5 Favorite Southern Fried Chicken Recipes
Craving a little down-home comfort? Don’t miss our mouth-watering recipes for perfectly fried chicken.
Sweet Tea-Brined Fried Chicken
A marriage of Southern favorites: Our salty-sweet brine of brown sugar and freshly brewed tea infuses this picnic-perfect chicken with juicy flavor before frying.
Ingredients
2 family-size tea bags
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, halved
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 cups ice cubes
1 (3 1/2-lb.) cut-up whole chicken
2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup self-rising white cornmeal mix
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
Vegetable oil
Preparation
1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a 3-qt. heavy saucepan; add tea bags. Remove from heat; cover and steep 10 minutes.
2. Discard tea bags. Stir in brown sugar and next 5 ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cool completely (about 45 minutes); stir in ice. (Mixture should be cold before adding to chicken.)
3. Cut chicken breasts in half crosswise. Place tea mixture and all chicken pieces in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag; seal. Place bag in a shallow baking dish, and chill 24 hours.
4. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Drain chicken well.
5. Whisk together flour and next 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Spoon 1 cup flour mixture into a brown paper bag or large zip-top plastic freezer bag. Place one piece of chicken in bag; seal and shake to coat. Remove chicken, and transfer to a wire rack. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken, adding more flour mixture to bag as needed. Let chicken stand 30 minutes to form a crust.
6. Pour oil to depth of 1 1/2 inches into a cast-iron Dutch oven; heat over medium heat to 325°. Fry chicken, in batches, 15 to 22 minutes or until browned and done, turning occasionally. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels.
Note: If using a 12-inch-wide (2 1/4-inch-deep) cast-iron skillet, pour oil to depth of 1 inch.
Watch Us Make It: Sweet Tea-Brined Fried Chicken
Hot Sauce Fried Chicken with Pickled Okra Slaw
Fried chicken is a dinner staple in the South. If your mouth isn’t already watering, a drizzle of hot sauce might do the trick with this savory meal.
Ingredients
6 (4-oz.) chicken breast cutlets
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
30 saltine crackers, crushed
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup hot sauce
Peanut oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 (16-oz.) package shredded coleslaw mix
1/2 cup sliced pickled okra
1 (4-oz.) jar diced pimiento, drained
Preparation
1. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Place 1/2 cup flour in a shallow dish. Stir together cracker crumbs, baking powder, and remaining 3/4 cup flour in a second shallow dish. Whisk together eggs and hot sauce in a third shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour, dip in egg mixture, and dredge in cracker mixture, pressing to adhere.
2. Pour oil to depth of 1 inch into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet; heat to 360°. Fry half of chicken 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and fry 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown and done. Repeat procedure with remaining half of chicken.
3. Stir together sour cream, sugar, and remaining 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Toss together coleslaw mix, pickled okra, diced pimiento, and sour cream mixture. Serve slaw and chicken with additional hot sauce.
See More: Our Favorite Fried Chicken Recipes
"Man Catching" Fried Chicken with Honey-Pecan Glaze
This recipe name was borrowed from a former First Lady of Alabama who claimed her fried chicken had such powers.
Ingredients
4 1/2 pounds chicken pieces (breast, drumsticks, and thighs)
2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
Vegetable oil
2 cups self-rising flour
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup plus
2 1/2 Tbsp. honey
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
Preparation
Place chicken pieces in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Whisk together buttermilk and egg until blended; pour over chicken. Cover and chill 1 to 8 hours, turning chicken after 30 minutes. Pour vegetable oil to depth of 1 1/2 inches into a cast-iron Dutch oven; heat over medium heat to 340°. Whisk together flour, salt, ground red pepper, garlic powder, and ground black pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Fry chicken, in 2 batches, in hot oil 20 to 22 minutes or until done, turning occasionally. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels. Place on a wire rack in a jelly-roll pan, and keep warm in a 200° oven. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; whisk in honey until blended. Stir in pecans; bring mixture to a boil, whisking often. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Drizzle over chicken, and serve immediately.
See More: Top-Rated Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
Fried Chicken Thighs and Biscuits
Two Southern icons make the ultimate sandwich, generously topped with pickled green tomatoes and local honey.
Ingredients
Fried Chicken Thighs
8 skinned and boned chicken thighs (about 2 1/4 lb.)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
Vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
Biscuits
2 cups bread flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, cut into small cubes
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
Parchment paper
Toppings
Chopped pickled green tomatoes, local honey
Preparation
1. Prepare Chicken: Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and next 2 ingredients. Whisk together 1 cup buttermilk and 1 egg in a large bowl; add chicken, tossing to coat.
2. Pour oil to depth of 1 inch into a large cast-iron skillet; heat to 325°. Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Fry chicken, in 2 batches, 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until golden brown and done. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels, and keep warm.
3. Prepare Biscuits: Combine bread flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Place cubed butter in a zip-top plastic freezer bag. Freeze flour mixture and butter separately 10 minutes or until well chilled. Whisk together 1 1/2 cups buttermilk and 1 egg in a small bowl.
4. Cut chilled butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Add buttermilk mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
5. Preheat oven to 450°. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 3 to 4 times. Pat or roll dough to 1-inch thickness; cut into 8 squares, and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
6. Bake at 450° for 15 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Split biscuits; fill each with 1 cooked chicken thigh and desired toppings.
See More: 18 Southern Biscuit Recipes
Fried Chicken Wings
Soak chicken twice in the egg-milk mixture and double-dredge in the highly seasoned flour for a superior crust.
Ingredients
4 pounds chicken wings (about 14 wings)
1/2 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
3 qt. vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
Preparation
1. Pat chicken dry. Place chicken and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; toss to combine. Whisk together eggs and milk; pour over chicken. Let stand 20 minutes.
2. Pour oil into a 7 1/2-qt. Dutch oven; heat to 325°.
3. Whisk together flour and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl.
4. Remove chicken from egg mixture, reserving egg mixture. Drain chicken well.
5. Dredge half of chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Dip chicken in egg mixture, and dredge in flour mixture again.
6. Fry chicken 7 to 9 minutes or until browned. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels. Place on a wire rack in a jelly-roll pan, and keep warm in a 200° oven. (Do not cover.)
7. Return oil to 325°; repeat Steps 5 and 6 with remaining chicken, flour mixture, and egg mixture.
Make-Ahead Tip: Fry chicken up to 1 hour ahead, and keep warm in a 200° oven. Or, make it the day before and chill. Serve it cold, at room temperature, or warm. To reheat: Bake on a wire rack in a jelly-roll pan at 300° for 45 minutes.
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