I Like My Chicken Fried

Who doesn't love fried chicken?!? If only it were a little easier to make, we'd probably make it more often, huh? lol. Well, I wish I had that "super simple fried chicken" recipe, but I don't. I do, however, have Maw Maw's fried chicken recipe! Who wants it? Who wants it? 

Maw Maw’s Fried Chicken

You can always tell when I’ve been frying chicken, I look a mess! I’m usually covered in grease and flour from head to toe, my face is red from standing over the stove, and I won’t even go into the crazy things my hair does.

One of my favorite things to eat as a child was (and still is) Maw Maw’s fried chicken. Nothing else can even compare! When Maw Maw would make fried chicken, her whole house would smell good enough to eat, and she would come out of the kitchen without even a hair out of place. How she did it, I guess I will never know!

4 chicken Legs

4 chicken thighs

8 eggs

3 cups of flour

Salt & Pepper

Oil for frying (vegetable oil or shortening works fine. If you can afford peanut oil, it has an awesome flavor. I wouldn’t recommend olive oil, it’s too sweet.)

The night before…

• Beat 4 eggs with a fork and salt & pepper them well.

• Rinse and pat dry all of your chicken.

• In 2 big zipper bags (1 gallon) place half the chicken in one and half in the other.

• Pour the eggs into the bags, half in one, half in the other. (Sometimes I just beat the eggs separate, so I don’t have to try to split it evenly.)

• Put the chicken in the refrigerator, and let it set over night.

The next day…

• In a large frying pan, pour the oil until it’s a tad less than halfway up the sides of the pan.  (To get the amount of oil right is an art. Too much and it bubbles over, not enough and the chicken doesn’t cook evenly. Trust me, I’ve done both! LOL!)

• Heat the oil over medium heat until it’s about 350°, or until a tiny pinch of flour sizzles and disappears quickly. (Getting the oil the right temperature is an art as well. If it’s not hot enough, the breading will fall off, and the chicken will end up super greasy. If it is too hot, the outside will brown way before the inside is done. I usually heat the oil on medium heat, then when I start adding the chicken I turn it in between medium and medium high. Also, don’t get in a hurry and turn the burner on high to heat the oil, the taste of burnt oil is not very flattering to fried chicken.)

• While the oil is heating, grab 2 medium size bowls. In one pour the flour, in the other add the last 4 eggs and about 3 tablespoons of water and beat them together. (You also want to grab a large plate or platter and cover it in paper towels.)

• Once your oil is ready, take a piece of chicken from one of the bags and place it in the flour bowl.

• Completely cover the chicken in flour then shake off any loose flour.

 Place the chicken in the egg bowl. Completely cover the chicken in the egg mixture.

• Now back to the flour bowl. Cover the chicken in flour one last time and shake off the excess flour.

• Slowly and CAREFULLY place the chicken into the oil with a pair of tongs. (Please don’t try to do this with your fingers. The oil is going to pop and bubble, and your hands will be burned. I’ve done this as well. LOL!)

• Fry the chicken, 2 or 3 pieces at a time (you don’t want to crowd the pan because it will lower the temperature of the oil. Then the chicken will take forever to cook and it will be greasy. Not to mention it will definitely bubble over and make a huge mess.), for about 10 minutes (flipping it a few times), or until it is golden brown and the internal temperature is 160°, then place it on the paper towels. (I’m pretty sure you don’t want to make anyone sick, so make sure the chicken is done on the inside.)

{I generally flip the chicken a lot while its cooking, it seems like it cooks more evenly that way. I could be wrong tho, that’s just my opinion. lol.}