The most crispy, flavourful, and juicy! the best homemade fried chicken you can make!
This post is all about the best homemade fried chicken recipe. The chicken is marinated overnight in a citrus brine, and ready to be fried whenever you want.
Fried chicken to me is a social affair. It's a gathering kind of food, and it always brings joy.
This recipe I am about to share does not belong to me. In fact, it belongs to a stranger I coincidently met through a Facebook group.
Spread Love, Less Hate
I do believe we need more love in this world. And more encouragement for those who are trying to spread goodness in the world. As the gap between the poor and super-rich grows, I feel we need to individually remember kindness is forever. My goal and sole purpose of Love and Harvest is to bring value to you and spread kindness here.
This recipe always reminds me in the most unexpected places there’s always kindness.
So firstly, thank you to the sir who shared this best fried chicken recipe with me. I met him on a random food Facebook group. His restaurant experience on making the BEST fried chicken is truly amazing. He was so kind to share with me his secret recipe. In return, I feel I must share it with you all now.
I hope you enjoy it. And I hope you have people to share this fried chicken with. Moreover, I hope in return you will share something with a complete stranger one day with no strings attached. Because you know – kindness grows in contagious ways.
Thank you Ethan Chavoya, where ever you are.
Ingredients for the best homemade fried chicken recipe
Pantry Spices
The recipe calls for a variety of spices. They are simple and common spices you will have in your pantry. Maybe even some growing in your garden or your neighbour's garden. If so the latter, please remember to ask to pick their herbs first.
Secret ingredient: Hot Sauce
The secret is out: I put hot sauce with my buttermilk to dredge my chickens. The type of hot sauce I would recommend is with a sour base. If you’re in Mexico, or near a Latin corner shop, Valentina is a great option. Another option is Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Hot Sauce.
If you have time, you can also make my Spicy Jalapeño Hot Sauce. It is truly the most outrageously best hot sauce you can ever make. Choose one with a thick base. Tobasco Sauce can work as well. If you have another favourite you like, give it a try, most likely it will taste delicious no matter what.
Can I use chicken wings for this recipe?
Yes you can! I like to use drum sticks and thighs with the bones intact. I also like using the wings but I would use the wings if I want to make this meal into an appetizer. Mix it up and have fun. Be aware that wings cook much faster than thighs, so give it less time than the recommended time.
Buttermilk
The recipe calls for buttermilk, but if you’re like me where it's hard to find buttermilk, it’s easy to make it yourself.
How to make your own buttermilk hack: In a small mixing bowl, add 1 cup of regular full fat milk with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Give it a good mix, and wait 5 minutes. TA-DA, you got yourself a cup of buttermilk.
Easy Ranch Sauce
The ranch sauce is quite simple. It is literally just combining everything together. Besides using it here, my family and friends also love dipping it with vegetables. My kids generously eat it with their carrots and celeries.
How to make the Best Fried Chicken
To make the BEST fried chicken, I find patience is required. It needs time in the fridge to brine for 12 hours to fully marinate and flavour the chicken. Another additional 2 hours for the chicken to dry in the fridge from the brine.
It needs to dry so it doesn’t explode when you dip it in hot oil. Lastly, 1 hour more for allowing the brine and breading to stick together.
Because it needs a lot of time in the fridge, this recipe is truly perfect for parties. You can prepare everything ahead of time! When it's about time to start the party, just fry it up and stick it in the oven to keep it warm and toasty.
Helpful steps on how to make the best fried chicken (with photos)
Step 1
In a large bowl, combine the chicken and the brine ingredients. Then add the liquid brine liquid. Toss the chicken around until the brine coats all the chicken. Press down, and put a lid on top. Let it sit overnight in the fridge.
Step 2
The next day when you're ready to deep fry the chicken, take the chicken out of the fridge. Prepare the breading in another bowl, combine well. Take a piece of chicken and lightly flick the excess liquid off.
Dip and pat the chicken onto the breading mixture. Press hard onto the dry ingredients. Flip and make sure all sides and surfaces have the breading mixture.
Step 3
Once you press and flip enough, give it a light toss to brush off the excess breading mixture. Repeat with all your chicken pieces.
Step 4
Place all your chicken pieces on to a drying rack.
Step 5
This is how it should look. If you see some spaces are without the breading flour, give it another good press on to the flour mixture.
How to deep fry chicken
Using a large wok or a large pot, add the oil and heat the oil until it reaches 375F.
Carefully dip the chicken into the oil without splashing the oil around. Do not overcrowd the deep fryer.
