Homemade, American-Style Fried Chicken. How good would a plate of these be at your next BBQ or get together? Tender chicken thighs, covered in a creamy marinade then coated in a flavoursome outer crumb.
I don't mean to blow my own trumpet, but this Fried Chicken is so good that some readers have started to call it VFC (Vanya's Fried Chicken) in a nod to the well-known chicken shop.
I'm going to take it one step further and say - it's even better!
Devour the crispy chicken as is, or serve it up with my Easy Cheesy Potato Bake or one of my Sharing Salads. For another delicious American chicken recipe, be sure to try my Southern Creamy Chicken.
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Ingredient notes:
- Chicken: My favourite type of fried chicken is boneless. I like to bite the whole way through the piece, or, use it in a burger or wrap without hitting a bone. But if you want to give off Henry VIII vibes of gnawing on a chicken drumstick, then you go for it!
- Marinade: My marinade is in fact a cheat's version of buttermilk! If you've searched for fried chicken recipes in the past, you'll notice a lot of them use this ingredient. But as I almost never have it on hand I decided to create this buttermilk-hack instead. The vinegar mixed with the milk causes it thicken making it the perfect consistency to marinate the chicken.
- White pepper: I prefer white pepper in this recipe as it is slightly more subtle than black pepper. If you don't have any, you can either leave it out or use a little black pepper to taste.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
In a shallow container, mix together all the ingredients for the marinade. Using tongs, place the chicken thighs in the container, turning to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Pour all the oil into a large cast iron dish or saucepan and heat over a high heat. In a large bowl, mix together the ingredients for the coating mixture.
Remove the chicken from the fridge. Using clean tongs, pick up a piece of chicken and allow the excess marinade to drip back into the marinade container.
Place the chicken piece into the coating mixture and turn to cover completely. Once the oil is hot, carefully place 2-3 pieces of coated chicken into the pot allowing room for each piece to cook properly.
Fry for 8-10 minutes until golden brown and cooked all the way through. Remove from the pan and place on a wire rack. Repeat until all the chicken has been cooked.
Serve with sides of coleslaw and dinner rolls.
This chicken tastes amazing just by itself. But for another serving option, you could turn it into a Fried Chicken Burger! To create the sensational burgers below, I simply used chicken breast sliced in half, then coated and cooked in the same way as above. I served them in warmed brioche buns with cheese, tomato and rocket along with my famous Homemade Burger Sauce.
Recipe FAQs:
When deep frying, you need an oil with a high smoke point. Rice bran or canola oil are both good options.
This is one of the reasons so many people avoid deep frying! You have two good options. 1) Allow the oil to cool completely (this is really important), then using a funnel, pour it back into its original container and dispose of it. Or, 2) Allow the oil to cool completely (overnight is safe). Then using a piece of muslin or similar, strain the oil to get rid of all the little burnt bits. Use a funnel to pour it back into its original container - then use it again! Just note that oil will take on the flavour of the last food that was fried in it.
Storage:
Leftover chicken should be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to three days. It can either be eaten cold, straight from the fridge or, reheat until piping hot the whole way through.
Fried chicken doesn't stand up well to freezing.
Top tips:
If you're looking for a nice dipping sauce; good options include a maple butter sauce, aioli, honey mustard sauce or BBQ sauce. Either serve your chicken as is, with mashed potato and gravy or in a fresh burger bun with coleslaw.
Related Recipes:
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Southern style fried chicken
Crispy, southern-style fried chicken made from buttermilk style marinade and a lightly spiced coating.
Ingredients
- 1kg boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1L oil, for frying
Marinade
- 1 cup milk
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
Coating mixture
- 1 ½ cups plain flour
- 4 Tbsp cornflour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
- 1 tsp white pepper
Instructions
- In a shallow container, mix together all the ingredients for the marinade. Using tongs, place the chicken thighs in the container, turning to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Pour all the oil into a large cast iron dish or saucepan and heat over a high heat.
- In a large bowl, mix together the ingredients for the coating mixture.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge. Using clean tongs, pick up a piece of chicken and allow the excess marinade to drip back into the marinade container.
- Place the chicken piece into the coating mixture and turn to cover completely. Once the oil is hot, carefully place 2-3 pieces of coated chicken into the pot allowing room for each piece to cook properly.
- Fry for 8-10 minutes until golden brown and cooked all the way through. Remove from the pan and place on a wire rack. Repeat until all the chicken has been cooked.
- Serve with sides of coleslaw and dinner rolls.
Notes
- Make sure you use an oil with a high smoke point for deep frying such as rice bran or canola oil.
- The chicken could also be served in fresh buns with salad and sauces to make a delicious fried chicken burger.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 517Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 207mgSodium: 1092mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 45g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
Martine says
Mynkids love this recipe, can you also use drumsticks??
VJ cooks says
Yes of course!
Ailsa says
Looks delish could you cook them in the oven?
VJ cooks says
Sorry Ailsa, the batter needs to be cooked in the hot oil.
Nardia says
What oil did you use for the cooking please?
VJ cooks says
I used vegetable oil.
Jane says
Do you have any tips for storing garlic powder so it doesn't stick/clump together. I sometimes buy it but hardly manage to get through a third of a container before it's unusable because it's just one big hard clump!
VJ cooks says
I know what you mean. Any moisture that gets into the jar will cause it to clump together so first of all, try not to shake the jar over a hot pan to prevent the steam from getting in. Secondly, if it is a shaker, it isn't airtight so moisture will be getting in daily. Store your garlic powder in an airtight container or jar in the fridge!