stayfedfam

Fried Chicken

Nelson Huynh -

I have gotten so many requests to drop my fried chicken recipe. I make this recipe for every single Super Bowl, for special friend gatherings, and for when I am just craving that crispy, juicy bite. Is there really a bad time to make and eat fried chicken? Anyway, the people have asked, and I shall give the people what they deserve. Here is my fried chicken recipe drop.

Warning: Reading this late at night may cause munchies, but may also inspire you to run to your kitchen to start that overnight marinade.

Since I usually make this recipe for groups, this recipe will be scaled for for about 4 people. Adjust as needed for your party or weekly dinner needs.

Ingredients

  • 3-4 lbs of Chicken - Choose your cut of choice. I personally like dark meat so I enjoy thighs and drumsticks. If you are making chicken sandos, stick to boneless.
  • 1 cup Buttermilk/Plain Yogurt
  • 1 tbsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tbsp Pepper
  • 1 tbsp Garlic Powder or Minced Garlic
  • 0.5 tbsp Chili Powder
  • 1 tbsp Hot Sauce - I like Sriracha or Gochujang or Cholulas. Optional as only for those who like it spicy ;)
  • 1.5 cup AP Flour
  • 0.5 cup Corn Starch
  • Frying Oil (I like vegetable or canola)

Tools

  • A deep frying vessel: Cast Iron Pan, Wok, or Pot (wide and deep enough to deep fry in). I prefer Cast Iron as it uses less oil and retains heat better.
  • Cooking Thermometer
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Tongs
  • Wire Rack + Pan
  • Paper Towels + Plate

Steps

  • Combine your milk choice, salt, pepper, garlic, chili powder, and hot sauce in a large bowl. Make sure your mixture is combined together well. Sometimes I like to sub out salt with something more fun like soy sauce, left over pickle brine, etc. Experiment around!
  • Add in your chicken pieces and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or transfer the contents to a Ziploc bag. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and up to overnight.
  • An hour before you are ready to fry, take your chicken out to room temp.
  • Whisk together the flour and cornstarch in a large bowl.
  • Sprinkle in about 2-3 tablespoons of the marinade and work it into the flour with your fingers. This is what is going to give your fried chicken those extra crispy, craggily pieces to bite into. WHO DOESN'T WANT EXTRA CRUNCH?!?
  • Prep your frying station. Get your frying vessel ready with oil to deep fry. Heat it up to ~400°F. Our frying temp will be ~350°F, but when you add the chicken, it will drop the temp. As you fry, adjust the stove to maintain that nice 350.
  • Remove a piece of chicken from the bag, allowing excess marinade to drip off, drop the chicken into the flour mixture, and toss to coat. Make sure the chicken is fully coated and the flour mixture is adhered in a nice thick layer.
  • Shake off any excess and place your chicken (skin side down if you're cooking pieces with skin) into your oil.
  • Continue adding chicken pieces to the flour mixture one at a time and repeat this process.
  • Let the first side of your chicken cook for at least 5 minutes. Do not touch your chicken until then as you may disrupt the coating (even worse...knock it off) before it fully sets. Flip your chicken with your tongs and cook for 5 more minutes until golden brown.
  • Transfer chicken to a paper towel lined plate first. Season with extra salt or whatever fun spice seasoning you want.
  • After 2 minutes, transfer your chicken to the wire rack and allow to cool before devouring.

Simply enjoy that crispy fried chicken as is or sauce it up (maybe with honey, chili oil, an aioli, etc.) or put it in between some soft buns with a slaw or pickles. More fried chicken inspo below of what I have made: