Frying chicken has always been a source of mystery and consternation for the uninitiated. But I don’t think it’s that difficult and I know you can do it!

The main thing to remember is that you need to get the fluids out of the meat and the meat cooked all the way to the bone without burning the crust on the outside.

Here are the steps I take to make Fried Chicken. Follow them carefully and you will have a delicious batch to serve to your family.

  • Cut up your chicken or buy pre-cut chicken. Wash it and place it in a deep bowl or pan or even in a zip top type bag.
  • Pour BUTTERMILK over the chicken. cover the chicken completely.
  • Place the chicken and buttermilk in the refrigerator and allow to sit over night or at least 8 hours. If you do not have buttermilk, you may substitute salt water. But it will taste different than my recipe. The buttermilk tenderizes the meat and gives it a wonderful flavor.
  • When you are ready to fry the chicken, place about 2 inches of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
    Place 4-5 cups of self rising flour in a bowl. Take the chicken pieces out of the buttermilk and give each piece a shake, then roll them in the flour. You may season the flour with salt and pepper if you like, I sometimes use 1 teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of pepper per 1 cup of flour. The buttermilk and flour makes the batter. Place them in the HOT oil.
  • Don’t over-crowd the skillet
  • The key is to regulate the heat so that it does not get too hot and begin to burn the chicken. You can regulate the heat in the skillet by turning the temperature up and down on the stove, but don’t make too big of an adjustment at a time. You can also move the pan off the heat a little to reduce the heat and move the pan back over the heat to keep the temperature even.
  • Once the chicken is light golden brown on one side, turn down the heat, cover the skillet and allow the chicken to cook for 20 minutes or so.
  • It takes about 20 minutes for a thick piece of chicken to cook all the way through on medium high heat. When the chicken has cooked for 20-25 minutes, you may turn the piece over and allow it to cook on the other side, with the skillet uncovered.

Covering the skillet and cooking helps to cook the meat all the way through. Uncovering it helps the crust to get crisp.If you’re not sure whether or not your chicken in done, just take a small sharp knife and cut into the meat at the thickest part of a thigh piece. If the meat is cooked and the juices run clear, the meat is done.

Drain the chicken on clean towels or paper towels.