Chicken Fried Chicken

Chicken Fried Chicken is crispy breaded boneless skinless chicken breasts fried to golden perfection and served slathered with country white gravy seasoned with lots of fresh ground black pepper.

Learn how to make a delicious Southern-style chicken fried chicken dish with this easy and flavorful recipe. Perfect for a comforting weeknight meal or a Sunday dinner with family and friends. I love to serve this dish with creamy mashed potatoes and fresh green beans or baby peas. Comfort food does not get much better than this. If you like my Chicken Fried Steak, this is a must-try recipe.

Ingredients for Chicken Fried Chicken

To make the chicken, you need boneless, skinless chicken breasts, buttermilk, egg, flour, cornstarch, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, ground cayenne pepper, and vegetable oil.

To make the country gravy, you need butter, flour, milk, ground cayenne, salt, and black pepper.

How to make Chicken Fried Chicken

Start by slicing your chicken breasts in half horizontally or lengthwise to create 4 thinner chicken breasts. Then, if needed, cover the chicken breasts with plastic wrap and pound the thick parts with a meat mallet. This will ensure that the chicken cooks evenly.

Set up your breading stations. Whisk together the buttermilk and the egg in one shallow, wide bowl. Then, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper in another shallow bowl. Heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil to 325 degrees using a heavy pan or Dutch oven. Now dip each chicken breast in the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, then back in the flour mixture.

Fry the chicken until it is golden brown on the bottom, then flip and fry until it is golden brown on the other side. Remove to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain any excess grease. Place the chicken breasts in a 225-degree oven on an uncovered baking sheet or wire rack to keep them warm and crispy.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 2 minutes, whisking continuously. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth and creamy. Then, whisk in the cayenne pepper, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Continue cooking while frequently whisking until the gravy has thickened to your desired consistency.

Recipe tips

• Use thin-cut chicken breasts (culets) or cut 2 chicken breasts in half horizontally or lengthwise. You can also pound the chicken breast thin and split them in half.
• This recipe is easy and quick but also busy, so have your sides prepared and ready to go. This recipe is best served promptly. If it needs to be reheated, an air fryer works well.
• The cayenne pepper in this recipe is very mild. Add a little more if you like a lot of zest and flavor. If you are still apprehensive about it, substitute paprika.
• Chicken is cooked through when it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The best way to know that is to use an instant-read thermometer.
• Keep the chicken in the oven warm and uncovered while you finish them and make the gravy. It will keep them crispy till the meal is served.
• I like making white gravy with butter, but you can use the oil from frying or bacon grease.
• Though traditionally deep-fried. You can fry the breaded chicken in about 1/8 – 1/4 inch oil in a cast iron skillet or a Dutch oven.

What sides to serve with Fried Chicken

You can serve virtually any side, but some of our favorites are southern green beans, baby peas, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, cucumber salad, steamed broccoli, roasted cauliflower, dill pickle potato salad, buttermilk biscuits, and mac and cheese.

How to freeze Chicken Fried Chicken

To freeze first, cool completely. Then, place the cooked chicken on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and put it in the freezer on a flat surface. Once frozen, place the breasts in a sturdy freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat chicken from frozen on an uncovered baking sheet in a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Then, increase the temperature to 400 degrees and bake for another 5 minutes or until heated through.

Storage and Reheat

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring the chicken to room temperature for about 30 minutes, then reheat it in the air fryer at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes.

More Chicken Recipes

Chicken Fried Chicken

A quick and easy Southern Chicken Fried Chicken recipe, crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside, slathered in a creamy white country gravy. Enjoy it with mashed potatoes and sweet peas. 

5 from 20 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal chicken

Cuisine: Southern

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 435kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

Chicken

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise to create 4 thinner ones
• ⅔ cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• Vegetable oil for frying

Gravy

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter can sub cooking oil that you fried the chicken in or bacon fat
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 2 ½ cups milk
• 1-2 pinches ground cayenne pepper
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees. 
• In one shallow wide bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the egg. Then in another shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. 
• Using a heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat about 1-inch vegetable oil to 325-350 degrees.
• Dip each chicken breast in the flour mixture, then in the buttermilk egg mixture, then back in the flour mixture. 
• Deep fry the chicken until it is golden brown on the bottom, then flip and fry until it is golden brown on the other side. Remove to paper towels to drain any excess grease. 
• Remove the chicken to an uncovered baking sheet or wire rack and place it in the oven to keep warm. 
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisking continuously.  Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth and creamy.  Whisk in the cayenne pepper.
• Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Continue cooking while whisking frequently until the gravy has thickened to your desired consistency. Serve the gravy ladled over the top of the chicken. 

Notes

• Use thin-cut chicken breasts (also known as culets) or cut 2 chicken breasts in half horizontally or lengthwise. You can also pound the chicken breast thin and split them in half.
• This recipe is easy and quick, but it is also busy, so have your sides prepared and ready to go. This recipe is best served promptly. If it needs to be reheated, an air fryer works well.
• The cayenne pepper in this recipe is very mild. In fact, if you like a lot of zest and flavor, add a little more. If you are still apprehensive about it, substitute paprika.
• Keep the chicken in the oven on warm and uncovered while you finish them and while you are making the gravy.  It will keep them crispy till the meal is served.
• I like making white gravy with butter, but you can use the oil from frying or bacon grease.
• Though traditionally deep-fried. You can fry the breaded chicken up in about 1/8 – 1/4 inch oil in a cast iron skillet or in a Dutch oven.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring the chicken to room temperature for about 30 minutes, then reheat it in the air fryer at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 766mg | Potassium: 559mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 949IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 253mg | Iron: 2mg

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