Country Fried Chicken

Country Fried Chicken — a chicken recipe, 14 ingredients.

Chicken

contains glutencontains dairycontains meat

No forks yet — be the first Sign in to rate

Ingredients

Units: US Metric

Scale: ½× – 4× with Plus →

2 cups low-fat cultured buttermilk
1 ea. (4 pounds) broiler/fryer chicken, cut into individual parts with wings discarded
¼ cup paprika
3 tbsp salt
3 tbsp freshly-ground black pepper
3 tbsp lemon pepper
Flour
2 tbsp cayenne pepper
Vegetable shortening
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
¼ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp freshly-ground black pepper

Make it lactose-friendly

2 cups low-fat cultured buttermilk → lactose-free milk + 1 tsp lemon juice per cup
1 cup whole milk → lactose-free milk, oat milk, or almond milk
¼ cup heavy cream → lactose-free heavy cream or full-fat coconut cream

Swaps are suggestions, not medical advice. Check labels if lactose is a serious issue for you.

Combine seasonings for chicken and buttermilk in a large container. Add chicken, toss to coat, and refrigerate overnight to a day.
Drain chicken in a colander and dredge in flour. Set aside 2–3 minutes.
Heat enough shortening in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet to 325°F. Add thighs to the center, and breasts and legs to the outer part. Fry 10–12 minutes on each side or until golden brown and internal temperature of thighs is 180°F.
Remove from pan and drain on a cooling rack. Cover loosely with foil and set aside.
Pour out all fat except 30 ml from pan and place over medium high heat. Add all-purpose flour to pan and whisk continuously until mixture turns blond.
Deglaze pan with broth and whisk continuously until liquid has reduced by ⅔.
Add milk, cream, and pepper; bring to a boil. Cook, whisking occasionally, until liquid has reduced to 240 ml and is thickened. If gravy is too thick, add ¼ cup milk at a time.
Serve chicken smothered with cream gravy.

We refine our recipes every week — check back for sharper, clearer steps.