Stoutsburg Sourland
African American Museum

Elaine and Beverly’s Crispy Fried Chicken

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The best temperature to fry chicken at is 350 degrees. Common options include peanut oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, safflower oil, corn oil and more. Vegetable oil is the oil we recommend using for deep frying. It has a high smoke point.

 

Here are some pointers:

• Make sure that you don’t overcrowd your pan. You want to make sure that the chicken isn’t bumping against other pieces of chicken which can knock off the breading.

• Only flip your chicken once while frying. The more you fuss with your chicken, the more likely you are to knock off or disturb some of the crunchy coating. 

• The average piece of chicken will need to be fried for 14 minutes. Each piece of chicken will be different though so make sure you cook each one to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. White meat will have its peak juiciness at 165 degrees F. Dark meat can be cooked to 170-175F for the best texture.

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INSTRUCTIONS:

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1.              Measure ¼ cup of salt into a bowl of cold water–mix well and add chicken pieces.  Keep in this brine for at least 15 minutes. Remove chicken parts and pat dry very well with paper towels.

 

2.             When ready to cook, pour the vegetable oil in a skillet until it is about 3/4 inch deep in an 11 ¾ inch pan (for best results use a cast iron skillet). Heat oil to 350 degrees or when you see the oil start to slightly “ripple.”

 

3.           Prepare the breading by combining 4 cups of all purpose flour, 1/8 cup onion powder, ¼ cup garlic powder, and 2-3 T salt and pepper.  You can also use Lawry’s Season Salt in place of the S&P.  Put breading in a large brown paper bag or aluminum pan (9” x 13”).  Mix it thoroughly.

 

4.          Place dried chicken in flour mixture and shake well in the paper bag until all pieces are coated thoroughly. Tap off the excess.

 

5.          Place the floured chicken into the 350 degree oil. Fry 3 or 4 pieces at a time. The chicken will drop the temperature of the oil so keep it as close to 350 degrees as possible. Fry each piece for 14 minutes, turning each piece about half way through once its golden brown.  Fry until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. 

 

6.           Remove from the oil and place on a brown paper bag (torn up in a single layer) or on paper towels. Transfer to a platter and ENJOY!