Growing up in the South, I was introduced to fried chicken at a young age. My entire family would come on Sunday afternoon for a feast that included fried chicken and various sides like okra, green beans, corn on the cob, sweet potatoes, and cornbread. Not only was the food delicious, but the company was great too!
Today, I wanted to share with you a bit of fried chicken history and also give you some really great fried chicken recipes. First, let’s dive into some of the history behind fried chicken…
“Fried chicken has a dual origin in the rural southern United States. The Scots had a tradition of frying chicken in fat, unlike their English counterparts who baked or boiled the chicken. Later, as African slaves, they were introduced into homes as cooks, seasonings, and spices were added that are absent in traditional Scottish cooking, enhancing the flavor.Since slaves were often allowed to have only chickens, frying chicken as a special occasion became widespread through the African-American community.often the only animals they could afford to raise.Since fried chicken could be kept for several days, it traveled well and also gained favor during segregation when blacks typically couldn’t find places to eat and had to bring your own food.Southern whites also continued the tradition of frying chicken.While not socially constrained like blacks, whites p obres were no better off economically. Thus, fried chicken continues to dominate as “Sunday dinner” or on other special occasions.
The first recipe that I am going to share with you actually marries an English cooking style along with Scottish and Southern influences. I say this because the recipe is an oven fried chicken recipe. Don’t worry if this isn’t your cup of tea! We will share traditional fried chicken recipes below this one.
Baked Fried Chicken
2 1/2 – 3 pound chicken pieces 2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 cup flour 2 tsp. paprika 1/2 cup melted golden crisco oil
Coat chicken with combined flour, salt, paprika, and pepper. Submerge in oil and place skin side down in the pan. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes and flip the chicken and bake for 30 minutes or until done.
Obviously, that’s not how we usually do it here, but it’s a nice recipe that I wanted to share with you. Now for the good stuff! Next, I want to share with you a great southern style fried chicken recipe.
Simple Southern Fried Chicken
1 fried chicken, skinless if you want less fat. I leave the skin on. 3 teaspoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt 2 garlic cloves, finely minced 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup vegetable oil
1. Season the chicken with all the seasonings.
2. Dredge chicken in flour until coated. Shake off excess flour. Sprinkle additional seasonings.
3. Simply fry the chicken in a pan until golden brown. I like it crunchy so I cook it a little longer than most.
You can start with the oil very hot and then reduce it later. This seals in the moisture and flavor, then cooks it.
I hope you enjoy these fried chicken recipes. We’ll be providing more great recipes and resources, so be sure to check back with us very soon! In the meantime, I encourage you to check out the following resource. You’ll be glad you did!