Once the chicken is slightly brownish red (about 5 minutes), take it out with a strainer and place it on a plate with a paper towel. Repeat with the other pieces of chicken. This is our first fry.
For extra crispy chicken, we will need to do a second fry that will cook the chicken through and maintain an extra crispy exterior.
After the second fry, leave it on a new plate with new paper towels to soak up the excess oil.
How to air fry chicken
Preheat the air fryer to 400F for 2-10 minutes.
Place the drumsticks and thighs in the air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes on 400F. Afterwards, remove the basket and flip the chicken, and cook for another 10 minutes at 400F.
Using a sharp knife, poke the thickest part of the chicken (usually the high or the thick part of the drum stick) and see if the juice that comes out is clear. If there's blood in the juice then it is not done. Add another 5 minutes of cook time.
If you have a thermometer, you can always use the thermometer to measure the doneness of the chicken. Internal temperature must be at 165F.
best homemade fried chicken that is crispy and juicy
BEST Homemade Fried Chicken with Ranch Sauce
Ingredients
Chicken Brine
- 2 kg chicken legs and chicken wings mix
- 1 TBSP salt
- 1 TSP pepper
- 1 spring fresh rosemary chopped
- ½ TSP fresh thyme chopped
- 1 TSP fresh ginger grated
- 1 lemon juice
- 1 lemon zest
- 2 TSP sugar
- 1 TSP chili flakes
Dredge Liquid
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 TBSP hot sauce
Fried Chicken Breading
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 3 TBSP cornmeal
- 2 TBSP salt
- 2 TSP pepper
- 1 TBSP paprika
- 2 TSP garlic powder salt
- 2 TSP onion powder
- 1 TSP poultry seasoning
- 1 TSP cayenne powder
Deep Fry
- 4 cups canola oil
Ranch Sauce
- 1 ½ cups sour cream
- 5 tsp white vinegar / lemon juice
- 2 TBSP fresh chives chopped
- ½ TSP fresh parsley chopped
- 1 TSP dried dill
- 1 TSP garlic powder
- 1 TSP onion powder
- 2 TSP salt
- ½ TSP pepper
Instructions
Chicken Brine
- In a large bowl, clean and rinse the chicken. Pat try. Cut the legs into two pieces separating the drumstick and thigh. Add the salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, ginger, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and chili flakes with the chicken. Toss and rub the chicken with the marinate. Put everything in a plastic bag and marinate overnight (12 hours).
To Prepare Fried Chicken
- Next day, take out a baking rack with a fitted baking sheet underneath. Take the bag of chicken out the fridge and give it a light toss to flick out access liquid. Put all the chicken pieces in the rack to air dry in the fridge.
- Prepare the dredge liquid by combining the egg, buttermilk and hot sauce together with a whisk in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl (preferably a smaller bowl with tall wall - like a small pot) put the breading ingredients together. Combine well the flour, bread crumbs, cornmeal, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic salt powder, onion powder, poultry seasoning, and cayenne powder together.
- Take the chicken out the fridge. Dip each chicken pieces separately in the liquid first. make sure all surface is covered with the liquid, and quickly drop the chicken piece in the breading bowl. Rub and put pressure to make sure all surface area is covered with the breading flour. if you see a gap, add some flour and rub it in. Give it a few taps for access flour, and place it back on the drying rack. Repeat until all the chicken pieces are dredge and breaded. Let them rest in the fridge for 1 hour before deep frying.
To Make Fried Chicken
- Heat your vessel to deep fry. I have a wok and I enjoy deep frying everything there. Add 4 cups of fresh canola oil. Preheat oil to 275F.
- Depending how big the deep fryer you have, add enough chicken pieces where it has room to swim around and not be over crowded. I recommend 3 pieces at the same time.
- Carefully dip half the chicken in the oil and hold on to the end for 3 seconds, and let it all go in the deep fryer. This is the reason we need the chicken as dry as possible. If there's liquid on the chicken, the oil will explode and burn your hand. Repeat until you have three pieces in the deep fryer. Fry for 12-15 minutes.
- In a drying rack, add some paper towels. When the chicken is done cooking, take them out and place them on top of the paper towel. Make sure you're not over crowding the chickens. For them to maintain crispy, it needs air circulation to completely dry and not have any moisture. Serve
Ranch Sauce
- Whisk together the sour cream, white vinegar / lemon juice, fresh chives, and fresh parsley. Add the spices. Pour into a jar and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This dressing will keep nicely in the refrigerator for up to a week. Enjoy!
