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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.
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!