Name: Chicken Fried Chicken with Country Gravy
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts (halved); 2 cups buttermilk; 3 eggs; 1/2 cup milk; 2 cups flour; 1 tablespoon paprika; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more if you like spicy); 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder; salt and pepper to taste; oil for frying; 1/4 cup reserved pan drippings; 4 tablespoons reserved flour mixture; 2 cups chicken broth (or stock); 1/2 cup milk; salt and pepper (to taste)

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Chicken Fried Chicken with Country Gravy is a true family favorite! Crisp fried chicken smothered in a spicy, creamy gravy. Dinner never looked or tasted so good!

Chicken Fried Chicken

This is one of my favorite comfort meals! The chicken is crisp and juicy, the gravy creamy and spicy. Ah, this meal just makes me feel happy. We serve this dish with a big scoop of our Perfect Mashed Potatoes and whatever vegetable we happen to have on hand. No matter what, this down home dinner is a family favorite and one of our most requested recipes!

Tips for the Perfect Chicken Fried Chicken

This chicken recipe really isn’t that different from regular fried chicken. The method of breading and frying are the same, but this meal is usually served with country gravy, just like chicken fried steak.
One thing I love about this recipe is you don’t have to fry it for as long as you would have to fry whole chicken pieces. It only takes a few short minutes on each side to cook these chicken pieces all the way through. Make sure to butterfly (slice in half) large chicken breasts or pound them with a mallet until the breasts are about a half inch thick and they’ll cook up in no time!
Marinate or soak your chicken in the buttermilk mixture outlined in the recipe card below for at least three hours, preferably overnight. This ensures your chicken is full of tenderness and flavor.
This Chicken Fried Chicken tastes delicious with fresh or frozen corn (check out how to cook frozen corn the right way, green beans or peas, as well as a side salad. But you could add a side of asparagus, broccoli, our Oven Roasted Vegetables.

Homemade Country Gravy

Country gravy is really simple to make! No need to buy those powdered packets from the store. Use the drippings and excess breading from your frying pan, that’s where the good stuff is! Scrape all those brown bits off the pan with a little chicken broth and then whisk in flour and bring to a boil. The whole mixture will thicken up and become a creamy, hearty gravy that is to die for!

More Favorite Chicken Recipes

Chicken is what’s for dinner! Versatile and inexpensive, ordinary chicken can be turned into something extraordinary with just a few simple ingredients and some imagination. Here are some more of our favorite chicken recipes:

How to Make Chicken Fried Chicken with Country Gravy

Chicken fried chicken on a plate with gravy

Chicken Fried Chicken with Country Gravy

4.89 from 27 votes

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Chicken Fried Chicken with Country Gravy is a true family favorite! Crisp fried chicken smothered in a spicy, creamy gravy. Dinner never looked or tasted so good!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Serves:

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts halved
2 cups buttermilk
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more if you like spicy
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

For the gravy:

1/4 cup reserved pan drippings
4 tablespoons reserved flour mixture
2 cups chicken broth or stock
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Pound each chicken breast half flat so it is even in thickness, do this carefully, you want it flat but not so thin that it tear (each chicken piece should be about the size of your hand or slightly smaller).
Place chicken pieces in a gallon-sized Ziploc back and pour buttermilk over. Press as much air as you can out of the bag, seal, and place in refrigerator for at least 3 hours (or overnight).
In a shallow dish, whisk together eggs and milk, set aside.
In a separate shallow dish combine flour, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Stir until well combined and then remove about 4 Tbsp. of the dry mixture and set aside (this will be used for the gravy later).
Remove chicken from Ziploc, shake off excess buttermilk, and dredge each piece evenly with four mixture. Once coated with flour, lightly shake off excess, dip in egg/milk mixture, then place in back in flour mixture, giving it a double coating of flour.
Set chicken aside on a platter or on wax paper until ready to fry.
Add oil to a large skillet until it is about 1/4-inch full. Heat oil on medium-high heat until it reaches 350-degrees.
Add each piece of chicken to the oil without overcrowding (you may have to do this in batches) for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through and crispy and golden on the outside. Place cooked chicken on a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet to catch excess oil. Place in warm oven (about 200-degrees) to keep warm until the rest of the chicken is done and you are ready to serve.

For the gravy:

Drain off all but about 1/4 c. of the oil from the pan. Whisk reserved flour mixture into the oil until the four has absorbed the oil. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Whisk constantly and reduce heat to a simmer. Once the gravy starts to thicken, slowly add milk (you may not need all of it) to thin to desired consistency, whisking constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over chicken.

Notes

The 3+ hours it takes to marinate the chicken in buttermilk is not included in the preparation time of this recipe. Please plan accordingly.

Recipe Video

Nutrition

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

chicken fried chicken