I have only had a craving for Fried Chicken once over the past 10 years. My reaction: I immediately drove to KFC (coupon in hand) and spent $12 on a bucket of greasy, soggy-skinned chicken. If I could only have gotten the chicken when it was freshly cooked, and before they put it in their trademark bucket (aka chicken steamer). But life seldom works that way. Also, my cravings were certainly not for the legs and thighs I ended up with. It was the breasts that I really wanted, but ultimately I could not bring myself to spend the $18.
Just as certainly as KFC spells disappointment, Chris Kimball saves the day. This recipe is by far the crunchiest fried chicken I’ve eaten in my life. “Maybe even too crunchy”, say the boys. Plus Chris Kimball assures me that fried chicken made at home has much less fat than from KFC.
Super crunchy on the outside, perfectly cooked and moist on the inside.
So for $6, I get the 12-pieces (all-white-meat) of the crunchiest chicken in the world, plus less guilt (i.e. fat). Note that the two hours prep time includes an hour of unattended brining. Chris Kimball’s original recipe is here. [But on January 31, 2011: I made a few changes and you can see my improved, revised recipe here]
Issues and recommendations:
- The batter got too wet after I dusted a few pieces (after 4 pieces the batter didn’t stick anymore). I added more flour and was able to regain the proper consistency.
- The batter was a little plain for my own taste (but perfect for my two sons). I like a little more kick, so next time I’ll spice it up a little (while still maintaining a “kid-friendly” flavor). Note that Chris Kimball does have an “Extra-Spicy, Extra-Crunchy Fried Chicken” on the “Cooks Country TV” website, but I know it’d be too spicy for my boys.
- Because the chicken is so crunchy, next time I’m going to go “skinless” to cut out some fat.
Rating: 5-star. The kids wouldn’t go any lower than 5-stars, even though it’s just fried chicken.
Cost: $6 for 12 pieces of fried chicken (about 5 pounds).
How much work? Low.
How big of a mess? Medium/High.
Start time 4:30 PM. Dinner time 6:30 PM.
I brined the chicken in salt/buttermilk, then dusted with flour/spices mixed with some buttermilk (to make the extra crispy crust).
The breasts were cut in half to allow the inside to cook without overcooking the crust.
Oil temperature was important, according to Chris Kimbal, so I used my digital thermometer.
That sure looks crunchy! And delicious.
Yes, very true. I only wish fried things weren’t so unhealthy.
Hey!! What is the exact recipe, if you don’t mind me asking
Sure, it is from cooks country and is available on their website. That post was from my early days of blogging before I realized how to link to recipes on a secure site.
It’s really good. Enjoy.
Mark
[...] Fried Chicken Way back in early February I made the best fried chicken ever, and I gave it 5-stars. It was the crispiest chicken I’ve ever had; not the least bit greasy [...]
[...] 4-stars. Still, the ultimate fried chicken according to every member of my family is the two-year-old Extra-Crunch Fried Chicken. However, because this recipe contains absolutely no milk the crust will not burn while the chicken [...]
i tried the recipe, it is great. i was wondering if you can put up the extra spicy extra crispy recipe, please?
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. It is my favorite fried chicken, so far. I haven’t tried the spicy version. I modified my original post to include a link to the recipe on the Cooks Country TV website. Please let me know how it goes.
Mark
i was wondering if you could/ are allowed to put up the original recipe again? (It keeps asking me to sign up for membership before i could see it)
Yes, Chris Kimball has changed his webserver permissions to limit viewing only to paid subscribers. Before he had allowed the “print view” available to the public.
Because his recipes are copyrighted I cannot just cut/paste. But in the future I will fully describe the ingredients and my steps of each recipe that I make.
wanted to know if you think it will make a difference if i use vegetable/canola oil for frying instead of vegetable shortening/peanut oil for the fried chicken recipe?
It’s a substitution I always make. I never use vegetable shortening, and I couldn’t afford peanut oil, which is like $14/gallon. I always use the $4/gallon Wesson vegetable or canola oil.
Mark
Rex, coincidentally I just published an update to Fried Chicken recipe; which had even better results: