Hibiscus House: Fried Chicken Southern Style

My Simple Southern Fried Chicken Recipe

I've been told that I make the best fried chicken ever by many people. My face is blushing and I am smiling. That is quite a compliment.

People that have been in my life for years have told me when seeing me again, "I can't get your fried chicken out of my mind, and it's been 30 years"!

Yep, I've been told that by many. The funny thing is I don't make a batter, I don't use egg, I use flour and a few seasonings that's it.

A Few Quick Tips before sharing the recipe:

Buy your chicken whole
Make sure it is a small fryer around 3 pounds or so.
Springer Mountain Farms have the best most tender that I've found around here. Locally KJ's or IGA has them.
Self Rising flour sticks to the chicken better than All Purpose
Use an electric frying pan for even heat.  *I used to fry in an iron frying pan but now I like using the electric pan because our range has a glass top and truthfully you can burn your chicken real quick in an iron frying pan if you aren't careful.*

Ingredients

1 whole fryer

Cooking oil of choice

Salt

Black Pepper

Self Rising Flour 2 or more cups for coating the chicken

Gallon plastic storage, freezer bag, or large bowl

*Optional:

Buttermilk is also good to soak your chicken pieces in a covered bowl overnight in the fridge

Drain well before cooking and discard the buttermilk.

* Optional:
Seasonings: paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, celery salt

Directions

Preheat 2 to 3 inches of oil in the electric frying pan to 350 degrees F

Meanwhile, do the following:

Wash your fryer and Do Not Dry

How To Cut Up A Chicken

Cut up the chicken into pieces *see the videos below*
Here in the South, we cut up with the pulley bone before cutting the breast *, see video below* that can show how to cut just that piece before cutting the breast into halves.

Season liberally salt and black pepper each piece on each side
Using a gallon plastic bag, or large bowl add flour coat or shake or coat the chicken until completely covered. *shake off excess flour from chicken pieces*
Fry covered with the lid. Check every now and then to see if the edges start to brown. When you see the edges look light brown turn each piece.
Cover pan after turning and cook a few minutes approximately 5-7 minutes then uncover
Continue cooking but Listen to the chicken frying it will start to crackle be sure to check it to make sure it is browning and crispy as you like it. *You don't want it to burn but you don't want to move chicken pieces needlessly because it will drop flour coating and you don't want that. Just keep watch and you'll soon learn *
Place a large wire cooling rack on top of waxed paper or doubled paper toweling.
Drain cooked chicken well and place on wire rack in a draft free location on your counter top. *this will make your chicken drain and be especially crispy*
You may loosely tent to keep warm if frying lots more chicken. I say this again with a small piece of foil up in the air folded tented but never close in on top and never folded down around the chicken that would make the chicken very soggy. If you are ready to eat in a few minutes then Do Not Tent with foil at all.

Serves 4 to 8 people

How To Cut Up Chicken 8 pieces