Fried chicken is a beloved comfort food enjoyed around the world While the juicy, crispy fried chicken is the star of the show, the batter coating is an unsung hero that can make or break this tasty dish But what exactly goes into great fried chicken batter? Let’s explore the main ingredients that create the crunchy, flavorful crust we know and love.
The Role of Batter in Fried Chicken
Before diving into the ingredients, it’s helpful to understand the purpose of the batter. In fried chicken, batter serves multiple functions
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Adhesion – The batter adheres the coating to the chicken. Without batter, dry seasonings would simply fall off the chicken when frying.
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Crispness – The batter fries up light and crispy, creating that signature crunch in each bite. The crispiness comes from the batter trapping steam and expanding as it fries.
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Flavor – The batter provides a backdrop for herbs, spices, and other flavorings. Batter helps distribute seasonings evenly over the chicken.
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Browning – Ingredients in the batter promote browning and create appetizing golden color on the exterior of the chicken.
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Protection – The batter forms a protective seal around the chicken, keeping it tender and juicy inside.
With the role of batter explained, let’s look at the main ingredients that work together to make it shine.
Flour – The Base of Nearly All Batters
Flour is the foundation of fried chicken batter. Wheat flour is most common, but batters can also be made from corn flour, rice flour, chickpea flour, etc. The protein and starch in flour provide structure, adhesion, and that all-important crispiness. Typically, fried chicken batter contains one or more flours:
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All-purpose flour – The most popular option, all-purpose flour contains moderate protein (10-12%). It provides a light, crunchy texture.
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Self-rising flour – This flour contains baking powder and salt premixed in – handy for convenience! It causes the batter to puff up while frying.
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Cornstarch – Starch results in an extra crispy, delicate batter coating. A bit of cornstarch blended with flour is a win-win.
The exact flour blend can be tailored to achieve the ideal texture and crispness. Many chef’s have their secret mixes perfected through trial and error.
The Wet Ingredients – Eggs, Buttermilk & More
Wet ingredients like eggs, buttermilk, and milk are essential for binding together the dry ingredients into batter. Here are some commonly used options:
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Eggs – Whole eggs help emulsify the liquid and dry ingredients. Some batter recipes call for egg whites only.
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Buttermilk – The tangy thickness of buttermilk adds great flavor. The lactic acid also reacts with baking powder for lift.
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Milk – Milk adds richness without overpowering flavor. Any type works from whole milk to skim.
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Water – For lighter batters, water can thin out the mixture. Too much risks a dense, bready coating.
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Beer – A bit of beer amps up the crispiness! The carbonation causes the batter to puff while frying.
Wet ingredients must be in proper balance with the dry – too much creates thick, pasty batter that doesn’t adhere well.
Seasonings to Make Batter Pop
Beyond the basic ingredients, seasoning is key for fried chicken batter with enticing flavor. Here are some tasty mix-ins:
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Salt – Essential for enhancing flavor. Around 1 teaspoon per cup of flour hits the spot.
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Pepper – A sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper never hurts.
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Paprika – Whether smoked, sweet, or spicy, paprika adds appetizing color and flavor.
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Cayenne – A pinch of cayenne pepper brings a touch of heat.
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Garlic & Onion Powder – These powders bring a savory, aromatic quality.
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Dried Herbs – Classics like thyme, rosemary, oregano, and basil infuse the batter with herbal notes.
Feel free to get creative with any combo of spices that fits your tastes!
Putting it All Together
Now that we’ve broken down the components, let’s discuss how it comes together:
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Dry ingredients – Whisk together flour, baking powder, and any seasonings so they are well blended.
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Wet ingredients – In a separate bowl, beat eggs until blended, then whisk in buttermilk, milk, beer, or other wet ingredients.
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Resting – Let the batter sit for 15-30 minutes. This allows ingredients to fully hydrate for better adhesion and expansion.
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Frying – Coat chicken pieces in batter, letting excess drip off, then lower into hot oil. Fry until golden brown, flipping once, about 12-15 minutes total.
And that’s all there is to it! With the right combo of ingredients, your fried chicken batter will turn out light, crispy, and full of flavor. Now that you know the basics, you can experiment with batter recipes until you find your signature style. Just be prepared for some messy fun and fried chicken perfection.
More Delicious Fried Foods!
If you tried this Southern Fried Chicken Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how you liked it in the comments below.
Why You’ll Love Fried Chicken
- Making your own fried chicken is incredibly easy, allowing you to save money from any further takeout!
- This fried chicken is made with juicy and flavorful chicken drumsticks and thighs with seasoned batter that fries to a crispy golden brown color.
- You can easily adapt this fried chicken by using gluten-free flour and different combinations of seasoning.
- Chicken – I’ve used chicken thighs and drumsticks for this recipe since these cuts of meat have a higher fat content, making for incredibly flavorful and juice meat. Dark meat pieces are my personal favorite. You can also cut apart a whole chicken and batter up everyone’s favorite pieces!
- Flour – All-purpose flour has been used to coat the raw chicken pieces for frying but you could use gluten-free flour instead.
- Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk, combine 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar per cup of milk needed.
