Best Southern Fried Chicken Recipes

SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN STRIPS

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, whisk egg and buttermilk. In a separate shallow bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, pepper, salt and paprika. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then flour mixture., In an electric skillet, heat oil to 375°. Fry chicken, a few pieces at a time, for 2-3 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with cheese.

SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Season chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and paprika. Roll in flour.
• Add 1/2 to 3/4 inch oil to a large, heavy skillet. Heat to approximately 365 degrees F (185 degrees C). Place chicken pieces in hot oil. Cover, and fry until golden, turning once, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN GIZZARDS

Steps:

• Place the chicken gizzards, celery, onion, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon of celery salt into a saucepan, and pour in enough water to cover the gizzards by 1 inch. Bring the gizzards to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Pour in more water during simmering, if needed, to keep gizzards covered. Remove the gizzards to a bowl, discard the celery and onion, and reserve the broth.
• Season the gizzards with 1/2 teaspoon of celery salt, the seasoned salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, cumin, and hot sauce, stirring to combine well. Pour 1/3 cup of the reserved broth over the seasoned gizzards, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more, stirring often. (Save or freeze the remaining broth for another use, if desired.)
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Place the flour in a plastic bag, and pour in the gizzards with their seasoning. Shake the bag to thoroughly coat the gizzards with flour. Gently lower about 1/4 of the gizzards per batch into the hot oil, and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes per batch. Drain the gizzards on paper towels, and serve hot.

SOUTHERN STYLE DEEP-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a medium pan, place chicken and cover with milk. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight. This helps tenderize the meat, but is optional
• In a large saucepan over a medium-high heat, using tongs, transfer chicken into pot, then pour in the milk. Bring milk to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low allowing to simmer until the chicken is cooked through entirely, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the milk, and place on a rack to cool. Allow them to sit until warm about 15 minutes, and then pat dry using a kitchen towel.
• Heat vegetable shortening in a Dutch oven over high heat just until it's nearly at the smoking point around 325 degrees F.
• In a large zip-lock bag, add salt, flour, cayenne pepper, shake to combine.
• In a medium bowl, beat 1 egg.
• Place each piece of chicken, 1 at a time, in the bag and shake to coat the chicken. Then dip chicken into the egg to coat. Place the chicken back into the flour to coat for a second time. Repeat this method on remaining 3 pieces of chicken.
• Gently drop each piece of chicken into hot oil, allowing the skin to crisp and turn golden brown in color, about 1 minute per side. Remove from the oil and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately.

SOUTHERN SPICY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and place them in a deep-sided baking dish.
• Whisk together the buttermilk, hot pepper sauce, and 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a bowl. Pour the mixture over the chicken, stir to coat all sides of the chicken pieces, and cover the dish with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 2 hours to marinate.
• Remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk mixture, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining buttermilk mixture.
• Place the flour, 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste in a large plastic zipper bag, and shake well to combine. Place 2 or 3 pieces of chicken at a time into the plastic bag, and shake well to coat the chicken pieces with seasoned flour.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Gently place chicken pieces into the hot oil, and fry until chicken is cooked through and golden brown, 8-10 minutes (breasts and wings) or 13 to 15 minutes (thighs and drumsticks). Drain the fried chicken on paper towels.

FRIED CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS SOUTHERN STYLE

Steps:

• Before frying, boil chicken legs in a pot of water for 10 minutes.
• In a large saucepan, heat vegetable oil on medium heat.
• On a large plate, combine flour, cayenne pepper, paprika, and salt.
• Keep beaten eggs in a separate bowl.
• Take 1 chicken leg and cover it is flour mixture.
• Place the chicken leg in eggs and cover it in egg.
• Place the chicken leg back into the flour mixture and cover it again in flour.
• Once oil is hot and ready for frying, place chicken leg into the oil for frying.
• Repeat steps 5-8 for each chicken leg allowing up to 3 legs to fry at one time.
• Once legs are fried to a golden brown, remove from oil and place on a double-folded paper towel on a plate.
• Allow plenty of time to cool before serving.

BEST SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, beat eggs and milk. In another bowl, combine flour and seasonings. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture, then in flour mixture. , In a large skillet; brown chicken in oil on both sides. Cover and cook the chicken over low heat for 45 minutes or until juices run clear. Remove chicken from the skillet; keep warm. Reserve 1/4 cup drippings in skillet. , For gravy, stir in the flour, salt and pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or until browned. Combine milk and water; add to skillet. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add browning sauce if desired. Serve with chicken. Garnish with oregano if desired.

