Country Fried Chicken
Country Fried Chicken is an old fashioned comfort food that's easy to make with chicken breasts and staple ingredients! Serve this with gravy and mashed potatoes for a simple dinner idea for the family.
Servings: 4
Calories: 348kcal
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
Buttermilk Marinade
- 2 cups buttermilk see notes for substitutions
- 2 large eggs whisked
- 3 teaspoons salt
Breading
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup breadcrumbs plain or Italian
- 2 ½ teaspoons seasoned salt
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Prep Work
- Cover each chicken breast with saran wrap. Use a meat tenderizer and pound the chicken flat, about 1/2 inch thick.
- Pat the chicken completely dry. Combine the whisked eggs, salt, and buttermilk. Add the chicken and marinade for 1-2 hours, (or overnight). The longer it marinades, the more tender it will be.
- Let the chicken sit out for 25-30 minutes at room temperature before frying.
Cooking Instructions
- Transfer the marinated chicken to the breading mix. Flip it over several times and work the breading into all of the little nooks and crannies until it's completely dry and coated.
- PRO TIP: Transfer the breaded chicken to a wire cooling rack and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes prior to frying. This helps the breading adhere to the chicken.
- Add enough oil to a skillet to cover the chicken by half and heat it to 350°. Use a cast iron skillet if possible as it conducts heat the best for frying.
- Carefully add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, once the outside edges begin to brown up nicely, carefully flip with a thin spatula
- Once browned on each side, carefully transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow excess oil to drip out from the bottom. This prevents the bottom from getting soggy.
- Repeat for all chicken breasts and serve with cornbread, mashed potatoes and chicken gravy or brown gravy!
Notes
Buttermilk Substitutes
- ½ cup milk + 1 ½ cups sour cream
- 4 tablespoons milk + enough plain yogurt to make 2 cups.
- 2 tablespoon white vinegar + enough milk to make 2 cups. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice + enough milk to make 2 cups. Let sit for 10 minutes. It'll look curdled. Stir to combine.
What to Serve This With:
Creamy Mashed Potatoes | Chicken Gravy | Brown Gravy | Mushroom Gravy | Buttermilk Biscuits | Corn Casserole | Green Bean Casserole | Roasted Carrots | MoreNutrition
Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 555mg | Potassium: 460mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg