I promise this is the most foolproof fried chicken recipe I’ve ever made.
I’ve made fried chicken in the past only to have it end up bland, burned, and all of the coating falling off in the oil. I’ve also had it look perfect on the outside, but raw on the inside. Medium rare chicken? No thanks, but not with this recipe. Is it the soup? The cornstarch? I’m not sure, but it is crispy, light, and has great flavor.
This is a very messy fried chicken recipe, but really what fried chicken recipe isn’t?
First, I lay out a baking rack on top of a cookie rack that has paper towels under it for draining the chicken once it was done as well as another one to hold my raw, dredged chicken. That way I’m not dipping chicken and frying, then dipping again. Then I dip them all at the same time, wash my hands REALLY good, then begin the frying process.
I’ve tried this with legs and chicken breast tenders. Both turned out fabulous. Just make sure to adjust your cooking time for the tenders. Without a bone, they will cook a lot quicker than the legs.
Perfect Fried Chicken
- 8 chicken leg drumsticks
- 1 ounce can condensed cream of chicken or mushroom soup (10.75)
- 1 1/2 tsp . seasoning salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 3/4 tsp . seasoning salt
- pepper to taste
- oil for frying
- In a shallow dish or bowl combine the soup, egg and seasoning salt (be careful, as soup is already salted); mix together. Dip chicken in mixture and turn to coat completely. Set aside.
- In a resealable plastic bag mix together the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
- One at a time, place chicken pieces in bag, seal and shake to coat. Add more flour and/or cornstarch as necessary, but add them in equal parts (there should be an equal amount of each in the mixture).
- Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F. Be sure to use enough oil to cover chicken pieces.
- Place coated chicken on a baking sheet or platter and allow to sit until it becomes moist/doughy (this ensures nice and crispy chicken)
- Fry chicken pieces in oil for about 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through and juices run clear.
- Drain on baking rack or paper towels and serve.
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This is fantastic! I did coat the chicken and give it about an hour or so in the fridge to ensure the breading was completely moist. Perfect! Every other recipe I have ever tried ended with the breading in the oil. Thank you so much for sharing! My crew likes thighs so I am trying those tonight.
I’m so glad to hear this! This is one of our favorite recipes! It works great for chicken tenders too!
I am going to make tomorrow night i love fry chicken
Growing up in Alabama, we ate fried chicken all the time! It was a favorite then, and still a favorite now in my family! 🙂 Thanks for sharing! #SmallVictories
Hi Brandy and congratulations! Your Perfect Fried Chicken is one of my #FavoritePosts from last week’s Creative Muster! So, it will be featured tomorrow night and it’s been pinned and tweeted for my followers to enjoy too! Hope to see you at 6pm EST to party with us again! ~Heather
Thanks so much, Heather!
Fried chicken’s something I still outsource. 🙂 Maybe with your tricks and hints, I’ll give it a try. I bet the soup adds great flavor too. 🙂
I was so excited to check out your recipe as I just tried frying chicken this past weekend for the first time and it turned out great! Instead of the soup, I coated the chicken with seasoning and buttermilk and I let it chill overnight in the refrigerator. The next day I took the chicken out an hour before I started cooking and I dredged it in the flour and cornstarch with salt and pepper to taste while I let the vegetable oil heat up. You are so right, frying chicken is such a mess! Where I really made a mess was I filled up the skillet too far with oil, so when I added the chicken pieces, the oil bubbled over and went everywhere! And definitely I agree with letting the chicken cool off on a baking rack with a large cookie sheet underneath, not directly on paper towels because then it could ruin the nice crispy crust! I also used a food thermometer to make sure the chicken reached 165 degrees inside (I didn’t want to take any chances here). I can’t wait to try yours with the cream of chicken soup, I bet it will be delicious! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Monique! Yes, definitely one of the messiest kitchen projects, haha! But so worth it when it turns out! Yours sounds like it turned out amazing too!
My husband loves fried chicken and I never seem to get it right. Can’t wait to try this.
Bev
If adding more flour and cornstarch, should we add more of the spices too?
Hi April! I definitely would, to make sure it’s full of flavor. Good luck!
Do I add water to my soup. . or leave it thick out of can?
You do not need to add water. Good luck! 🙂
Tried your recipe and it turned out amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Great! I’m so glad you had success too 🙂
Tried this and my kids loved it!
Awesome! It is a favorite dinner treat in our house too!
So glad to see a reply from someone who actually made it…any tips or hints that may help me when I try this? Sometimes after making it you figure out a “trick ” or way to do it better or easier next time for better results…I can’t wait to try. Did u use a thermometer for oil ? If so what temp did u fry it on?
I was googling what to do with the 1 cup of cream of chicken soup in my pantry, and this recipe has just saved my dinner!!!
Love your site!
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YUM! Looks delish! I’m pinning this! I love fried chicken!! My husband is the chef at our house so hopefully he’ll make this for us!!
I agree with Amber! That looks fabulous! In all my years in the kitchen, fried chicken is the one thing I have never been able to master, so I will definitely give this a try~ Thanks for sharing! Kelly xoxo
That looks delicious! I’m going to have to try that! Thanks for posting!