Extra Crunchy Fried Chicken

Fried chicken is a comfort food that a lot of people choose to eat at fast food places or at restaurants rather than at home. With this recipe, there is no reason to have fast, fake food when you can make this with real food at home. Granted it is a fried food and not something that anyone needs to be eating on a regular basis, but I would much rather that my family eat my fried chicken AT HOME than fried chicken out and about. Who knows, and you probably don't want to know, what kind of ingredients make up a fast food fried chicken meal.

Me? I know EXACTLY what goes into mine. I tend to always serve my fried chicken with mashed potatoes, green beans, biscuits and cream gravy. And since frying chicken takes a fair amount of lard, you may want to double the recipe so you can have leftovers. I like to fry chicken before we go camping, so we can take some with us cold to eat for lunch or dinner on the day we get there and are setting up.

Fried chicken is perfect for picnics, lunches, eating out of the fridge at midnight and for full on Sunday dinners with the whole family. This recipe is slightly spicy and very well seasoned. Since this is Fat Tuesday, what better day to share something fried, no? YES!!

Spicy Fried Chicken 

• 1/2 cup water
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup hot sauce (I like Franks Red Hot)
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces or equal amounts of chicken pieces
• Oil for frying (I use lard)

In a bowl, beat the eggs and the water. Add in the hot sauce and stir well; set aside. In a plastic zip top bag add the flour, pepper, paprika, cayenne, garlic and salt. Zip closed and shake well; set aside. Heat your oil to 325 degrees in a deep cast iron chicken fryer, or skillet, filling no more than 1/2 full. Place a couple of pieces of chicken in the flour mixture and shake to cover. Remove from flour, dip in egg/hot sauce mix and return to the flour. Shake off excess flour and set on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining pieces of chicken. Fry until golden brown and completely done (it should read 165 degrees in the thickest part). Let drain on a paper bag lined cookie sheet or on a cookie cooling rack. Makes 8 pieces. 

It might take a few extra steps, but frying chicken is no more complicated than any other recipe. And, oh boy, is it ever good!

Do you need more Chicken Main Dish inspiration? You can check out my Pinterest Board to see a ton more ideas I have pinned! 

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