From its golden brown appearance to its irresistible smell to that very first delectable bite, Crispy Fried Chicken is a gastronomical treasure. The perfect fried chicken is crunchy on the outside, with meat so tender and juicy it’ll make your mouth water just as much. You can enjoy fried chicken by slicing into it bit by bit. But few things are quite as satisfying as being able to hold a piece of fried chicken in your hands –– and taking a huge bite!

We tend to associate crispy fried chicken with the Southern regions of the United States. In states like Kentucky, Tennessee, and Texas, fried chicken is just a degree shy of being a national treasure. In fact, Kentucky is home to one of the most famous fried chicken joints in the world: KFC! Packed with loads of spices in its marinade, Southern fried chicken is definitely finger-licking good.

Fried Chicken Origins

But did you know that fried chicken has Asian origins, too? In Cantonese cuisine, popular in some parts of China and Hong Kong, crispy fried chicken is a beloved specialty. Fried chicken is made with different spices, and usually comes with two other side dishes. These are prawn crackers, and a pepper salt to dip your chicken in. The pepper salt, a mix of salt and Szechuan pepper, adds another layer of flavor to this already tasty dish.

Speaking of side dishes –– the great thing about crispy fried chicken is you can enjoy it with almost anything! As Filipinos, you can’t go wrong with a nice warm bed of rice. However, spaghetti and other types of pasta are also popular companions to this dish, as often seen at birthday parties. In other restaurants, other popular combinations include french fries or potato salad. Mashed potatoes and beans are also great options for side dishes! But no matter what you pair with it, crispy fried chicken really remains the star of the show. What’s your favorite side to have with crispy fried chicken?

For this recipe of crispy fried chicken, we’ll be using buttermilk for the marinade. This will help our chicken become a little bit more moist and tender on the inside. Our crispy fried chicken won’t be as good if the meat inside is dry, after all. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, a good substitute would be a mix of milk and vinegar or lemon juice. Marinating the chicken and letting it soak in this milk will take some time, but the end result will always be worth it!

Try this awesome crispy fried chicken today!

How to Cook

Let’s start making your crispy fried chicken. To start, combine all your marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix it well. These ingredients are your 2 cups of buttermilk, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, and half a teaspoon of ground black pepper. Then, toss in your chicken. For this recipe, I’m using 2 lbs., cut into serving pieces. Cover your bowl with a plastic wrap, and then let it refrigerate for about 8 hours. If you have more time to prepare, you can actually leave it marinating for up to 2 days.

On the day of your actual cooking, make your breading. Combine your all purpose flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a bowl. While your marinade is also important, the flavor of your crispy skin is just as crucial. Mix all your ingredients until you’ve incorporated them well.

Take your chicken out of the fridge and heat 3 cups of cooking oil in a pan. Dredge all your marinated chicken slices into your breading mixture. Make sure to shake off excess flour and breading so it doesn’t fall off while frying it. If you’re making more chicken, it’s good to have a wire rack beside you where you can leave all the chicken pieces before frying them.

Deep Frying

Once you’ve dredged all your chicken, deep fry the pieces one by one for 14 minutes each. This entails frying the meat for about 7 to 8 minutes per side. It’s a good idea to clip the chicken in the middle of the frying process to ensure that you’ve cooked both sides evenly. Ideally, an internal temperature check will have your crispy fried chicken at about 165F. If you’re using dark meats, however, waiting until it reaches about 175F is okay, too!

Once you’ve reached the desired temperature, remove your crispy fried chicken from the pan and let it cool down for about 10 minutes on a plate. Make sure to put a paper towel under the plate to soak up all the excess grease.

Afterwards, transfer your chicken to a serving bowl and enjoy your crispy fried chicken today! Share that golden brown deliciousness with your family and friends.

Other chicken recipes that you might like:

Patis Fried Chicken

This fish sauce marinated fried chicken is full of umami flavors. It is crispy on the outside while tender and juice inside. I like to pair this with rice.

Filipino Chicken Adobo

This is a classic as far as I am concerned. You cannot go wrong with chicken adobo. Enjoy this easy-to-cook and delicious dish anytime of the day.

Let us know what you think of this crispy fried chicken recipe!

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