| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 55 min |
| Prep: | 2 hr 30 min |
| Cook: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, about 3 pounds, cut into 9 or 10 pieces, back, neck, wing tips and giblets reserved
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 to 4 cups vegetable shortening for frying
Instructions
- Place chicken pieces in a gallon size zipper lock plastic bag. Mix buttermilk with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pour buttermilk mixture over chicken, seal, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Measure 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper into a large doubled brown paper bag; shake to combine. Drop half of chicken pieces into flour mixture and shake thoroughly to coat completely with flour. Remove chicken from bag, shaking excess flour from each piece. Place pieces onto a large wire rack set over a jelly roll pan until you are ready to fry. Coat remaining chicken pieces in the same manner.
- Meanwhile, spoon enough shortening to measure 1/2-inch deep in a 12-inch skillet; heat to 350 degrees. Drop chicken pieces, skin side down, into hot oil, cover (you can use a cookie sheet) and cook for 5 minutes. Lift chicken pieces with tongs to make sure chicken is frying evenly; rearrange if some are browning faster than others. Cover again and continue cooking until pieces are evenly browned, about 5 minutes longer. Turn chicken over with tongs and cook, uncovered, until chicken is browned all over, 10 to 12 minutes longer. Remove chicken from skillet with tongs and place on wire rack set over jelly roll pan. Strain hot fat into a heat-safe container.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 1568 |
| Total Fat | 144 g |
| Saturated Fat | 37 g |
| Carbohydrates | 36 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 35 g |
| Cholesterol | 118 mg |
| Sodium | 1048 mg |
Reviews
The best fried chicken I’ve ever made or tasted. Second to none. Better than my own mother’s fried chicken recipe! How much more can I say after that?
I added a tsp of some “Bell’s” poultry seasoning to the marinade and 1 tsp to the flour mixture. It gave it a little extra flavor, and this is a really easy recipe. I fried it in my cast iron skillet on the gas grill outside.