“What is your favorite texture?” Living in a house full of foodies and people who love to cook, that is the type of question I get at the dinner table.
What is my favorite texture? Without skipping a beat, my immediate reply was: Crunchy, of course. And, more specifically, crispy, crunchy chicken.
When it comes to food, fried chicken is my favorite guilty pleasure, and I am not alone. Crunchy chicken recipes can be found in all cultures and across every continent. Whether it has been southern fried and topped with “Nashville Hot” sauce, stir-fried with crunch pieces of sesame seeds, or pounded into schnitzel; the crunch of fried chicken is a world favorite.
Southern Fried Chicken
(with optional Nashville Hot Sauce)
The deep south has cornered the market on “deep fried” foods, and fried chicken is a favorite dish of so many southern families. I cannot imagine a 4th of July picnic, Sunday supper, tailgate, or state fair without some good, deep-fried chicken. Feel free to add the Nashville Hot Sauce on the side.
1 fresh 3 to 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into pieces
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground fresh black pepper
1 cup peanut oil
1 cup shortening
Allow the chicken to marinate in the buttermilk for at least two hours or overnight. Put the flour, salt, pepper, and any other seasoning salt you would like in a large Ziploc bag. Drop in individual pieces of chicken, one at a time, tossing each piece to coat.
Heat the peanut oil and shortening in a large cast-iron skillet to medium high heat. Carefully add the chicken pieces to the skillet, skin side down and reduce the heat to medium and cover.
Fry for 15 minutes. Turn chicken pieces and fry another 10 to 15 minutes uncovered. Drain chicken on paper towels before serving.
Toss or drizzle with Nashville Hot Sauce if desired.
Nashville Hot Sauce
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan until melted and combined. Allow flavors to develop for at least 30 minutes and adjust with more seasoning, if desired.
Chicken Piccata
I think this dish is technically classified as “Italian-American.” In Italy, the dish is most often served using veal. I believe using chicken is an America option but one we love.
Chicken Piccata might be one of my favorite ways to eat chicken. The chicken is delicious served warm, but I have to admit that I like it just as much, chopped, and served over a bed of lettuce the next day. I am always a fan of repurposing leftovers.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups seasoned dried breadcrumbs (I take all the ends and pieces of any leftover bread and chop in my food processor, and keep in a bag in my freezer.)
Olive oil
For the sauce:
3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, about two lemons
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon capers, drained (optional)
1 lemon thinly sliced and chopped fresh parsley for serving
Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a heavy-duty cutting board, place each chicken breast between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound into 1/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to season.
In a shallow plate, mix the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In an additional plate, combine the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. In a third plate, place the breadcrumbs. Coat each chicken breast with flour first and shake off the excess. Then dip into the egg and finally the bread crumb mixture.
In a large sauté pan, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully add the chicken breasts and sauté for about two minutes on each side until browned. Do not crowd the pan and cook separately to ensure a crisp crust. Once cooked, place chicken on a pan while you cook the rest of the chicken if you are making a large batch.
Once all the chicken is cooked, place chicken on the sheet pan and bake in the oven for five to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.
To make the sauce: wipe out the pan with a dry paper towel and melt 1 tablespoon of butter and then add lemon juice, white wine, capers, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Boil over high heat until the mixture is reduced by about half. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl to combine.
When ready to serve, top chicken with sauce and serve with sliced lemon and a sprinkle of parsley over the top.
Chicken Kiev
Growing up, Chicken Kiev was one of our special holiday family meals. My mother is not sure where she first discovered the recipe or why she decided to undertake such a complicated dish, but it was always a family favorite.
Chicken Kiev is not the easiest dish to make. It can make a big mess and takes several steps, but the finished product is worth your time and effort.
I think the dish gained popularity in the United States in the 70s and 80s, getting its roots from Russia or Ukraine. Chicken Cordon Bleu is basically the same dish but substitute ham and Swiss cheese for the butter herb mixture inside.
For the butter herb filling:
1 stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, thyme, or chives minced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
The juice and zest of one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
For the chicken:
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (These need to be on the smaller side so that the chicken can completely cook through: about 5 to 6 ounces each)
Salt and pepper
2 cups Panko or regular fine breadcrumbs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten with about 1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
To make the butter filling, combine the soft butter with herbs, salt and pepper, garlic, lemon zest and juice. Transfer mixture to a sheet of plastic wrap and spread into a four-inch square. Fold up in plastic wrap and chill butter mixture in the refrigerator until very firm.
Using a meat mallet, cast-iron skillet, or other heavy object, pound each chicken breast and flatten until it is one fourth inch thick. Be careful not to pound any holes in the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Once butter is firm, cut into four equal sticks about one inch by four. Place a stick of the season butter in the center of the chicken breast and roll, completely enclosing the butter and shaping the chicken breast around any holes. Continue rolling remaining butter and chicken. Secure with toothpicks if needed.
Place panko bread crumbs, flour, and beaten eggs in three separate shallow dishes. Season each with salt and pepper. Beginning with flour, carefully roll the chicken breasts completely in flour and then cover with eggs and then completely cover with the panko breadcrumbs.
Set chicken breasts on a baking sheet and allow to chill for at least one hour in the refrigerator. This allows the crumb mixture to adhere better to the chicken breast.
Preheat oven to 400°. In a large skillet, heat about half inch of vegetable oil. Carefully fry chicken in hot oil, turning, to brown all sides.
Remove chicken back to the rimmed baking sheet and finish baking in the oven until the chicken is completely cooked through or about 12 to 15 minutes. Lower temperature if chicken begins to get too brown.
Allow chicken to rest about five minutes before serving. The butter mixture should be safely tucked inside. Beware when cutting your first bite as the butter mixture tends to squirt out.
Fried Tandoori Chicken
Our family loves Indian food and the rich, spicy flavors used in their cuisine. In the south, when I think of fried, I think of deep-fried with a crispy batter. This recipe is slightly different. The chicken has a light coating, but it is marinated in a spicy mixture of Indian seasonings and cooked until crisp using a light chickpea flour.
This is also a great gluten-free option for frying chicken. No breadcrumbs or flour are used.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus more for frying
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground turmeric powder
2 teaspoons cayenne or chili flakes (more or less of this depending on your tolerance for heat
8 boneless chicken thighs or tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups chickpea flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro and lime wedges for garnish
In a blender or bowl of food processor, purée the garlic, ginger, lemon juice, herbs, two tablespoons of vegetable oil and the salt and pepper until it is a smooth paste.
Scrape the marinade into a large bowl and add the chicken pieces being sure to coat each piece. Refrigerate at least 12 hours. After the chicken marinates in the spices for 12 hours, stir in yogurt and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for an additional 12 hours.
When ready to cook, combine chickpea flour with about one teaspoon of salt. Drain chicken and remove any excess marinade. Dredge the chicken in the chickpea flour and transfer to a baking sheet. Set aside to allow the coating to adhere better.
In a cast-iron skillet or large Dutch oven, heat one and half inches of oil and fry the chicken until golden brown turning often. This should take about five minutes depending on the size of your chicken pieces.
Remove chicken to a rimmed rack and keep warm until ready to serve. Season with salt and pepper and garnished with cilantro leaves and lime wedges. Serve with coconut lime rice.
Coconut Chicken with Fresh Collards
This was a new recipe that I found when doing some research. The sweet coconut flavors combined with the spicy collard greens proved to be a delicious combination. This dish has root in the Caribbean and Africa, and the combination of these flavors is one of my new favorites.
2 cups buttermilk
1 can unsweetened, coconut milk, well mixed
2 garlic cloves, minced
10 chicken tenders
3 cups Panko breadcrumbs
3 - 5 tablespoons shredded coconut (I used sweetened)
Salt and pepper to taste
Canola oil for frying
In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, coconut milk, and garlic. Add the chicken and refrigerate at least two hours or overnight.
When ready to serve, combine the panko and the shredded coconut and season the mixture with salt and pepper. Drain the chicken pieces and dip each into the panko and coconut mixture, pressing into chicken. Refrigerate chicken pieces at least 10 minutes to allow breadcrumbs to adhere better.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1/2 inch of canola oil until shimmering. Carefully fry the chicken over high heat turning at least once until it is crispy.
Drain chicken on paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
Serve with a big bowl of collard greens with plenty of pepper sauce.
Schnitzel Chicken
Schnitzel simply means fried, and the Germans and Austrians have popularized this dish. I have seen schnitzel recipes where it is pan fried, deep fried, air fried, and everything between.
The chicken schnitzel recipe is very similar to the Italian Piccata. The chicken cutlet is pounded very thin and then quickly pan fried.
This version adds a little bit of spicy German, whole grain mustard to give it a special kick.
