Chicken Fried Chicken with Country Gravy is a true family favorite! Crisp, breaded chicken smothered in a spicy, creamy gravy. Dinner never looked or tasted so good!
Chicken Fried Chicken Recipe
This is one of my favorite comfort meals! This chicken fried chicken, also known as ‘country fried chicken’ is crisp and juicy, the gravy creamy and spicy. Ah, this meal just makes me feel happy. You will love the warm and spicy seasonings in this recipe – paprika, black pepper, garlic, and just a little cayenne. We serve this dish with a big scoop of our Perfect Mashed Potatoes, or Mac and Cheese, and whatever vegetable we happen to have on hand. No matter what, this down home dinner is a family favorite comfort food, and one of our most requested recipes!
Recipe Tips
- One thing I love about this recipe is you don’t have to cook it for as long as you would have to cook 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 meat mallet until the breasts are about a half inch thick and they’ll cook up in no time!
- I like to use a cast iron skillet for this recipe. I think it produces the best crispy outside.
- 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 a white gravy that 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 of the pan with a little chicken broth and then whisk in all purpose flour and bring to a boil. The whole mixture will thicken up and become a creamy, hearty gravy that is to die for!
FAQ
Fried chicken is usually made with whole, bone-in chicken pieces. Chicken fried chicken is boneless, skinless chicken pounded thin and breaded then fried. It is a callback to chicken fried steak.
If you want that perfect golden brown crispy crust you have to pay attention to your oil heat. When the oil is too hot, it will burn the outside before the inside is cooked. If your oil isn’t hot enough, the chicken will become laden with oil and will be soggy. You’ll know the oil is hot enough when it is shiny, but not smoking. The chicken should start frying right away when you place it in the pan.
If you are cooking in a smaller pan and have to do multiple batches, put the cooked chicken in the oven on warm while you make the other batches. To keep them crispy, place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and put the chicken on top. However, if you are only doing one batch, just transfer the finished pieces to a paper towel lined plate.
More 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:
Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken 
Honey BBQ Chicken 
Malibu Chicken
- Top 10 Best Chicken Recipes of 2019
- Best Chicken Breast Recipes
- Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken
- Grilled Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken
- Honey BBQ Chicken
- Malibu Chicken
Chicken Fried Chicken with Country Gravy
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 You can use peanut oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil
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 pie plate or shallow bowl, 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 ¼ 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
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My husbands favorite! I add 2 teaspoons of baking powder to the flour mix to help crisp up the coating. Also, just a fun fact I learned , to help me you know when the oil is ready for frying the chicken, put the end of a wooden spoon ,or chopstick, into the oil, it should bubble moderately at the correct temp, excessive bubbling means it is to hot, no bubbles to cool.
I like the way you show the video and help me with the ingredients
Could you use the left over buttermilk for the gravey?
I don’t like to use the leftover buttermilk because its been sitting with raw chicken.
I love this recipe. Every time my sister in law comes over I ask her what she wants for dinner and she says Chicken fried Chicken.
My family and I love this recipe
This was d*mn good dare I say even better then Texas roadhouse? Yes it was great and easy !!
Fantastic! This was such an easy and delicious meal. I have to admit, I was nervous to try it but I am so glad I did.. the chicken was juicy and tender inside and crispy outside. Mashed potatoes and gravy and sautéed zucchini with onions and green chiles, and a biscuit to top it off. My family loved it. I definitely recommend this recipe.
Can you use low-fat buttermilk it’s all I could find ?
Thank you
I haven’t tried it that way! Let us know how it turns out if you try it!
Sure, it’s often all that’s available, and works just fine.
This recipe came out amazing..My family also loves chicken thighs..can it be used with boneless, skinless thighs, also??
I haven’t tried it that way, but I think it would! Sounds yummy!
This is a family favorite!! It’s such a comforting meal..it’s nice & crispy & the gravy is amazing!