Category: Fried Food

  • Country Fried Chicken

    Country Fried Chicken

    Serve this delicious Country Fried Chicken with your favorite sides for dinner this week or this weekend. This is a family favorite!

    country fried chicken

    My kids love chicken tenders.  Of course they like to eat them at restaurants, and while it’s nice for someone else to cook, it is often expensive to feed three kids chicken tender baskets when going out to eat. 

    I decided to try the next best thing and make them at home. 

    I used chicken thighs because I prefer the taste and moisture of dark meat chicken.  For this recipe, I did not cut the thighs to resemble chicken tenders or nuggets, but if you’d like you can also cut the chicken into smaller pieces. 

    You can also use boneless skinless breasts, or even use this recipe for bone in chicken to make the classic fried chicken. 

    Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy

    Oven Baked Chicken Wings

    Chicken Wings 3 Ways: Dry Rub, Buffalo, and Caribbean Jerk

    For the adults, you can serve the country fried chicken with vegetables for a great Sunday meal, or you can place the fried chicken on a bun with lettuce and tomato for an easy chicken sandwich. 

    As you can see, this is a very versatile recipe. Moreover, it is a pleaser for the entire family, and it is a huge money saver.

    The very best part of this dish though was that after I fed the first few pieces to my wife and kids they wanted more! I was able to make a delicious restaurant quality dish for my entire family for a fraction of the cost.

    This is also a great dish for parties.  I love to watch any sporting event, and with the big game on the horizon, this is a great way to make crowd pleasing food for lots of people for not a lot of money. 

    Finally, even if you make too much, the leftovers are just as good the next day, and this dish makes a great food that you can toss into your kiddos lunchbox on Monday morning.

    Country Fried Chicken

    Ingredients:

    • boneless skinless chicken thighs
    • half gallon of buttermilk
    • hot sauce
    • 1.5 cups all purpose flour
    • 1 tsp. pepper
    • 1 tsp. salt
    • 1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
    • 1 tsp. paprika
    • 1 tsp. garlic powder
    • 1 egg
    • 2 quarts cooking oil

    Directions:

    In a large bowl, add all chicken.

    raw chicken thighs in a bowl

    Pour enough buttermilk to cover the chicken.

    Add liberal dashes of your favorite hot sauce. 

    Mix well to coat chicken with buttermilk and hot sauce mix and if able have all chicken submerged. 

    buttermilk and hot sauce mixture
    raw chicken thighs in a mixing bowl of buttermilk

    Marinate for at least 4 hours covered in a refrigerator.

    Pre-heat 2 quarts of cooking oil to 350 degrees in a deep frying pot to avoid splatter.

    While oil is heating, mix flour and spices together well. 

    spices and flour in a mixing bowl
    spice and flour mixture
    country fried chicken ingredients

    Remove chicken, and coat each piece with the flour mixture. 

    dipping chicken in flour
    country fried chicken batter

    Once the oil is up to temperature, gently place each chicken piece in the hot oil. 

    heating up oil in a frying pan

    Only fry 2 pieces of chicken at a time to ensure even cooking, and to keep the oil temperature at 350. 

    frying chicken in a frying pan

    After 4-5 minutes, flip each piece of chicken to ensure even cooking. 

    After another 4-5 minutes, the chicken should be golden brown and crispy. 

    frying chicken in a pan
    country fried chicken

    Remove the chicken and let cool. Serve with one of my yummy side dishes!

    Country Fried Chicken

    Country Fried Chicken

    Ingredients

    • Boneless and Skinless Chicken Thighs
    • Half gallon or buttermilk
    • Hot sauce
    • 1.5 cups All purpose flour
    • 1 tsp Pepper
    • 1 tsp Salt
    • 1 tsp Cayenne
    • 1 tsp Paprika
    • 1 tsp Garlic powder
    • 1 egg
    • 2 quarts cooking oil

    Instructions

    In a large bowl, add all chicken, and then pour enough butter milk to cover. 

    Add liberal dashes of your favorite hot sauce. 

    Mix well to coat chicken with buttermilk and hot sauce mix and if able have all chicken submerged. 

    Marinate for at least 4 hours covered in a refrigerator.

    Pre-heat 2 quarts of cooking oil to 350 degrees in a deep pot to avoid splatter.

    While oil is heating, mix flour and spices together well.  Remove chicken, and coat each piece with the flour mixture. 

    Once the oil is up to temperature, gently place each chicken piece in the hot oil. 