- Oil for frying – I’ve used vegetable oil but you could also use canola oil or another oil that has a high smoke point. I wouldn’t recommend olive oil as its smoke point is much lower – meaning that cooking the chicken at a lower temp will result in absorbing more of the olive oil and the finished chicken will just not be the same with flavor or crunch.
- Seasoning – A combination of smoked paprika, coarse black pepper, coarse sea salt, and onion powder has been used in this recipe. Feel free to experiment with cayenne pepper and chili powder for a kick of heat! Garlic powder, thyme, and oregano are also great seasoning additions.
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- If you like being adventurous, add spices and seasoning to the tenderizing buttermilk. I know some people like to add their chili powders and sauces into the buttermilk to intensify and change the flavor.
- Another method to finish cooking your chicken is to transfer it to the oven after browning it in the oil. This method works well if you are cooking thicker pieces such as chicken breast. However, should you want to only fry the chicken breasts, remember they will take a little longer to cook through because of their thickness.
- Juicy, delicious drumsticks and wings are my favorite parts of the chicken, plus they are extremely budget-friendly and both cuts of meat cook for the same amount of time. You could also fry similar-sized chicken pieces together because of the cooking time factor.
- There are different methods to drain your fried chicken pieces including draining on brown paper, paper towels, parchment paper, waxed paper, or on a wire rack. It’s really up to you and what you have available.
- If you don’t have a Dutch oven, use a cast iron skillet that’s deep enough to submerge the chicken pieces in oil.
Step 1: While the oil heats in a deep skillet, start to set up the dredging station with the flour, seasoning, and buttermilk.
Step 2: Dip each piece of chicken into the flour and seasoning mixture, followed by the buttermilk and then the flour mixture once more. Set the coated chicken pieces aside on a baking sheet or platter.
PRO TIP: It’s important to only add the raw chicken to the pan once the oil temperature has reached 350°F so that the chicken cooks evenly and gets a crispy exterior. If the oil is not hot enough, the flour batter will absorb the oil and become soggy instead of crispy and crunchy.
Step 3: Add the chicken pieces in batches to the Dutch oven or iron skillet so that they are fully submerged in the hot oil and cook for 12-15 minutes, turning the chicken pieces halfway.
Step 4: Once the chicken is fully cooked with an internal temperature of 165F and a crispy golden exterior, lift the chicken pieces out of the Dutch oven with a slotted metal spoon.
Step 5: Transfer them to a paper-lined tray for any excess oil to be soaked up. Serve and enjoy!
GARNISH/SLICE/SERVE: Serve this delicious Southern Fried Chicken on a plate with your favorite side dishes.
The first published recipe for fried chicken was by an English cook named Hannah Glasse in 1747. While that may be impressive, stories of this fried food have been passed down in China, Middle East, and West Africa from thousands of years ago! The fried chicken that we know and enjoy today is a happy adaptation thanks to the American South.
Store leftover fried chicken for 2 – 3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. To reheat, place the chicken pieces in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes at 350F. The coating will not be as crispy as it originally was when cooked and served immediately. If you want to try to regain that delicious crispy exterior, consider reheating leftover fried chicken in an air fryer, if you have one.
A Dutch oven is essentially a cooking pot with a very tight-fitting lid and thick walls. It is a heavy pot usually made either from cast iron or ceramic and will maintain a steady temperature and heat, cooking food evenly. I love the way the chicken browns beautifully in a Dutch oven but if you don’t have one then you could use a heavy skillet but make sure you have enough oil to cover the chicken while cooking.
Some oils have a higher smoke point which is perfect for frying chicken. Oil like olive oil cooks at a lower temperature and so I don’t use it in this recipe. Suitable vegetable oils that are neutral flavored oils include canola oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, or peanut oil.
Before frying the chicken, gently pat the pieces to ensure that the coating sticks properly to the Buttermilk. Also tap off extra flour and buttermilk as this will not have stuck properly to the chicken. If you put too many pieces of chicken together in the Dutch oven, they will bump against each other during the frying process and this can cause bits of the coating to break off. Do not keep turning the chicken over whilst it is cooking. Turn it over once only halfway through frying. The more you turn it the more you could potentially knock the coating off.
The BEST Fried Chicken | Quick and Easy #onestopchop
FAQ
What is the breading on fried chicken made of?
Flour & Egg, Then Crumbs
Set up 2 bowls for the breading: one in which you whisk together the egg, flour, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of water, and the other with the panko. First dip each piece of chicken in the egg mixture, then into the panko, making sure the whole piece is evenly coated.
What is chicken batter made from?
Fried Chicken Batter Ingredients
These are the ingredients you’ll need: For the seasoned flour mixture: All-purpose flour with garlic salt, black pepper, paprika, poultry seasoning, and salt. For the beer batter: Beer, all-purpose flour, egg yolks, salt, and black pepper.
What is fried batter made of?
Batter is a flour mixture with liquid and other ingredients such as sugar, salt, egg, milk and leavening used for cooking. Batters are a pourable consistency that cannot be kneaded. Batter is most often used for cake, pancakes and as a coating for fried foods.
How to create fried chicken batter?
- 1 cup all-purpose flour.
- 1 cup cornstarch.
- 2 to 5 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper.
- 1 teaspoon paprika.
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
- 2 teaspoons baking powder.
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste.
- 1 3/4 cups cold water.