Southern Living's Best Fried Chicken

Recipe from Norman King

Adapted by Julia Moskin

Published May 14, 2013

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Media 1 of 2
Total Time
1 hour, plus brining time
Rating
5(389)
Comments
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Many modern cooks have never learned to fry. We are convinced that fried food is unhealthy, unpopular and messy. But Norman King, a lifelong Southerner, a registered dietitian and a food editor at Southern Living magazine set out to change that. In “The Way to Fry,” he offers both a guide to proper deep-frying technique, and a terrific recipe for crunchy, juicy fried chicken. While at first glance the recipe may resemble every other fried chicken you’ve ever seen, the differences lie in the precise instructions, ensuring chicken that’s cooked through, golden and crisp. A little bacon fat is an option for flavor. —Julia Moskin

Featured in: I Believe I Can Fry

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 chicken with skin, about 2 ½ pounds, cut up into 8 pieces (see note)

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 2 cups vegetable oil, like grapeseed, peanut or canola (do not use olive oil)

  • ¼ cup bacon drippings (or use more oil)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

36 grams carbs; 237 milligrams cholesterol; 1290 calories; 42 grams monosaturated fat; 23 grams polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams saturated fat; 94 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 972 milligrams sodium; 78 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine 1 tablespoon salt with 3 quarts water in a large bowl or container. Add chicken, cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Drain, rinse with cold water and pat dry.

  2. Step 2

    Stir together remaining 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Sprinkle half the mixture evenly over chicken.

  3. Step 3

    In a large sealable plastic bag, combine remaining pepper mixture and flour. Add 2 pieces chicken to bag and shake well to coat. Remove chicken pieces, shaking off extra flour, and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken.

  4. Step 4

    Take a large (10- or 12-inch) cast-iron skillet or chicken fryer, for which you have a lid, and fit with a candy or deep-frying thermometer. Add oil and bacon drippings and heat to 360 degrees over medium heat; the oil will ripple and possibly give off a few wisps of smoke.

  5. Step 5

    Using tongs, immediately add chicken pieces, skin side down (work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding pan). The oil will drop to about 325 degrees, where it should stay; adjust heat so that oil is bubbling gently around the pieces. Cover and cook 6 minutes; uncover and cook 9 minutes. Turn chicken pieces; cover and cook 6 minutes. Uncover and cook another 5 to 9 minutes, depending on size of pieces. If necessary for even browning, turn pieces over a few times toward the end.

  6. Step 6

    Drain on paper towels or paper bags. Let cool at least 20 minutes before serving.

Tip

  • If chicken is larger than 2½ pounds, use a large heavy knife to cut each breast half in half again, making 10 pieces in total.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
389 user ratings
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Comments

Mark

Perhaps I'm crazy or blind but I don't see any buttermilk in the recipe. Was an ingredient omitted from the recipe? Perhaps MCD used milk to soak the chicken overnight instead of water. Can you respond?

Almostheaven

I've used a similar method for years, but I always used garlic powder to both season the chicken and the flour. I use the same recipe my mother did, but most chickens in grocery stores don't taste like they used to, because they're mass- produced, and every one tastes identical. If you want it to taste like Grandma's used to, by a GENUINE free range chicken from a farm or local co-op. Otherwise, no matter how you prepare it, your chicken will not be as good as it could be.

Es

This is the best fried chicken and the easiest. I've made it many times and I always love it. I usually use canola oil but it works with corn oil and all the vegetable oil blends. I added a little duck fat (instead of bacon drippings) and I think it adds a subtle richness. Just a wonderful recipe.

Bill

Best fried chicken I've ever made. The only change I made was to brine in butter milk. Thank you! This will be a fav!

Kyle Svoboda

I had a hankerin’ for fried chicken and this is just what the doctor ordered. I try to avoid dairy, due to allergies, so it was nice to find a recipe that didn’t use buttermilk. I brined the chicken as directed, added salt and pepper and dredged in flour. I deep fried in three quarts of canola oil for 12 minutes at the targeted 325 degrees (initial oil temperature of 360). Turned out GBD: Golden brown and delicious! Skin was crispy and the inside was juicy. Will definitely be making this again.

Donna Pasiechnik

OMG, this is the best fried chicken I've ever tasted. It's hard to believe that simply using salt and pepper would result in such a delicious bird. That said, I bought my bird from a local farm. I didn't use the bacon drippings this time around and loved it just as much..

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Credits

Adapted from "The Way to Fry" by Norman King (Oxmoor House, 2013)

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