    Only fry 2 pieces of chicken at a time to ensure even cooking, and to keep the oil temperature at 350. 

    After 4-5 minutes, flip each piece of chicken to ensure even cooking. 

    After another 4-5 minutes, the chicken should be golden brown and crispy. 

    Remove the chicken and let cool.



  • Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy

    Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy

    This Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy recipe is a delicious option for your family! Serve with your favorite tasty side dish.

    Chicken Fried Steak

    Texans love chicken fried steak! It’s a meal that is enjoyed often when folks go out to eat, but I like to see if I can make restaurant favorites better in my own home. 

    When I was in college, I worked as a short order cook, and one of the dishes I liked making most was chicken fried steak. It was relatively easy to make, and it is the quintessential Texas dish. 

    There is lots to like about chicken fried steak! Obviously you eat it like a steak with a fork and knife, but you also get the crispy breading of fried foods.  The meat is also tender, and the simple seasoning makes you feel like a cattle baron sitting down for a gourmet, home-made meal! 

    Try my Country Fried Chicken, too!

    Making steaks this week? Try my Steak Seasoning.

    My family also likes to eat quick-fix chicken fried steaks, so I wanted to see if they would like my home made take on a family favorite as well.  Turns out my wife and kids loved the dish just as much as I did. 

    Finally, I wanted to make this recipe unique so I substituted some different ingredients from what I traditionally used as a short order cook in college. 

    For the “drink” part of the batter, restaurants and cooks usually use buttermilk or a milk and egg mixture before putting the steak into a dry mix or “dredge.” I went with something non-traditional, which I call the kegs and eggs mix. 

    What Does Dredge Mean When Cooking?

    For this recipe, when I talk about “dredge,” it means to coat in flour.

    I know that beer batter is a typical seafood staple, and I know that the beer batter is usually light and crispy.  Additionally, I gave my chicken fried steak a double dredge, which means that I did a dry-wet-dry batter before pan frying in a shallow layer of oil.  This is not typical for restaurant made chicken fried steaks, which are usually deep fried. 

    This was a fun and quick experience too, and at the end we were left with a unique chicken fried steak that tasted great and was easy to make.

    Side Dishes for Chicken Fried Steak

    Side dishes that go well with chicken fried steak include mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, fried okra, and more! Check out recipes below:

    Side Dishes for Chicken Fried Steak

    Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy

    Ingredients:

    • 6 cube steaks
    • 1 tsp. of each salt and pepper
    • 1.5 cups all purpose flour
    • 1 can of beer
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 tsp. paprika
    • 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
    • 1 tsp. garlic powder
    • vegetable oil

    Ingredients for Gravy:

    • vegetable oil
    • all purpose flour
    • ground cayenne red pepper
    • 1 cup milk

    Directions:

    Pre-heat a thin layer of oil in a large frying pan.

    In a small mixing bowl, pour 6 oz. (half a can) of beer and add 2 eggs.  Stir or whisk together.

    beer and eggs
    beer and eggs mixture

    In a flat bottom plate or dish add 1.5 cups of flour and add paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Mix well.

    seasonings in a bowl
    seasonings in flour

    Salt and pepper the cube steaks.

    cube steaks on a plate
    flour and seasoning
    steak mixure

    Dredge the cube steaks in the flour mixture first.

    cube steak in flour

    Next dip the dredged cube steak into the beer and eggs mixture.

    cube steak in egg mixture

    Finally, give the steak a final dredge before placing it into the hot oil.

    cube steak with flour
    cube steaks with flour

    Cook 5 minutes each side until golden brown and crispy.

    steaks in oil frying
    chicken fried steaks in a frying pan
    chicken fried steaks

    Once all of the steaks are done, add enough flour to turn the remaining oil and flour mixture into a peanut butter like paste consistency. 

    homemade gravy

    Next add 1 cup of milk.  Add additional milk or water as necessary until gravy consistency is to your liking. Add salt and pepper to taste.

    homemade gravy

    Serve with your favorite side dish like mashed potatoes!

    chicken fried steak and gravy with mashed potatoes

    Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy

    Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy

    Ingredients

    • 6 cube steaks
    • Salt and pepper
    • 1.5 cups all purpose flour
    • 1 can of beer
    • 2 eggs
    • Tsp Paprika
    • Tsp Cayenne Pepper
    • Tsp Salt
    • Tsp Pepper
    • Tsp Garlic Powder
    • Ingredients for Gravy:
    • Oil
    • All Purpose Flour
    • Cayenne
    • Milk

    Instructions

    Pre heat a thin layer of oil in a large frying pan.

