Country Fried Chicken: The Ultimate Comfort Food with Gravy
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 100 min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 348 kcal
- Carbs
- 14.00 g
Ingredients
- 4 piecesboneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1.5 cupsvegetable oil
- 2 cupsbuttermilk (see notes for substitutions)
- 2 largeeggs, whisked
- 3 teaspoonssalt
- 1.5 cupsall-purpose flour
- 0.5 cupsplain or Italian breadcrumbs
- 2.5 teaspoonsseasoned salt
- 0.75 teaspoonpaprika
- 0.5 teaspooncayenne pepper
- 1.5 teaspoonsblack pepper
Instructions
- 1
Wrap each chicken breast in saran wrap and pound it flat to about 1/2 inch thick using a meat tenderizer.
- 2
Pat the chicken dry. Combine the whisked eggs, salt, and buttermilk, then add the chicken and marinate for 1-2 hours, or up to overnight. The longer it marinates, the more tender it becomes.
- 3
Allow the chicken to sit at room temperature for 25-30 minutes before frying.
- 4
Transfer the marinated chicken to the breading mix, flipping it several times to ensure it's completely coated and dry.
- 5
Avoid breading all the chicken simultaneously; prepare each piece just before frying.
- 6
Heat enough oil in a skillet to cover the chicken halfway until it reaches 350°. A cast iron skillet is recommended for optimal frying.
- 7
Carefully add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, flipping it delicately with a thin spatula once the edges begin to brown.
- 8
Once both sides are browned, transfer the chicken to a wire cooling rack to let excess oil drip off, preventing sogginess.
- 9
Repeat the process for all chicken breasts and serve with cornbread, mashed potatoes, and chicken gravy or brown gravy.