4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4-inch thick thickness
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil for frying
1 cup flour
3 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
Fresh parsley and lemon wedges for serving
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place flour in a shallow bowl. In a separate bowl, combine eggs and mustard. Place breadcrumbs in a third shallow bowl. (I use three different pie plates.)
Beginning with one chicken breast at a time, dredge in flour, dip in egg mixture coating evenly, and then carefully pat in breadcrumbs, pressing to be sure they are here. Allow chicken to rest on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes for the coating to adhere.
Meanwhile, in a large cast-iron skillet, heat half inch of vegetable oil until it shimmers and carefully pan fry chicken breasts when the oil is hot. They are very thin so it will not take very long to cook. Turn chicken breasts to be sure and brown on both sides.
Remove to wire rack and see them with salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges and fresh chopped parsley.
Tempura Battered Chicken
We love the Japanese favorite of tempura battered fried foods. Whether it is green beans, crab sticks, broccoli, or chicken, this batter and this method of cooking is one of our favorites.
You will need some type of a deep fryer or large Dutch oven filled with oil for this recipe. It is not pan fried. We have an old frier that I keep in the garage to use on such occasions.
You can kick up the flavor of the chicken by marinated in a mixture of soy sauce and rice wine vinegar or mirin, a Japanese rice wine.
4 boneless skinless chicken breast or four boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar or mirin
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Toss chicken pieces in the mixture in a while to marinate in the refrigerator for a couple hours
To make the tempura batter:
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 large egg, well beaten
1 cup ice water
In a large bowl combine ice cold water with the egg. Beat until frothy. Sift flour into egg mixture and combine. The batter will be a little lumpy.
Drain chicken pieces and dredge in the batter. Be sure your deep fryer is pre heated to about 350 and ready to go. Fry coated chicken until it is light golden brown, and cooked through. Serve immediately as it will not stay crispy very long.
Feel free to raid your refrigerator for additional items to fry. Pretty much anything in this batter is delicious. Fry as you did the chicken.
Parmesan Crusted Chicken with a Sage Butter Sauce
This is just a delicious and easy way to eat chicken. Add a salad and some green beans and you have a perfect weeknight meal.
I have a neighbor that always grows an abundance of fresh sage. I plant it every year and it dies almost immediately, so feel free to use dried sage, if needed.
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 egg whites
2 teaspoons cornstarch
The juice and zest of 1lemon
1 cup course, dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450°. Cut chicken breast in half and pound to 1/2-inch thickness. In a wide flat bowl, combine egg whites, cornstarch, and lemon juice. In a separate bowl, combine Parmesan cheese with dry breadcrumbs, parsley, and salt and pepper and lemon zest.
Dip both sides of chicken into egg white mixture, and transfer to the crumb plate. Press lightly on both sides and allow to air dry on a rack for 15 minutes.
When ready to eat, heat about 3 tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet until very hot. Fry chicken on both sides until golden brown. Remove and finish cooking chicken in the preheated oven until it is completely finished or about 8 more minutes depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts.
Set aside while you make the Sage butter sauce.
For the sauce:
3 tablespoons minced shallot
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 stick or 4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
1 -2 teaspoons minced fresh sage or 1/2 teaspoon dried
Salt and pepper to taste
In a small sauce pan sauté shallot in the 1 tablespoon of butter until it is soft. Add wine, cream, chicken broth, and lemon juice. Simmer until it is reduced by half or about 8 to 10 minutes. Whisk in cold butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly. Do this slowly, so the butter does not separate.
To finish the sauce, whisk in the fresh sage and salt and pepper to taste. Serve sauce over the crunchy Parmesan chicken cutlets.
Crunchy Cashew Chicken
Cornstarch gives this chicken its special crunch and provides a light coating that allows for a good crunch.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon sugar
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons vegetable or sesame oil
1 to 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 to 4 green onions, chopped
1 8-ounce canned sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 cup cashews
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or chili crisp to taste
In a small bowl, combine vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and ginger. In a separate bowl, toss chicken with cornstarch until it is well coated.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy skillet or wok and sauté until chicken is done. Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.
Add 2 additional teaspoons oil to the skillet and sauté garlic, green onions, water chestnuts, cashews, and the broth. Stir in vinegar mixture and simmer over low heat.
Add chicken pieces to the skillet, red pepper flakes, and sauté for about five minutes.
Serve with rice or Asian noodles.
