Country Fried Chicken

Country Fried Chicken is a classic southern favorite.  The breading is phenomenal, and the gravy on top just kills it.  I've always been partial to the version Cracker Barrel has, but have been interested in making my own for a while.


I found a simple Country Fried Chicken recipe that included the gravy mixture to follow and since I had self-rising flour on hand, I got to work.  I decided to do it a little differently, seasoning the flour mixture with some cayenne pepper, paprika. and chili powder to spice things up.

In a medium sized bowl, I used a fork to mix together the self-rising flour, salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper until it was well combined.

Before coating the chicken, I placed the chicken in a plastic bag (I used a foodsaver bag because they are thick) and used a tenderizer to pound it flatter, until the chicken was even in thickness.  Then I covered the chicken in the flour mixture and let it rest for 10 minutes.  I then covered the chicken in flour again before cooking.

I heated up some oil in my cast iron skillet then added the chicken and let it cook for about 4-5 minutes, then flipped it and repeated for the other side.  I cooked one at a time to make sure the oil stayed hot enough.

After the chicken was finished cooking, I removed all but 1/4 cup of the oil from the skillet and sprinkled in 1/4 cup of the flour mixture.  I cooked it until it was slightly browned, then gradually added in the milk and whisked until combined.  I continued cooking the gravy over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the mixture had thickened.

I served the finished chicken with gravy over the top.

The chicken was wonderful, and the crispy breading was perfect.  Initially I made one under cooked piece by letting my impatience get the best of me and judging cooking by the breading color alone.  So for the next piece I adjusted the time by a few minutes, bringing the total cook time to about 10 minutes total.  The gravy was so easy, and the fact I got to utilize the same pan I made the chicken in just added to the awesome factor.  I made this one a little late in the day, so I scarfed it down without a side item.  But next time around, mashed potatoes will just take this dinner to the next level.  Yay southern cooking!

Country Fried Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup milk

Instructions:

Add the chicken to a thick plastic bag or cover with plastic wrap and use a tenderizer to pound the chicken until it is even in thickness.  Use a fork to mix together the flour, salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.  Set aside 1/4 cup of the mixture in a small bowl.  Rinse the chicken breasts with cold water, then dredge in the flour.  Allow chicken to rest for about 10 minutes, then coat in flour again.  Heat the canola oil in a cast iron skillet over a medium high heat. Add the breaded chicken and cook the chicken 4-6 minutes per side, until each side is browned.  Remove all but about 1/4 cup of oil from the skillet, and over medium heat, sprinkle in the 1/4 cup of reserved seasoned flour. Cook, stirring constantly until a light brown color, then gradually add in the milk until fully combined.  Bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes, until gravy is thickened.