SOUTHERN-STYLE OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Place a rack in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan; coat the rack with cooking spray., In a shallow bowl, mix the first seven ingredients. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk eggs. Dip chicken in eggs, then in cracker mixture, patting to help coating adhere. Place on prepared rack., Bake 20 minutes. Turn chicken; bake until chicken is golden brown and juices run clear, 15-25 minutes longer.

SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN WITH GRAVY

Steps:

• In a shallow dish, combine the first 7 ingredients. In a shallow bowl, beat egg and milk. Dip chicken pieces into egg mixture, then place in flour mixture, a few pieces at a time, and turn to coat. , In a large skillet, heat 1/4 in. oil; fry chicken until browned on all sides. Cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until juices run clear and chicken is tender, turning occasionally. Uncover and cook 5 minutes longer. Drain on paper towels and keep warm. Drain skillet, reserving 3 tablespoons drippings. , For gravy, in a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, thyme and pepper. Gradually whisk in milk and cream until smooth; add to skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with chicken.

SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cut chicken in eight pieces. Season well with salt and pepper. Set aside. Mix eggs, milk, and water. Pour mixture over chicken. Let sit for 5 minutes.
• In a heavy paper bag, mix flour, paprika, ground thyme, and granulated garlic. Place chicken in bag with flour mixture. Shake until chicken is well coated.
• Heat oil in a Magnalite fryer - oil should reach 350°F. Place chicken in hot oil. Fry, turning as chicken browns. Heavy parts such as breast, thighs, and legs will take 15 to 20 minutes, wings about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain chicken on paper towels.

TANYA'S LOUISIANA SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a medium size bowl mix together the eggs and milk. Add ALMOST all of the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder (reserve a dash of each for seasoning the chicken pieces). Set aside.
• Sprinkle a dash of the remaining salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder onto both sides of the chicken pieces.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Put the flour in a plastic bag. One piece at a time, dip the chicken into the egg/milk mixture then add to the plastic bag. Shake the bag so that the flour is covering each piece of chicken.
• You can check to see if the oil is hot enough by sprinkling a little flour in the skillet. If it fries, it's hot enough! Place the chicken pieces in the skillet. After about 5 minutes, turn the chicken over. Let chicken fry for about 15 minutes or until the meat is cooked through and the juices run clear. Enjoy!

SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the chicken in a bowl and pour over the milk. Tip the flour and spices into a large plastic bag and add a large pinch of salt and a good grinding of pepper.
• Heat half the oil in a large frying pan. Take half of the chicken out of the milk, shake off any excess and put in the bag of seasoned flour. Hold the top closed and shake well. Lift the pieces out and shake off any excess, but don't do this too hard or you'll end up with no coating. Lower the pieces into the oil and fry on each side until golden and crisp - don't overdo it as the chicken is being baked next and will brown further. Use tongs to turn the chicken and try not to tear the coating. Transfer to a rack set in a roasting tin. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
• Bake for 30 mins until cooked - check one drumstick and one thigh with a skewer - cook for longer if you need to.

REAL SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, whisk 2 cups buttermilk, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken; turn to coat. Refrigerate, covered, overnight., In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 375°. Meanwhile, place remaining buttermilk in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, whisk flour, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and remaining salt and pepper. Place half of flour mixture in another shallow bowl (for a second coat of breading). Drain chicken, discarding marinade; pat chicken dry. Dip in flour mixture to coat both sides; shake off excess. Dip in buttermilk, allowing excess to drain off. For the second coat of breading, dip chicken in remaining flour mixture, patting to help coating adhere., Fry chicken, a few pieces at a time, 4-5 minutes on each side or until browned and juices run clear. Drain on paper towels.

CRISPY SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• BEAT together egg, water and 1/4 cup oil in large bowl. Add sugar, salt and flour. Mix until smooth.
• HEAT remaining 1 1/2 cups oil to 360 degrees F in deep skillet. Dip chicken pieces, one piece at a time, into batter. Fry 20 to 30 minutes or until juices run clear when pierced with a fork (165 degrees F). Turn chicken often for even browning.

