, then uncover the pot and flip the chicken with tongs. Continue frying for about another 6 minutes, or until the coating is dark golden brown and the juices run clear when the meat is pricked with a fork.
Place chicken on a wire rack set over a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain and cool. Serve within 8 hours, but it's best to serve within 4 hours and leave the chicken at room temperature, rather than chilling it.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 852, UnsaturatedFat 21 grams, Carbohydrate 80 grams, Fat 34 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 54 grams, SaturatedFat 10 grams, Sodium 1131 milligrams, Sugar 13 grams, TransFat 0 grams

BEST-EVER FRIED CHICKEN

Best-Ever Fried Chicken image

Crispy, juicy and perfectly seasoned, this really is the best fried chicken recipe, ever. Summer reunions and neighborly gatherings will never be the same. When I was growing up, my parents had a farm, and every year, Dad would hire teenage boys to help by haying time. They looked forward to coming because they knew they would be treated to some of Mom's deep fryer recipes, including this delicious fried chicken. -Lola Clifton, Vinton, Virginia

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Dinner

Time 35m

Yield 4 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon pepper
1 large egg
1/3 cup 2% milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 to 4 pounds), cut up
Oil for deep-fat frying

Steps:

In a shallow bowl, mix the first 6 ingredients. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk egg, milk and lemon juice until blended. Dip chicken in flour mixture to coat all sides; shake off excess. Dip in egg mixture, then again in flour mixture., In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry chicken, a few pieces at a time, 6-10 minutes on each side or until skin is golden brown and juices run clear. Drain on paper towels.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 811 calories, Fat 57g fat (9g saturated fat), Cholesterol 176mg cholesterol, Sodium 725mg sodium, Carbohydrate 26g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 47g protein.

THE BEST FRIED CHICKEN

The Best Fried Chicken image

To get the most delicious chicken, we dry brined it overnight so the seasonings could penetrate the meat right down to the bone. (Don't worry, the brown sugar doesn't make the chicken sweet, it only helps to bring out the flavor.) We also wet the seasoned dredging flour with buttermilk and hot sauce to achieve large shaggy pieces of flavorful crust once the chicken is fried. And the cornstarch in that dredge? It keeps the crust shatteringly crisp - more so than just flour would- even if you are serving the chicken at room temperature.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories main-dish

Time 4h

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

One 3 1/2- to 4-pound whole chicken (or 3 1/2 to 4 pounds assorted chicken pieces)
Kosher salt
4 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup hot sauce, such as Frank's
2 large eggs, beaten
Vegetable oil, for frying (about 8 cups)

Steps:

Cut the chicken into 10 pieces. Cut off the wings. Remove the legs and separate the thighs. Remove and discard the backbone. Cut the breast into 2 pieces and then cut each breast in half.
Mix 4 teaspoons salt, the brown sugar and baking powder in a small bowl until completely combined and no lumps of sugar remain. Sprinkle the salt mixture all over the chicken pieces. Place the seasoned chicken on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Wrap the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate, at least 3 hours and up to 24. (Overnight works best.)
Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne and 1/4 cup salt in a large bowl until completely combined. Whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce and eggs in another large bowl. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour, turning to coat and packing it into any crevices. Shake to remove any excess and return to the rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Pour 6 tablespoons of the buttermilk mixture into the seasoned flour and work it in with your fingers; it should feel like sand with some clumps. (These clumps will give the chicken a crispy, shaggy crust.) Dip the dredged chicken into the remaining buttermilk mixture, allowing any excess to drip off. Then pack the moistened flour firmly onto the chicken. Very gently shake off any excess and return to the rack. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.
Pour enough oil into a large heavy pot to come halfway up the sides. Clip a deep-fry thermometer to the pot. Heat the oil over high heat until the thermometer registers 300 degrees F. Working in 3 batches, fry the chicken, turning often and adjusting the heat to maintain the temperature, until deep golden brown, about 8 minutes for the wings, 10 minutes for the legs and 12 minutes for the thighs and halved breasts (an uncut breast will take 15 to 18 minutes). Transfer to a clean wire rack set over paper towels to drain.