    In a small bowl, pour 6 oz (half a can) of beer and add 2 eggs.  Mix well.

    In a flat bottom plate or dish add 1.5 cups of flour and add Paprika, Cayenne Pepper, Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder.  Mix well.

    Salt and Pepper the Cube steaks.

    Dredge the cube steaks in the flour mixture first.

    Next, dip the dredged cube steak into the beer and eggs mixture.

    Finally, give the steak a final dredge before placing it into the hot oil.

    Cook 5 minutes each side until golden brown and crispy.

    Once all of the steaks are done, add enough flour to turn the remaining oil and flour mixture into a peanut butter like paste consistency.  Next add 1 cup of milk.  Add additional milk or water as necessary until gravy consistency is to your liking. Add salt and pepper to taste.



  • How to Deep Fry A Turkey

    Are you planning to deep fry your holiday turkey this year? Read these tips for How to Deep Fry A Turkey!

    How to Deep Fry A Turkey

    Deep-fried turkey is a longtime tradition in the Southern United States.

    This traditional method has been growing in popularity in other parts of the country. This may be due to how quickly you can cook your holiday bird, but with that speed comes some safety issues.

    Tips for Roasting a Turkey

    How to Cook a Frozen Turkey

    Things to Make With Leftover Turkey

    Here are some tips to keep you and your family safe while allowing you to enjoy a moist, delicious turkey in under an hour.

    How to Deep Fry A Turkey

    Proper Preparation of the Turkey

    Your turkey needs to be thoroughly defrosted before cooking. Defrosting your turkey in the refrigerator will ensure harmful bacteria aren’t produced. Allow 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey, and be sure that your refrigerator is set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Buy a turkey that is the right size for your fryer. Most turkey fryers cannot hold a turkey over 16 pounds. These limits are listed in your turkey fryers instruction manual. If your turkey is too large for your fryer, it can lead to oil spillage or undercooked meat.

    If you are soaking your turkey in a brine solution before cooking, pat it dry and let it sit for 30 minutes before cooking. Remove the neck and gizzards from your bird as well as any plastic bindings or pop-up thermometer. Do not stuff your turkey; your stuffing will need to be prepared separately.

    Turkey Frying Equipment

    Choosing the right turkey fryer is a matter of taste. There are now oil-less infrared and electric turkey fryers on the market. These are considered safer than the traditional propane turkey fryers since they can keep the oil at a safe temperature.

    If you opt for a propane turkey fryer, you can either purchase a kit or buy your components separately. If you’re just starting out, a turkey frying kit will be your best choice. In your kit, you’ll usually get a burner stand unit, a turkey lifter, a poultry rack, a stockpot, and a thermometer. The only thing you’ll need is a propane tank.

    For safety and to avoid burns, you’ll also need a pair of long, heavy oven mitts or a pair of fireplace gloves, a heavy apron, safety glasses, and most importantly, an ABC fire extinguisher.

    Safely Frying the Turkey

    Place your turkey fryer away from your home, deck, or any building structures. Also, put it on a flat surface. Make sure to keep children and pets away from the turkey fryer and never leave it unattended.

    Most manufacturers recommend using peanut oil to fry your turkey because it has a higher flash point which reduces the risk of an oil fire.

    Which Oil is Best to Use When Cooking

    To determine how much oil you need, after the turkey has thawed, put it on the poultry rack and put it in the empty stockpot. Fill the stockpot with water to cover the entire bird. Remove the turkey and rack and measure the water, do not use any more than this amount of oil. This is an essential step to ensure you don’t overfill your pot with oil which can cause a grease fire.

    The optimum frying temperature for a turkey is 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn the flame off before slowly lowering the turkey into the oil. By turning off the gas, you ensure none of the oil will accidentally hit the open flame.

    Allow your turkey to cook for 3 ½ minutes per pound. When the turkey is done, turn off the fire before carefully removing the turkey from the stockpot. Allow the excess oil to drip off into the stockpot, and let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.

    As you can see, there’s not much to frying a turkey. By following these tips and playing it safe, you can enjoy this southern favorite not just during the holidays but all year long.

    More Turkey Tips:

    How to Cook A Frozen Turkey

    Tips for Roasting A Turkey

    Best Wines to Drink With Turkey

    Things to Make With Leftover Turkey