Can someone teach me to fry a chicken? Please?

[Camelot Farms]

On a scale of 1 to 10, my cooking is usually an 8 or 9, but I cant fry a chicken to save my life.

Can someone please, please help me?

I need details, right down to what pan to fry in. I used cast iron tonight and didnt account for how much hotter it gets than teflon and wham! burned chickenskin and raw meat.

And the skin tasted bland.

So please, if you can teach me....I would be sooooo greatful!

 

[wombat]

Use a deep pan, so that you can use melted shortning about halfway up the sides of the chicken pieces, but 1/8" to 1/4" should be enough ... don't fill the pan halfway with oil!

Preheat the pan until the shortning melts, and don't let the oil/shortning get over 325 degrees. Use a candy thermometer if you have to. Put thicker pieces like breasts and thighs in the center, wings and drumsticks around the edges. You'll need about 10-12 mins per side.

 

[AHappychick]

oh while your at it can some one add a really good bater recipe for tasty skin? I havent eaten KFC in over 15 years and good fried chicken is hard to come by where I live (not that kfc is good but you know what I mean) , none of my recipes have been to my liking
I agree about the candy thermometer though if its too hot it never cooks right.

 

[redhen]

I like to soak it in buttermilk and hot sauce for a few hours or overnight...it makes it taste good!
also..sometimes i cover the pan its frying in..to help it cook inside better...(so the skin isnt burned and the inside not cooked enough..)

 

[jojo54]

I just mix various spices with my flour, then shake the chicken pieces in it in a bag. Then fry as others mentioned. You can use different spices for different tastes or combine a bunch. Some you can use: onion powder or salt garlic powder or salt, pepper or cayenne or chili powder, paprika, sage, finely crushed oregano, basil, etc. I often use a pinch or this and a pinch of that and it always tastes great!

Some people dip in egg/milk mix first but I don't.

 

[Katy]

I always use my cast iron skillet. Hot, but not too hot of grease. Don't crowd the pan. Don't mess with it until it's ready to be turned. I coat mine with flour and let it set for at least an hour. Then I redip it in flour right before I add it to the skillet. That is the number one requested meal in my house when the kids come home for dinner.

 

[wombat]

Yeah, I soak mine in buttermilk in a ziploc bag overnight, and then season with paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, and garlic. Dredge in flour, fry.

I think that the main two mistakes you can make are too shallow a pan/oil not deep enough, or letting the oil get too hot. We had a deep fat fryer that was great for this, but the heating unit died and I've not gotten around to geting a new one, so it's been pan fry around here again.

If I'm making a lot, I put a draining rack in a pan, put that in the oven on low, and just transfer to the oven after I blot off the extra oil as I fry each batch.

 

[halo]

Do you have to have skin-on chicken to make fried chicken? I will probably skin my first "victims", and have never fried chicken without skin. Will it work skin-less?

 

[cassie]

This is how Bargain told me how to do it. She soaks the chicken in buttermilk about 24 hours first. I copied what she PMed me.

Have my grease high - you know it's ready when you drop a little water drop (carefully in it and it sizzles)

After your chicken is cut in pieces ....you double dip .. into dry self rising seasoned flour (pepper and anything but no extra salt!) then buttermilk and then flour and then fry until no blood comes out of the chicken and then drain on wire rack with paper towels under it.

If frying is too tough for you, you can coat the chicken in a shake and bake type product and then oven fry from there.

Hope this helps

OH yes, if you have a cast iron skillet, these make the very best chicken fryers

 

[Camelot Farms]

Thanks!

I did do the buttermilk soak thing. But didnt double dip.

I used a cast iron pan but am suspecting that I had it too hot.

I didnt crowd the pan, I was afraid of boil over...lol.

I should have covered it. Gah!

Maybe there is hope for me yet...lol