Have you ever cooked chicken only to have some turn out dry, chewy and barely edible or doesn't have that crispy edge you want? That’s why my friend asked me about how to fry crispy pan fried chicken in oil (Recipe) and make it perfectly.
How To Fry Chicken in Oil for Perfect Chicken Every Time!
Everyone wants tender, soft, juicy chicken with delightful crispy skin and there is no one in the world who enjoys dry, chewy, stringy and nearly undigestible chicken!
Here's how to fry chicken in a pan with oil to the point of perfection so that you’ll be commanding your kitchen like a rockstar in no time at all!
Is there a better dish served at room temperature than a whole chicken fried to a deep golden brown in your grandmas frying pan? I'll take a large bowl full of that chicken cook to deliciousness any time, any day (or even the next day)! The crispy coating makes for crispy chicken that is the delight of home cooks everywhere!
If you love tender chicken, this recipe here is the best! Easy Instant Pot Mississippi Chicken Recipe (w/video)
Southern Cooks Look For…
Color – Southern Fried Chicken is a Golden Brown!
Seasoning – There will be layers of seasoning to make it taste perfectly.
Juicy – The chicken will be done and juicy!
Coating – There will be a crunchy exterior that gives the whole thing life!
Here’s What You’ll Need
- Boneless Chicken – for beginner cooks, I recommend starting with boneless skinless chicken thighs. They are much more forgiving than the white meat cuts, but you’ll need to choose what is right for your recipe.
- Non Stick Skillet – Personally, I like to use an iron skillet, but you may have a favorite non-stick skillet.
- Tongs – Use tongs for flipping your chicken.
- Stovetop – A heating eye that you have excellent control over the heat.
- Hot Oil – Vegetable oil or peanut oil is preferred for the beginner (forgiving with temperature control because of a high smoke point), but any cooking oil will work..
- Salt and Pepper or Other Seasonings
- Thermometer - You'll need to know the internal temperature of your piece of chicken.
Here’s A Step By Step Guide for Perfect Pan-Frying Chicken Every Time
- Preheat the large cast iron skillet or deep fryer to medium-high heat.
- Use the three pan coating method, featuring a flour mixture with spices like black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt so that your chicken will be flavorful.
- Add the Pieces of Chicken to the hot skillet, skin side up so That They Have Space Between Them for crispy fried chicken.
- Allow to Brown on One Side Then Flip.
- Remove when you have crispy fried chicken and place on baking sheet covered with a paper towels.
- The Best way to keep the pan-fry chicken crispy is to keep in a warm oven until ready to eat.
Tips and Tricks For Perfect Chicken
- Never crowd the pan when deep frying.
- Preheat your pan before starting. It’s a common myth that you can just put your food into a cold pan and allow it to heat with the food. This will cause uneven cooking of the meat and a poor result with no browning and oily yucky chicken.
- Follow the coating recipe that I give you, this will give you a nice flavor and the crunch you are seeking.
- Use enough oil so that it reaches about ½ way up the side of your chicken pieces.
- This recipe is best done with a non stick skillet. I prefer to use cast iron which is non stick if seasoned correctly. You’ll find that as a beginner cook, stainless will want to stick until you are really practiced with using it.
- Season the meat by sprinkling with your fingers from up fairly high. You do this so that the seasoning spreads out well and has an even coating.
- Allow the meat to cook for quite a while on one side before flipping. This allows the browning to develop (which adds flavor!).
PRO TIP: If you want to make sure that your chicken is perfect every single time, you’ll want to invest in a quick read thermometer. I use and recommend the Thermoworks series meat thermometer. The chicken is done at 165 degrees! Perfect every single time!
Substitutions
- Chicken – You can substitute chicken breast, turkey breast, pork loin, pork chops or chicken tenders in this recipe, HOWEVER, if you use a different meat, then it won’t be the chicken that I described in the recipe. Just sayin.
- Oil – You can use any oil that is suitable for frying (high smoke point) – Personally, I like to use either vegetable oil or peanut oil. You can use cannola, safflower, crisco, lard or whatever frying oil you prefer. Just DO NOT use Olive Oil or Butter.
- Seasonings – Feel free to use whatever seasoning blend you enjoy to make the seasoned flour, just understand that it takes A LOT of seasoning to make the breadcrumbs taste just right. I’ve chosen mine based on cost savings vs flavor.
- Flour – You CAN use either all purpose or self rising flour.
