Cooking Fried Chicken with My Favorite Seasoning and Others

For cooking fried chicken, young birds, less than nine months old are the best to use. In the grocery these will usually be labeled as fryers. The older birds require a moist heat to cook because they get tougher as they age.

Select a fryer for cooking fried chicken that weighs no more than 3 ½ pounds after it has been “dressed out” or cleaned as they are in your grocery store. Almost always young will want the chicken cut into serving pieces to fry. The exception is if you choose to cook a whole one in a large deep fryer like the turkey fryers. The birds weighing less than 2 ½ pounds could be cut into quarters for serving pieces. I prefer smaller pieces to make sure they are thoroughly cooked through.

Everyone has a different method of breading their bird when cooking fried chicken. The common way is after washing the chicken, pat dry. Add salt and pepper or seasoning in a bag of flour or bread crumbs; put chicken pieces in bag and shake to coat. I prefer to mix an egg or two with buttermilk and dip my chicken pieces in this mixture; then I shake it in flour with my combination of spices.

I worked for years on getting the right combination of spices to cook meats with. I use this blend on everything so it makes a large batch.  I love it most when cooking fried chicken.  I add 5 tablespoons to every two cups of flour; (this is what it takes to bread 1 chicken.) If you do not like a lot of seasoning only add 4 tablespoons; it needs no additional seasoning.

MY FRIED CHICKEN SEASONING

• ½ Cup brown sugar
  
• ¾ Cup dried parsley
  
• ½ Cup garlic salt
  
• ¼ Cup rosemary
  
• ¼ Cup sage
  
• ¼ Cup oregano
  
• ¼ Cup ginger
  
• ¼ Cup paprika
  
• 2 Tablespoons thyme
  
• 4 Teaspoons marjoram
  
• 4 Teaspoons black pepper
  
• 1/8 Cup turmeric
  
• 3 ½ Cups salt (If you do not like salt, then adjust- for me this is just right)
  
  

I combine all ingredients in large bowl; use mixer to blend it well.
I store on my shelf in clean dry canning jars with lids; makes about 4 quarts.

NOTE: I sprinkle on all kinds of meat but it is the BEST FRIED CHICKEN SEASONING. Mix 4 to 5 tablespoons with each 2 cups of flour (I like 5). I dip my chicken in buttermilk egg mixture first; then the seasoned flour.

NOTE: I prefer small pieces of chicken; I cut the whole breast into half vertically, then in half horizontally making 4 pieces from the breast. Also I slice and “butterfly “ any real thick meaty parts so the flavor gets through better and it cooks more evenly. I do this also with the thigh; cut into the bone and “kind of butterfly” it open. I also make a cut into the leg bone to open it slightly. I do this because I have been served too much chicken which has not been cooked through; this helps. I do this before I begin breading.

1. Cooking fried chicken can be done in several ways.  This is one thing that I cannot get away from; chicken deep fried. You do not need a deep fryer; I use a large heavy Dutch oven. I use about 2 inches of oil in the pan. When it gets hot I drop chicken pieces in. Do not crowd the pieces and STAY WITH IT WHEN COOKING. DO NOT LET IT BOIL OVER AND CATCH FIRE. You need a pan big enough that there are several inches above the oil. Fry until golden brown; this makes a crisp crust.
   
   
2. Another way of cooking fried chicken is in the skillet or pan; pan fried chicken. This is the way my mom always cooked fried chicken. Heat a little oil in the skillet and place floured chicken in. Brown both sides of pieces. Cover and cook over a slower heat about 45 minutes until tender. This has a softer crust but very flavorful.
   
   
3. Cooking fried chicken can also be done in the oven; oven fried chicken. Dip pieces in seasoned flour and place in greased baking pan. Place in preheated oven at 375F degrees about 1 hour or until tender and done; turn chicken over one time during baking.
   
   
4. A pressure cooker is another method of cooking fried chicken. Although I never use this, many people do. The chicken cooks very quickly and it is good. The most important thing to tasty fried chicken is in the seasoning which you use. Find one that appeals to you or make up your own with your favorite spices.

KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN RECIPE

 Although this recipe for cooking fried chicken is from Kentucky and called Kentucky fried chicken, I think my spice mix above comes closer to the famous KFC than this one does.

• 2 1/2 to 3 pound chicken, cut into pieces
• salt, pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Teaspoon baking powder
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1/8 Teaspoon pepper
• 1 Egg, slightly beaten
• 1 Cup milk
• Oil

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cover with the water and simmer until tender. Drain on paper towels and refrigerate until time to deep fry. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and pepper into a mixing bowl. Add beaten egg and milk all at once.. Mix well. Dip each piece of chicken in batter. Then fry in hot deep oil about 5 minutes until golden brown.

SOUTHERN CHICKEN RECIPE

• 2 /12 - 3 Pound chicken
• salt & pepper
• buttermilk
• flour
• Oil

Salt and pepper chicken pieces generously. Dip chicken in buttermilk, then flour. Refrigerate floured chicken for at least two hours. Place enough oik in a heavy deep skillet to a depth of 1/2 inch. Heat over moderately high heat. Oil should sizzle when chicken is added. Cook in hot oil until lightly brown on bottom. Turn chicken pieces over and brown on the other side. Chicken takes about 25 minutes to cook. When chicken is done, remove and drain on paper towels.

GARLIC FRIED CHICKEN

• 2 1/2 - 3 pound chicken, cut into pieces
• garlic powder
• salt & pepper
• Flour
• Egg
• 1 Cup Milk
• OIL

Soak chicken pieces overnight covered with water with 1 teaspoon salt added. Drain pieces. Mix milk and egg together. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Dip pieces in milk & egg mixture, then dip in flour. Fry in moderately hot hol until brown on bottom. Then turn to other side and brown. When chicken is brown and tender, remove and drain on paper towels.

More Delicious Ways to Cook Chicken

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