Looking for a good fried chicken recipe

[afterburn25]

looking for anyone that may have a good fried chicken batter recipe that can meet my strict requirements.
I have been searching for this for over 20 years. seems every time i find something close it always has an issue.
Also another problem i have is i've learned when it comes to frying battered chicken you have to cook it slow and steady so the inside is fully cooked and to maintain that golden batter on the outside. but even still after i cook 3 pieces of chicken the oil will start to burn and not cook as well as the first few pieces. I'M sure its from the pieces of batter that break off into the oil. is there a trick to this?
looking for something with a similar texture as what you would find on popeyes chicken.
must be crispy.
need batter to fully stick to chicken and not fall off when you touch chicken.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

This recipe will give you a nice, crispy coating, and because it involves both frying and baking, you get perfectly cooked chicken that is flavorful, and juicy. I would recommend brining the chicken overnight with onion, sage, and black pepper added to the brine. To get the coating tp stay on the chicken, after removing it from the brine, dry it completely. Dredge in the seasoned flour, shake odd the excess flour, place in the egg wash for about twenty seconds per side, then back into the flour. Place on a wire rack for about ten minutes to let the coating glue itself to the chicken. Then fry, and bake. Here's my seasoned flour recipe. It has been very well received by everyone who has tried it. Enjoy.

I call this one bulldog chicken because the memory of its flavor will stay with you like a bulldog on a bull.

Preheat the oven to 375' F.
In a bowl, combine the following with a wire whisk.
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. granulated garlic powder
1/4 tsp. powdered ginger
1 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. rubbed sage
1/2 tsp. ground thyme
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. red pepper
1/4 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder
1/4 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. granulated onion powder
¼ tsp. cinnamon

In a plastic shaker bag, make an egg-wash from 2 large egg whisked with 1/2 cup water.

Preheat deep fryer. Turn heat to medium flame.

Skin the chicken thighs and dredge in seasoned flour. Dip in the egg-wash, and then again in the seasoned flour. Shake excess coating from the chicken and place in hot oil. Don't crown the pan. Fry on each side for 6 minutes. Remove the chicken to a foil-lined pan and place into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

This should be enough for 10 to 12 chicken pieces. Double as required.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[medtran49]

I have no idea what Popeye's chicken is like, as I've never had it. However, ATK's Carolina dipped chicken (without the dip, though my husband likes it, is a great fried chicken . A bit of work, but it make a great crispy chicken coating.

Use a fine strainer to remove small piece of batter that break off.

 

[dcSaute]

" is there a trick to this?"
yes - use a thermometer and turn the knob to control the heat.


or, an electric fryer - sized big enough to not chill too much when your batch size goes in and with enough wattage to recover quickly.


if you must do large quantities at home, you need something like the (big) deep fryers you see in fast food places. they hold a lot of oil.


there are also pressure fryers for home and institutional use (ie big ones)


getting the breading to stick is largely a matter of technique, not ingredients.
my home approach goes:
- soak the chicken in ice water 2-3 hrs
- dry off chicken
- dredge chicken in AP flour - coating/breading does not stick to wet chicken
- dip in egg wash
- dip in seasoned coating
- air dry on rack minimum 15 minutes; 25 is better
optional: double dip back through egg was and seasoned flour

 

[GotGarlic]

dcSaute, what is the benefit of soaking the chicken in ice water?

 

[dcSaute]

the soaking seems to 'firm up' the chicken and for whatever reason/effect it comes out juicier/moister than starting from fridge temp, slightly warmed....
it's a trick I learned from m MIL - who did a very mean southern fried chicken.

 

[Roll_Bones]

Rinse/drain/dry chicken pieces. Cut breast sides in half. (total of four breast pieces). Salt and pepper well.
Heat 1-1/2 inches oil in heavy pan like cast iron. Or heavy AL pan. (I use medium high heat at first and lower slightly as needed).

