The 5 Best Fried Chicken Recipes

Instructions

1- Crispy Honey-Glazed Fried Chicken

1. In a medium bowl, add the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, and cayenne and mix until combined. In another medium bowl, combine half of the spice mix with the flour, mixing until the spices are evenly distributed.
2. Add the chicken to a large bowl and sprinkle with the remaining spice blend. Mix until all the chicken pieces are evenly coated.
3. Pour the buttermilk over the chicken and stir until the residual spices from the chicken have blended in with the buttermilk to create a light orange color. Marinate the chicken in the fridge for 2 hours, or overnight.
4. Heat the oil to about 325°F (160°C) in a large cast-iron skillet.
5. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess. Dip them back into the buttermilk mixture, then back into the flour. Make sure to shake off excess flour or it’ll burn while frying.
6. Fry 3-4 chicken pieces at a time, occasionally turning them over. Cook for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown, crispy, and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C). Rest the cooked chicken pieces on a wire rack to let excess oil drain off.
7. Drizzle the chicken with honey, then serve.

2- Cheddar Ranch Popcorn Chicken

1. Chop chicken breasts into bite-size pieces.
2. In a large bowl, combine chicken, buttermilk, and ranch packet.
3. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
4. In a large zipper storage bag, crumble the cheese crackers into desired crumbs (to replace bread crumbs).
5. Place cracker crumbs into a medium bowl and coat each piece of chicken until fully covered.
6. Heat oil to 350°F (180°C) and fry chicken until crackers turn golden brown (3 minutes).
7. Place on a paper towel to dry.
8. Serve with a side of ranch or any sauce.

3 - Orange Chicken

1. Combine the egg, white pepper and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the cubed chicken breast, make sure it’s coated with the egg mixture.
2. In another bowl, combine corn starch and flour. Add the coated chicken to the flour mixture. Stir to coat.
3. Working in batches, fry the coated chicken until golden and done. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
4. In a large pan or wok, add oil, garlic, ginger and red chili flakes. Stir fry until fragrant.
5. Add rice wine and stir for a few seconds. Proceed to add all of the other sauce ingredients, including soy sauce, vinegar, water, sugar and orange zest.
6. Add the fried chicken. Stir to coat in sauce. Thicken the sauce with the cornstarch slurry.
7. Garnish with chopped scallions and serve with rice.

4 - Crispy, Creamy Chicken Cordon Bleu

1. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, tossing to coat evenly.
2. On a cutting board, place a chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound until about ½ inch (1 cm) thick with a meat mallet, rolling pin, or heavy pan.
3. Remove the plastic wrap and place 2 slices of Swiss cheese, then 2 slices of ham, then another layer of Swiss cheese, and another layer of ham. Evenly roll the chicken and place onto a new sheet of plastic wrap.
4. Wrap the chicken in the plastic wrap tightly and use the excess plastic on the sides to twist, firming up the roll of chicken cordon bleu as you work. Tie the excess plastic. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, then chill the rolls in the fridge to set for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, preheat a tall-sided pan with 2 inches (5 cm) of oil to 325°F (170°C).
6. After the rolls are set, prepare 2 separate large, wide dishes with the flour, beaten egg, and bread crumbs. Dredge the chicken first in the flour, then the egg, and then bread crumbs.
7. Place the breaded chicken cordon bleu in the oil and cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until the outside is an even golden brown. If a good color is achieved and the chicken’s center is still not 165°F (75°C), place the chicken cordon bleu on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and finish the chicken in the oven at 325°F (170°C) until that temperature is reached.
8. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a 1 ½-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook the garlic until soft. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute.
9. Add the milk and whisk until fully combined with the roux and no lumps remain. Continue whisking until the mixture comes to a simmer and has thickened.
10. Add the mustard, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper and whisk to combine. Remove the pan from the heat.
11. Slice the chicken and serve drizzled with Dijon sauce.

5 - Spicy Korean Chicken

1. Mix the ingredients for the batter in a bowl until smooth with no lumps.
2. Heat oil in a pot to 340°F (170°C).
3. Dip a chicken wing into the cornstarch, shaking off excess, then dredge the wing into the batter, dripping off excess.
4. Fry half of the wings at a time for about 5-7 minutes, until light golden. The oil will drop to about 320°F (160°C).
5. Drain the wings and increase the heat. Heat oil to about 375°F (190°C).
6. Fry the wings a second time until golden brown and crispy. Drain and set aside.
7. In a pan, combine all the ingredients for the sauce and stir until bubbling. Toss in the wings.