BURTON'S SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN WITH WHITE GRAVY

Steps:

• Whisk buttermilk, onion powder, parsley, tarragon, sage, paprika, and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper in a bowl. Place chicken breast pieces in buttermilk mixture, stir to coat, and marinate in refrigerator at least 8 hours (up to 2 days). Drain chicken pieces in a colander.
• Mix 2 cups all-purpose flour, garlic salt, onion salt, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper in a heavy, resealable plastic bag. Whisk eggs with 2 tablespoons milk in a bowl; season with salt and black pepper.
• Heat grapeseed oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until a pinch of flour dropped into the oil sizzles. Place 1/2 cup all-purpose flour into a shallow bowl.
• Press chicken pieces into unseasoned flour, dip into egg mixture, and place into plastic bag of seasoned flour. Close bag and shake to coat chicken.
• Fry coated chicken in hot oil until golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes on the first side and 6 to 8 minutes on the second side. Drain on a rack.
• Drain oil, leaving 1/4 cup oil in skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Whisk quick-mixing flour and milk into hot oil until combined. Bring gravy to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and creamy, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and white pepper. Serve gravy with fried chicken.

SOUTHERN MARINATED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the house seasoning: Combine garlic powder, onion powder and seasoning salt in a small bowl.
• For the chicken: Wash chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a large bowl. Combine 3 tablespoons house seasoning with 1 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl, then generously sprinkle each piece of chicken with the seasoning mixture. Place in a plastic bag, seal and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Remove chicken from bag. Add about 3/4-inch frying oil to a cast-iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat until temperature reaches about 350 degrees F. Line a plate with paper towels.
• Meanwhile, combine 2 tablespoons house seasoning with the flour in a shallow pan (save remaining house seasoning for another use). Roll chicken in flour in batches, dusting off excess, and place in skillet. Turn heat down to medium to prevent burning. Brown chicken on all sides, turning with tongs, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat (avoid touching bone) registers 165 degrees F. Remove chicken to lined plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.
• Use a 5-ounce scoop to portion out some 3-Cheese Macaroni in the center of a plate. Add 3 tablespoons Sweet Potato Apple Chutney. Cut a Collard Green Roll in half on the bias, and place each piece against the scoop of macaroni. Place fried chicken pieces against the front of the macaroni and cheese scoop. Pour a little of the pot liquor from the greens around the plate, then grab your favorite hot sauce and dig in! (Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 8 more plates.)
• For the house seasoning: Combine garlic powder, onion powder and seasoning salt in a small bowl.
• For the macaroni and cheese: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and set aside.
• Place cooked macaroni in a large bowl. Toss macaroni with white pepper, 1/8 cup house seasoning and 1 cup Cheddar. Set aside.
• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, being careful not to burn. Whisk flour into melted butter to make a roux. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until a smooth paste, about 2 minutes. Turn heat to low and slowly add milk, whisking continuously, then allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.
• Add the American cheese and cream cheese in batches, whisking, until melted and blended. Add 1 1/2 cups Cheddar, whisking until blended, then remove from heat. Add 1/8 cup house seasoning to cheese sauce (save remaining house seasoning for another use). Quickly whisk in the eggs until combined.
• Spread macaroni evenly into prepared baking dish. Add cheese sauce, tossing, and stirring to coat macaroni well with sauce. Top with remaining cup Cheddar. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese crust is browned, 5 to 10 minutes more. Allow to sit 15 minutes before serving.
• Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add sweet potatoes, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and clove. Add apple cider, stirring, then allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Add apples, red peppers, brown sugar and 1 cup water and continue to cook, adding more water if needed, until sweet potatoes are soft but still firm and mixture is thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes. Stir in raisins and bourbon and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• For the house seasoning: Combine garlic powder, onion powder and seasoning salt in a small bowl.
• For the rolls: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, celery, onions and green and red peppers and sweat, about 4 minutes. Add chopped collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, jalapenos, smoked salt, baking soda, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, 1/4 cup house seasoning and enough water to cover greens (save remaining house seasoning for another use). Cook greens until tender, 2 1/2 hours. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Strain pot liquor from greens and reserve. Place pot liquor in a shallow pan and heat over medium heat. Carefully add whole collard green leaves and simmer until leaves soften, about 3 minutes. Remove leaves one at a time and place on a flat surface. Flatten a leaf and top with 1 scoop drained greens right in the middle of the leaf. Fold the sides of the leaf over the greens and roll the leaf into a log. Repeat process with remaining leaves and filling.

