Easy Fried Chicken (VIDEO)
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Who doesn’t love crispy, juicy fried chicken? I’ve made multiple versions 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!
Watch the Easy Fried Chicken Recipe Video!
A Note from CJ
This is the only Fried Chicken recipe you’ll ever need!
I combined all of my favorite tips into the easiest Fried Chicken recipe that will turn out super crispy and juicy every time! It’s perfect for the home cook!
Try my other Fried Chicken recipes like my Fried Chicken Tenders, Chicken Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken), Chicken Katsu, or Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken! If you love Fried Chicken but want to use the air fryer, try my Air Fryer Fried Chicken, Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, or Air Fryer Chicken WIngs!
It’s literally doesn’t get any better than this. 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. 10/10!!!! I never have to search for a fried chicken recipe ever again.
Ingredient Tips
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!
- drumsticks or thighs – you can use either or both; this is up to you! I recommend using bone-in meat.
- whole milk – I like using a milk brine because 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. If you want to make this recipe dairy-free, you can substitute with water.
- cornstarch – My tip for 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.
- Neutral oil for frying – I recommend using avocado, canola, vegetable, or grapeseed oil – use oils with a high smoking point and neutral flavor.
How to Make Easy Fried Chicken
Brine the Chicken – In a large bowl, add whole milk (or water), salt, garlic, black peppercorns, and bay leaves then whisk to combine. Pierce the chicken carefully with a knife and add to the brine. Place in the fridge for a minimum of 2-3 hours or overnight for best results.
Make the Seasoning Mix and Wet Batter – In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, kosher salt, white pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika and baking powder and whisk until combined.
Make the Wet Batter by transferring 1 cup of the Seasoning Mix and combining it a separate bowl with cold water and mix until smooth.
Create the Craggily Bits and Dredge – Remove the chicken from the brine and spoon a few tablespoons of the brine into the seasoning mix and rub together with your hands to create craggily bits. Dredge the chicken in the Seasoning Mix and shake off any excess batter.
Fry the Chicken and Enjoy! – 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.
Recipe Tip
CJ’s Expert Tips/Storage
Tools – I highly recommend using an infrared thermometer to easily check the temperature of your oil during heating and frying and a heavy bottomed pot like a dutch oven that retains heat well. You should also use a meat thermometer to check your chicken once fried – you want the internal temp to be at 165F.
Oil Temperature – 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!
Storage and Reheating – Store any leftover fried chicken in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The crispy breading will turn soft as it is refrigerated – this is normal. Reheat in the air fryer (or convention oven) at 375F for 8-10 minutes until the batter is crispy and chicken is warm throughout.
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 (VIDEO)
Ingredients
Chicken
- 3 lb drumsticks or thighs
- 4 cups whole milk, can sub with water to make dairy-free
- 1/4 cup kosher 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
- 1 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 smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp baking powder
Wet Batter
- 1 cup Seasoning Mix
- 1 cup water, cold
Neutral oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add whole milk, salt, garlic, black peppercorns, and bay leaves. Pierce the chicken pieces a few times carefully with a knife and add them to the bowl. Brine for a minimum of 2-3 hours or ideally overnight for best results.
- In another large bowl, make the Seasoning Mix by adding the flour, cornstarch, salt, white pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and baking powder. Mix until combined.
- In a small bowl, transfer 1 cup of the Seasoning Mix and combine in a separate bowl with cold water and mix until smooth to create the Wet Batter.
- 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. Transfer the chicken to the Seasoning Mix and press the mix into the chicken until completely coated. Repeat until all the chicken is coated. Let the chicken 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 and the chicken is a deep golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to let cool for 5 minutes before enjoying!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
You have the same name as me i am 5
This is my new go-to fried chicken/chicken tender recipe.
Those little bits of the batter in the dry mix 1000% make this recipe. It gives the chicken such a great crunch and seals off the chicken and batter. I always had trouble with the batter falling off the chicken but with this it just doesn’t happen.
The kids and family love this and it’s my secret recipe that I’ve shared so much (with the link).
Thank you!!
Thank you so much Matt – I’m thrilled you and your family enjoyed the recipe! Please consider rating it 5 stars – it really helps out the blog!
CJ, do I need to soak okra if I’d like to fry that in the batter?
Hi An – I’m not sure about okra as I’ve never fried it before. I’m sure there are some great fried okra recipes out there, though!
Great and crispy!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Chris! Will this recipe work for 8 and under collosal shrimp? Thank You!
I don’t see why not! The cooking time will be much shorter though!
Thank you for providing us all an alternative to the $42.00 for 8 pieces of crispy original or spicy fried chicken that they charge us for our uncontrolable cravings down thw street.
I’m so happy to help, Robert! Enjoy!
Do all procedures in recipe apply to breasts and wings as well? You only list thighs and legs in your recipe. Pierce wings and breasts? Same temp/ frying time? Thank You!
Yes, the preparation steps would be the same for wings and breasts! Legs and thighs are just a personal preference for me! The frying temp should stay the same, but cooking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken breasts, so I’d definitely recommend using a probe thermometer here to properly temp the thickest part to check for doneness. Hope that helps!
Awesome recipe. Simple and delicious!
Thank you Kevin!
What do I do if I don’t have a seasoning mix for the wet batter
Hi Holly – the Seasoning Mix is created from mixing together the ingredients listed in the recipe. You’ll have much more than 1 cup, but just take a cup of that in a separate bowl with water to form your Wet Batter. I hope that helps!
This is the best fried chicken I have ever eaten or made. Absolutely incredible! However, even though I cook all of our meals at home and I have cooked a lot of challenging meals, this is anything BUT easy! Be prepared to spend a lot of time and a lot of utensils/dishes to prepare it. But then enjoy an incredibly delicious fried chicken.
Hi Steve, I’m glad you enjoyed the chicken! It’s one of my favorites!