- Panko – I’m using the unflavored panko breadcrumbs but it is fine to use the already seasoned ones. You can add seasoning to them or use them as is..
- Draining on a Paper Towel – The point is to remove some of the grease. If you prefer to do this on a cloth towel or just to allow the chicken to drip onto a plate, that is fine too.
Watch Me Make This Dish
Can You Help Me Out?
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Watch Me Make This Dish
Can You Help Me Out?
Please leave a 5 STAR review in the comment section below. This helps others to find the recipes at Loaves and Dishes.
How to Fry Crispy Pan Fried Chicken in Oil (Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken Bone in or bone out
Oil
- vegetable oil or peanut oil or see substitution - 1 inch deep in the pan
Breading
First Breading Bowl
- 1 cup flour all purpose
Egg Wash
- 3 large eggs beaten
Second Breading Bowl
- 1 cup panko
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tbs paprika
- 3 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tbs baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170
- Place the chicken pieces on paper towels and dry the outside of the chicken very well. Allow to drain onto the paper towels for a while. Set aside
- Pour enough oil into your heavy duty pan to cover 1 " deep. Set on medium to medium high heat and allow to come to temperature while mixing up the breading. Heat to 350 degrees.
- Sprinkle the chicken with a pinch of the salt and pepper
- Set up a 3 pan breading station. In one pan, put the plain flour. In the second pan, put 3 beaten eggs, in the third, mix together the panko, baking powder and remaining salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika and mix well. Move the chicken and the breading station to beside the stovetop.
- Working in small batches, place the chicken into the plain flour and mix around making sure to coat all sides of the chicken with flour, then into the eggs and swirl around making sure to coat in egg then into the panko mixing around so that the breading coats all surfaces.
- Drop the chicken into the hot oil one piece at a time. Adjust the eye temp so that the chicken does not cook too furiously or does not go cold. The chicken should bubble boldly and continue to do so until cooked through and should be a golden brown color when cooked. Cook to internal temp of 165. Chicken floats when it is done. Remove to a paper towel lined baking sheet placed in a 150 degree oven to drain and set the plate into the oven to keep warm. This also helps to keep the coating crispy. serve hot.
Notes
- Always use a high temp oil for frying (vegetable, canola, peanut, etc.). Do NOT use Olive oil for frying these and do not use butter.
- You'll want to have a thermometer so that you don't burn your chicken and so that the oil is hot enough to fry them appropriately.
- If you want breading to stick, follow the directions EXPLICITLY in the recipe below. It is SUPER IMPORTANT to dry the meat off completely. You can do this with paper towels or with cloth towels, just so it is very very dry.
- You can substitute the spices in the seasoning for whatever flips your trigger, but you might want to start with the mix I suggest to make sure you enjoy the chicken before getting too wild and crazy with your seasoning choices.
Oil - You can use any oil that is suitable for frying - Personally, I like to use either vegetable oil or peanut oil. You can use cannola, safflower, crisco, lard or whatever frying oil you prefer. Just DO NOT use Olive Oil or Butter.
Seasonings - Feel free to use whatever seasonings you enjoy to season the breading, just understand that it takes A LOT of seasoning to make the breadcrumbs taste just right. I've chosen mine based on cost savings vs flavor.
Flour - You CAN use either all purpose or self rising flour.
Panko - I'm using the unflavored panko breadcrumbs but it is fine to use the already seasoned ones. You can add seasoning to them or use them as is.
Draining on a Paper Towel - The point is to remove some of the grease. If you prefer to do this on a cloth towel or just to allow the turkey to drip onto a plate, that is fine too.
Nutrition
This article was originally posted on October 26, 2022 and has been updated with new information, updated recipe card and more information that is usable to the reader.
But what about when you just don't feel courageous and strong. What about when you feel you can hardly go forward.
Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Into pieces. My gmother r would roll in her grave how stupid.... says
I've cooked chicken for50 years and never saw anyone cu
Wendi Spraker says
your comment says everything anyone needs to know about how stupid I must be for something (?). Since your comment is incomplete, I'm not sure what I'm so stupid about though. Best wishes and happy cooking. Sorry I made your grandmother roll over in her grave.
Sue says
I made this yesterday and it was wonderful! My very picky teenager ate them like no one was watching; it was a miracle. Thank you for all the tips! I hadn’t fried chicken in a decade, but will probably make this recipe weekly.
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Sue, so glad this was just what you were looking for!
Wendi says
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