CLASSIC SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine chicken, buttermilk, hot sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper in a large, non-reactive bowl. Stir until chicken is well coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight.
• Combine flour, 2 teaspoons salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, remaining 1 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne in a large bowl; whisk until well combined.
• Remove chicken from the refrigerator. Working with one piece at a time, remove from the marinade and allow excess to drip off. Coat evenly in the flour mixture, and set on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet.
• Pour oil into a large Dutch oven to a depth of 1 inch. Heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Add a few chicken pieces to the hot oil and cook, turning once or twice, until golden brown on the outside, no longer pink at the bone, and the juices run clear, 10 to 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Maintain the oil temperature around 320 degrees F (160 degrees C) during cooking. Remove chicken to a clean wire rack set over a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Return oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and repeat to fry remaining chicken.
• Serve immediately.

SOUTHERN FRIED BARBECUE CHICKEN

Steps:

• An American classic with a little twist from below the South, this crisp and smoky chicken is sure to become a barbecue favorite.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, milk, 2 tablespoons of garlic salt and 2 tablespoons of pepper until smooth.
• In a large flat pan stir together the flour, remaining tablespoons of garlic salt, pepper, onion powder and mesquite seasoning.
• Fill a large heavy skillet or wok halfway full with oil and heat over medium-high heat to 365 degrees Fahrenheit on the barbecue grill or side burner. Use tongs to dip each chicken piece into the egg mixture, then into the flour mixture, back into the egg mixture and back into the flour mixture again. Set on a platter until all pieces are coated.
• Cook the chicken in batches, do not overcrowd the skillet. Brown on each side.
• Coat a large baking dish generously with nonstick cooking spray then arrange the fried chicken pieces in the pan. Pour the barbecue sauce over the chicken.
• Bake in the oven at 365 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes in the barbecue sauce, until the sauce has bubbled and caramelized and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken breast has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Serve with one can (22 ounces) BUSH'S® Bourbon and Brown Sugar Grillin' Beans.

SOUTHERN CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, combine flour, herb seasoning, salt and pepper. In another bowl, place the beaten eggs. Coat each veal cutlet with the flour mixture, then dip into egg, then back into the flour mixture.
• Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Place veal cutlets into hot oil, and cook until browned, about 10 minutes on each side.

GRANDMA'S SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Wash chicken pieces and place in a deep bowl. Cover with buttermilk and hot sauce, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Melt shortening in a cast iron skillet to a depth of about 1 inch.
• Heat to about 370º. (No thermometer needed, really. It'll get hot enough while chicken rests AFTER coating if you have your flame on about medium.) If it starts to smoke, turn it down immediately a bit.
• In a doubled brown paper lunch sack, mix together all of the dry ingredients.
• Remove chicken from bowl.
• Using additional seasoned salt and pepper, lightly coat to season chicken.
• Place chicken in bag, one piece at a time. Shake well until thoroughly coated.
• Dip each piece in the buttermilk and coat with flour once again.
• Shake off excess; place on waxed paper for 15 minutes or until dry.
• Place chicken, skin side down, in hot shortening.
• Do not crowd skillet.
• Brown until golden on bottom (good)(skin) side. When chicken pieces are golden on one side, turn pieces over, cover with tight fitting lid, and reduce heat to a simmer, turning chicken pieces ocaisionally, for 35 to 40 minutes or until juices run clear and chicken is tender. *When lid is placed on, and heat is reduced to a good simmer, the good side of pieces are the top sides. After about 10 minutes, turn back to skin-side down. After another 10 minutes or so, turn back to skin-side up for the last 10-15 minutes.).
• Uncover and cook 5 minutes longer for "crispy on the outside" crust. Remove at once, skipping this step, if a softer outside is preferred. My grandma and great aunts always drained their fried chicken on brown paper grocery bags. This seems to work best for me, too. Paper towels work "ok", too. *If doubling or making alot of chicken, or just wanting to keep it warm til the rest of your side dishes are done and ready to serve, place chicken on brown paper bag-lined cookie sheet in very low oven. GREAT cold, too!
• 4-6 servings.
• To make chicken fingers:.
• Use 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips about a 1/2-3/4 " thick. I skipped the buttermilk and hot sauce part, and dipped them into the flour mixture first, then into 1 egg beaten with about a half of a cup of half and half cream and a little hot sauce. Then back into the flour mixture. Worked out PERFECTLY. I lightly browned them in hot oil on one side, turned them, then put a lid on them. I then only cooked them for 8 minutes. I removed the lid, turned them and cooked them another minute. Drained them on paper towel.YUM!
• *One extra tip: Don't ever turn chicken by piercing with a fork, all the juices will run out and the meat will be dry. Always use tongs and have a sharp spatula handy to get underneath just in case a little bit wants to stick. You don't want to lose that good breading! :).