Best 4 Crunchy Fried Chicken Recipes

CHRIS'S CRISPY, CRUNCHY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl or pot, dissolve 1/2 cup coarse salt in 3 quarts of water. Rinse chicken pieces, and add to bowl. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Remove chicken pieces, and rinse under cool water. Clear space in the refrigerator to accommodate a wire cooling rack.
• In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, and seasonings, and place in a large resealable plastic bag. Shake. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, then whisk in buttermilk. Dip half the chicken pieces in the buttermilk mixture, then place in the plastic bag. Shake, and lay out on a wire rack. Repeat for remaining pieces. Put the rack on a rimmed baking sheet, and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, but preferably 2 hours, to set.
• Pour peanut oil to a depth of 3/4 inch in a large iron Dutch oven. Place over medium-high heat.
• When oil reaches 365 degrees (if you don't have a thermometer, wait until the oil starts to smoke -- very hot oil is fine for this recipe), arrange chicken pieces in the pan, skin side down, and cover. After 5 minutes, remove the cover. Adjust heat level, if necessary, so oil bubbles at a moderate pace -- not too rapidly and not too slowly (medium to medium-high heat is best, depending on the heat conductivity of your pan). Rearrange pieces if some are browning more quickly than others. After 5 more minutes, turn the pieces over. Cook uncovered for 8 to 10 more minutes or until done. Meanwhile, thoroughly wash and dry the wire rack.
• Remove the fried chicken to cleaned wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Let drain for 5 minutes, and serve.

CRUNCHY OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place chicken cutlets in a large bowl. Season with garlic, paprika, pepper, thyme, cilantro, and cloves. Mix in buttermilk. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a large baking sheet.
• Mix flour, onion powder, and soul food seasoning together in a bowl. Beat eggs together in another bowl. Pulse pretzels in a food processor until finely crushed. Pour into a shallow bowl.
• Lift chicken cutlets out of the marinade, letting excess drip back into the bowl. Dip chicken cutlets in flour, then in eggs and crushed pretzels. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Discard marinade.
• Bake in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 40 minutes.

CRUNCHY PAN-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine first 3 ingredients in a shallow dish.
• Dip chicken in egg, and dredge in cornmeal mixture.
• Cook chicken in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until done.

EXTRA CRUNCHY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• # 1. Whisk together 2 cups buttermilk and salt in large bowl until salt is dissolved. Add chicken pieces to bowl and stir to coat; cover bowl with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. (Don't let chicken soak much longer or it will become too salty.) # 2. Whisk flour, baking powder, thyme, pepper, and garlic powder together in large bowl. Add remaining 6 tablespoons buttermilk; with your fingers rub flour and buttermilk together until buttermilk is evenly incorporated into flour and mixture resembles coarse wet sand. # 3. Working in batches of two, drop chicken pieces into flour mixture and turn to thoroughly coat, gently pressing flour mixture onto chicken. Shake excess flour from each piece of chicken and transfer to wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet. # 4. Heat oil (it should measure 3/4 inch deep) in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven with 11-inch diameter over medium-high heat until it reaches 375 degrees. Place chicken pieces, skin-side down, in oil, cover, and fry until deep golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove lid after 4 minutes and lift chicken pieces to check for even browning; rearrange if some pieces are browning faster than others. (At this point, oil should be about 300 degrees. Adjust burner, if necessary, to regulate temperature of oil.) Turn chicken pieces over and continue to fry, uncovered, until chicken pieces are deep golden brown on second side, 6 to 8 minutes longer. (At this point, to keep chicken from browning too quickly, adjust burner to maintain oil temperature of about 315 degrees.) Using tongs, transfer chicken to plate lined with paper towels; let stand for 5 minutes to drain. Serve