I hold my hand over the pan to determine heat level. Also the first piece you drop will tell the story.
Adjust as needed.

Dredge chicken pieces in seasoned (salt and pepper) flour. Shake off excess flour.
Lower the pieces carefully into the oil. Fry covered for 10 minutes.
Remove cover and continue to fry until well browned. About 10 more minutes.
Turn pieces over again and cook until done*.
Remove pieces onto a wire rack to drain and cool a bit.

* All cooking appliances and vessels produce differing results. Use your best judgment or use an instant read thermometer.

Note: Other seasonings can be used. I have found that just plain salt and pepper works well and fried chicken IMO needs nothing else.
Also, my wife's fried chicken seems better than mine. We do the exact same method and season the same.
So that tells a story of its own.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I took a look at the ATK link. It looks sound as far as technique goes. But I would add herbs to the brine, and use a seasoned flour for the coating. I think most experienced home cooks know how to separate a chicken into parts. But definitely, using a whole chicken will produce better results. And if you have truly pasture wandering, free-range chickens that forage for grains, grubs, worms, and insects you will be rewarded with a much better flavored meat. If you get your chickens at a farmer's market, where you know and trust the seller, or directly from a farm, be sure to purchase a young fryer to insure tender and juicy meat. Old hens and roosters are for slow, moist recipes such as coq a vin (chicken stewed in wine), chicken soup, and other such preparations. They need to be stewed/braised low and slow to make them tender. Lastly, you will need to use an oil with a high smoke point. I found this article on the best fats to use for frying/deep-frying. It was an eye opener for me. Further research of other articles back this one up. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthiest-oil-for-deep-frying#bottom-line. The information in this article made me understand that we need to keep looking for the best info, and never take the often popular notions, and never trust advertising claims, which are not designed to give you accurate info, but rather to separate you from your hard earned resources

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North.

 

[RCJoe]

I've not eaten Popeye's chicken as there are none around my part of the country. But if the chicken is cooked anything like KFC's in a pressure cooking system a lot of the product is derived from the breading/batter and the "seasoned oil" that they use to cook in. A lot of that is due to the chicken being raised in captivity where it just doesn't have that much flavor.
Commercial food Laboratories are usually employed to create a seasoning
that can be patented and branded. Generally home cooks cannot obtain these
specialty items.

Those who have eaten chicken that was free ranged on a farm of some kind will know the difference in flavor is night in day. Organic chicken would be next best.

I own a couple of Chicken pressure cookers like this one. You can find them used. (but don't buy one without the special silicon gasket as they are no longer available....you'd have to buy material and cut one out at about $20 dollars cost)

Instruction manual in .pdf

http://dmreed.com/docs_rtfs_txts_pdfs/wearever_chicken_bucket.pdf

These came in 4 and 6 quart sizes.

I double dip the chicken I fry in it. First in seasoned butter milk and then in all purpose flour. This goes in the fridge for a half hour before repeating that process. Then it is fried in the pressure cooker. (I use peanut oil or canola oil) When it is done (less than 20 minutes) it looks like it was batter fried and is crisp.

I've also fried chicken in lard using a chicken skillet with good results. (the skillets with the 3 1/2 inch vertical sides) Melt 1/2 to 3/4 inch depth of lard.
You have to turn it as it cooks and it isn't as pretty (in the commercial sense)
when finished as the deep fried.

Ultimately, so many recipes for batter or flour, brine, cooking oil etc are only to compensate for chicken that doesn't have much flavor to start with.

But whatever you do, cook the chicken until your meat thermometer shows 165/170 F degrees when inserted into the center of a few of the pieces.

 

[CraigC]

I have no idea what Popeye's chicken is like, as I've never had it. However, ATK's Carolina dipped chicken (without the dip, though my husband likes it, is a great fried chicken . A bit of work, but it make a great crispy chicken coating.

Use a fine strainer to remove small piece of batter that break off.

The secret is allowing the coating to "dry" on the pieces before frying.