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Who doesn’t love crispy, juicy fried chicken? I’ve made tons of different variations over the years and this Easy Fried Chicken is simply that – the easiest way to make juicy, crispy fried chicken with only one simple seasoning mix (no need to do all the separate dredging steps with egg)! And the best part is – it’s super delicious! Pair it with your favorite sauce, like my Raising Cane’s Sauce!
Watch the Easy Fried Chicken Recipe Video Below!
INGREDIENT TipS
Brining for Juicy, Tender Chicken
MILK BRINE
The lactic acid in dairy breaks down the proteins and collagen in the chicken, which softens the flesh and will make it more tender when cooked. By piercing the chicken, you’re allowing the dairy to reach farther in and tenderize more of the meat! If you don’t have milk, water brining is still better than nothing. (Brining is optional but I always recommend it, if you have the time!)
INGREDIENT TipS
My Secret for the Best Fried Chicken Breading
FLOUR + CORNSTARCH + BAKING POWDER
My not-so-secret tip to the best fried chicken is a combination of FLOUR, CORNSTARCH, and BAKING POWDER. When mixed with the flour, the cornstarch makes the flour coating crispier and gives it that golden brown color! (It has to do with prevention of gluten development.) The baking powder reacts with the oil and creates tiny air bubbles, which also helps form a crispy coating. Traditionally, some cooks will recommend using sparkling water or egg but I think my mix works even better (and saves you time & extra steps!)
Key Tip
Frying Tips
I highly recommend using two tools for the best frying experience:
- an infrared thermometer to easily check the temperature of your oil during heating and frying
- a heavy bottomed pot like a dutch oven that retains heat well
For the best frying experience:
- The ideal oil temperature after the chicken is in the oil should be 325-350°F.
- If you see the oil drop below 325°F on the first fry, remove the chicken and turn the heat up until it reaches at least 325°F.
- Do not overcrowd your pot and risk oil bubbling over!! It is better to fry in batches than trying to fry all of the chicken at once and risk 1. the oil temperature dropping below 325°F and 2. the oil bubbling over due to crowding.
Don’t want to fry but want crispy wings? Try my Air Fryer Chicken Wings, which is the top recipe on my site!
Pair it with Roasted Brussels Sprouts for a delicious meal!
Recipe Tip
Recipe Tips
Craggily bits / texture – Make sure to spoon some of the leftover brine to your seasoning mix (flour/cornstarch/baking powder) and rub them together to create the craggily bits we all love! They’ll stick to the chicken and create the perfect texture!
Internal temperature – I highly recommend you use a meat thermometer to check your chicken once fried – you want the internal temp to be at 165F. Undercooked chicken can lead to food poisoning, so always err on the side of caution!
If you tried this Easy Fried Chicken Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Easy Fried Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 3 lb drumsticks or thighs
- 4 cups whole milk, can sub with water
- 1/4 cup salt
- 8 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns
- 3 bay leaves
Seasoning Mix
- 2 cups flour, you can substitute with equal amounts Gluten-Free Four – Bobs Red Mill or King Arthur is recommended
- 2 cups cornstarch
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tbsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp baking powder
Wet Batter
- 1 cup seasoning mix
- 1 cup water, cold
Neutral oil for frying
Instructions
- Pierce chicken carefully with a knife and brine with whole milk (or water), salt, garlic, black peppercorns, and bay leaves. Brine for 2-3 hours or overnight for best results.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, kosher salt, white pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper and baking powder and whisk until combined.
- Take 1 cup of your seasoning mix and combine in a separate bowl with cold water and mix until smooth.
- Remove the chicken from the brine and spoon a few tablespoons of brine into the seasoning mix and rub together with your hands to create small clumps. These craggily bits will add extra texture to the chicken.
- Dip each piece of chicken in the wet batter and let any excess drip off. Immediately dredge in seasoning mix and press the mix into the chicken until completely coated. Let rest on a baking sheet while you heat up your oil.
- In a large cast iron pan, dutch oven, or heavy bottomed pan/wok, fry chicken at 350F for 8-12 minutes (depending on size of the chicken) until the internal temperature reads 165F.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Could I use the brine as the wet batter ? So when the chicken is done brining, could I spoon in some of the powder mixture in the brine and then move the chicken in the seasoning mix, and then fry it?
Hi Maria – great question! I haven’t tested this but one concern I might have is the brine may be too salty in combination with the seasoning mixture. But if you end up trying it this way please let me know how it turns out!
Just tried this recipe and it turned out great!! The best fried chicken recipe that I’ve tried. Skeptical with not using buttermilk in the brine, as everyone has used, but this was a home run. I was looking for the Louisiana Creole taste was achieved by adding a few more additional spices. The flavors in the brine was amazing and added to the flavor of the chicken. The fried part was unbelievable and sustained with the left overs….. This will be my go to recipe going forward.
So glad to hear this Margie! It’s a family favorite of mine!
Hi Chris once chicken is fried what temp do i have oven on to keep warm before dinner. Trying on family dinner Friday…Thanks
Hi Maria – I’d keep it in a 200F oven until you’re ready to eat. Enjoy!
I saw someone asked how much oil, but I did not see an answer. How many inches deep should the oil be?
Hi Debroah – it should be enough oil to fully cover the chickne once submerged. I would say 3-4 inches of oil. Enjoy!
Thanks!
It’s literally doesn’t get any better than this. My French husband who has always thought Americans over-hype fried chicken said this recipe changed his mind – he now says he understands what the big deal is with fried chicken. It’s so amazingly crispy, and the chicken came out so juicy, it’s better than anything you can get at a restaurant and the seasoning mix is totally perfect. I didn’t even marinade the chicken, just jumped straight into the recipe and it worked out fine. I’m sure it would have been even better had I done the full recipe, but I was in heaven even without! 10/10!!!! I never have to search for a fried chicken recipe ever again.
Thank you so much Melissa! I’m so glad you both enjoyed it!
first time ever making fried chicken. (pizza was back up lol)
The entire family was amazed. This recipe was perfect. Also easy enough for a firstimer.
Thanks so much for the kind words, Maureen!
I made this a second time. My daughter and Son in law came home for a weekend. My son in law said Its the best F*#$ He as ever had. My daughter responds with ” And He knows his chicken.” Do happy with this recipe.
Maureen, this comment made my weekend! Thank you so much for sharing and I’m so glad your daughter and son in law both enjoyed it 🙂
How much oil? What kind of oil?
Any neutral oil works here – vegetable, peanut, avocado, or canola oil are great choices.
Could this also be used in boneless skinned chicken breast? I usually buy chicken thighs and wings since this is what we like in my family when we want bone-in. The reason I asked about the boneless breasts is that I have 84 year old brother who may prefer that instead of the cut parts.
In fact he was the one who got me interested in the recipe! Can’t wait to try it. I have tried Paula Deen’s recipe but this appears to be the extra crispy and more to the liking!
Hi Vicki – yes you can use boneless skinless chicken breast! You may need to adjust the time depending on how large your chicken breasts are. I hope you love it!
I made this last night and it is so good!! Very crunchy too and I didn’t deep fry, I fried it in about 1/8 inch oil and added in a bit more when I flipped it.
Thanks so much Diane! It makes me SO happy you loved it!