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It’s time for a new comfort food meal! This is Chicken Fried Chicken with our homemade country gravy, also known as “Country Fried Chicken.” The chicken is breaded, fried, then smothered in a flavorful, creamy gravy.
You will love the warm and spicy seasonings in this recipe – paprika, black pepper, garlic, and just a little cayenne. This recipe is one of my favorites because it uses buttermilk mixture for marinating. This makes your chicken fried chicken extra crispy and light. Plus, the gravy is creamy and hearty, which makes every bite taste like heaven!
Ingredients in Chicken Fried Chicken
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – pounded thin and evenly for even frying
- Buttermilk – this helps to tenderize the chicken as well as give it a delicious flavor
- Dry mixture – flour, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. This makes the dry crispy coating for frying.
- Wet mixture – milk and eggs combined to make a coating for the dry mixture to stick to
- Oil for frying
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!
Recipe Tips
- One thing I love about this fried chicken 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 dish 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.
- You can also fry the chicken pieces in a deep fryer until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165-degrees.
- No buttermilk? No problem, just combine 2 cups of whole milk with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to get a similar flavor. It won’t be exactly like buttermilk but it’s a great substitute when you are in a pinch.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Chicken is best when it is soaked in buttermilk before frying. It tenderizes the chicken and gives it a delicious flavor. It is also great as a coating before dredging the chicken in breadcrumbs or any other dry mixture.
Tips and Reviews From Our Readers
We love getting tips and comments from our readers. We value your feedback and love hearing from you! You can read all the comments from our readers in the comment section below but here are a few of our favorites:
“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.”
-Kay
“This was d*mn good dare I say even better then Texas roadhouse? Yes it was great and easy !!”
-Bryson
“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.”
-Paula
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:
How to Make Chicken Fried Chicken
Chicken Fried Chicken with Country Gravy
Video
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
- 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 tablespoons of the dry mixture and set aside (this will be used for the gravy later).
- Remove chicken from Ziplock, shake off excess buttermilk, and dredge each piece evenly with flour 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 parchment 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.
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.
- No buttermilk? No problem, just combine 2 cups of whole milk with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to get a similar flavor. It won’t be exactly like buttermilk but it’s a great substitute when you are in a pinch.
- 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.
- You can also fry the chicken pieces in a deep fryer until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165-degrees.
This looks like pure comfort food! Such a great way for us to change up our normal chicken dinner routine, thanks!
This looks amazingly delicious, and so hearty! Thank you for the easy recipe
What did I do wrong? The breading fell off the chicken and was not crispy. ☹️
I am so sorry this didn’t turn out! Usually if breading falls off the chicken, its is because there was too much liquid on the chicken when you add the breading. In step 3 where it says to shake off excess buttermilk, that is a really important step. There should just be enough liquid to attach the breading, but not so much that it slips off.
I have made this recipe several times before and am going to make it again tonight for dinner. This is so good and easy to make I just wanted to let you know. Thank you for sharing.
Could this chicken fried chicken recipe be prepared and frozen for future use (using fresh chicken breasts)?
I haven’t tried freezing it before so I’m not sure! Let us know how it turns out if you try it!
Very yummy! Instructions were easy to follow and it made for a delicious dinner for my family. I now have this saved as my go-to Chicken Fried Chicken recipe.
This recipe is so delicious! First time attempting chicken fried chicken and everything came out so good! The gravy was really good! We didn’t have buttermilk, so I saw a comment using milk and lemon. The chicken came out so juicy! Will keep this recipe forever! Thank you!
Oh man, my mouth is watering – This looks like the perfect thing to make for dinner tonight!
Gave this a try for dinner last night and it didn’t disappoint! Easily, a new favorite recipe in my home; the whole family loved it!
WOW! This is incredibly delicious!! The perfect weeknight dinner!
Do you have a recipe for chicken fried chicken from Rock Bottom Bar and Grill
We don’t, I haven’t been there before. What’s it like?
Amazing. Great flavor and a little crispy, perfect. My husband prefers fried chicken without bones, so this was a great way for us both to enjoy fried chicken. I’ve made it twice. The gravy turned out better the second time when I made sure to get every bit of brown bits on the bottom of the fry pan, in addition to the 1/4 cup oil. The brown bits definitely add to the flavor. Oh, also, I didn’t want to buy buttermilk so I looked up online how to make buttermilk, and I got two cups of regular milk and added 2 Tbsp. lemon juice and let it sit a few minutes. Turned out great. Wonderful recipe that I’ll definitely add to my regular rotation.
Fabulous! Yummy 😋!
This was amazing! I was super impressed. Turned out perfect.
This recipe was absolutely delicious! The chicken was super moist and it tasted very similar to Chick-Fil-A! The only changes I made were that I didn’t have time to marinate the chicken in the buttermilk so I substituted the buttermilk in for the plain milk that you mix with eggs to batter the chicken. I also used smoked paprika instead of regular.
How can I make the crust more crackly/craggily? My crust came out somewhat smooth.
Was your oil up to temperature when you added the chicken? If you put the chicken in too soon, before the oil is hot enough, it can mess up the texture of the crust. I hope this helps!
I like the very easy recipe, but how do you get the chicken really crispy? I double dredged in the egg and flower but the chicken wasn’t real crispy.
Did you shake off all the excess buttermilk? If the egg and flour mixture is too wet, it won’t crisp up right.
What is the best oil to use for frying? I have olive, canola and peanut…..should I get something else?
Canola or peanut would work best! I wouldn’t use olive oil for this recipe.
Just GREAT
I’m from Ottawa, Canada and must take my son to Popeye’s restaurant at least once every two weeks. Not no more. What a amazing dinner we enjoyed with this recipe.
Dianne
So glad to hear he (and you) like this recipe so much! It’s a always a “win” when we beat out a fast food place!
Hi
I’m making the your recipe Chicken Fried Chicken planned for tonight ‘s dinner. However, plans have changed and I’ll be making it tomorrow night. Is it a problem that I already marinated the chicken in buttermilk early this morning?
Thank you
Colleen
You should be fine, I think one more day won’t hurt. I know a lot of restaurants will marinade the chicken in buttermilk overnight so I am guessing you will be ok!