A Country Fried Chicken Recipe like the Ninety-Nine Restaurant! It’s what my children call “The Big Dinner” and believe me, it’s a highly requested dish! Buttermilk-Breaded Chicken Breasts are topped with Country gravy and served with a side of mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and a warm honey-glazed biscuit. All made from scratch but so worth every bite! This boneless fried chicken (aka Chicken-fried Steak) recipe will surely impress!
Enjoy Southern-Style fried chicken recipes? Try our other old-fashioned comfort food classics like our Freezer Mashed Potatoes, Crispy Chicken Tenders, or Buttermilk Biscuits!
Country Fried Chicken
My children call this “the big dinner.” It’s seriously the tastiest way to serve fried chicken and happens to be on rotation for family favorite dinners. I love it so much I wouldn’t mind making all of it from scratch! But, if you take a few shortcuts like making my freezer mashed potatoes, a big batch of freezer biscuits, and our 5-minute Craisin cranberry sauce, then the chicken and gravy would be all the work that you would need to do, (which by the way freezes well too!) Dinner is a breeze if you can get that down but I’m usually whipping this up all from scratch the same day because food around here goes quick!
Of course, this whole chicken dinner was inspired by my favorite chicken dish served at the Ninety-Nine Restaurant. It’s no surprise if you’ll think it was one of the best country fried chicken entrees that you’ve had! The combination of sides is just superb! I mean how could you go wrong with mashed potatoes, corn, a honey-glazed biscuit, and tasty country gravy with a side of cranberry sauce?! All of which you can make from home and serve to a crowd! Everything on the plate plays a tasty role in making this fried chicken even better and gravy is a must!
The secret to the Fried Chicken Breading:
I’ve made different fried chicken recipes, so I know what it’s like to get a dull crust. After combining the best of my fried chicken knowledge like using sugar in my breading, a wet batter to bind the coating (the thicker the better), some leavening (as seen in my Popeyes Chicken recipe, ) and some breading skills, I’ve come to realize fried chicken is pretty easy to ace. Furthermore, it’s important to flavor your breading right and not be intimidated by adding a lot of spices, after all, it is diluted in all that flour.
Some spices that really boost the flavor in the chicken are ground white pepper and seasoned salt. Besides, spice blends like seasoned salt already have a bunch of spices in them so those are always great to use. As a result, you do want to be careful about how much dark spices you use like paprika as that will create a deeper brown crust once fried, which is contrary to the golden-brown crust you see in some fried chicken chains.
To achieve that desired shaggy skin-on chicken, press the coating into the chicken breast multiple times flipping and pressing the flour into the meat. Having some bits from the batter residue helps the chicken create little bits and lumps. If you need to give the flour a jump start to those bits, drizzling some wet batter into the seasoned flour helps create little lumps without dredging a batch of chicken.
Need a quick shortcut? You could also use a breading shortcut like seasoning a Bisquick or Pancake mix. Since both have leavening it’s easy to just add spices then coat and fry.
FAQ:
What Is Country Fried Chicken?
Country fried chicken is the pan-fried version of Country Fried Steak (CFS), but made from chicken. This fried chicken dish is breaded with seasoned flour and then fried to doneness. Since beef is a tougher cut the steak is typically tenderized and deep-fried in order to cook down. However, chicken breasts are quicker to cook hence the cooking techniques. It is one of America’s comfort food that was big in the South where meat production was popular.
Ideally, once the chicken was removed from the greasy pan, it was an easy way to make the gravy from the residue of the chicken crust. Today many restaurants use pre-packaged gravy to quicken the preparation however, it’s nothing hard to make from scratch. As a result, many Fried Chicken recipes are commonly served with a side of potatoes (mashed potatoes for cutlets), and a vegetable.
Restaurants such as Ninety-nine serve their Country Fried Chicken with gravy, Russet mashed potatoes, corn, and a warmed honey-glazed biscuit. The inspiration to recreate this recipe came from my favorite entree at Ninety-nine!
For more information on Country Fried Steak, German schnitzel, (similar) or Scottish collops visit Wiki.
Ingredients for the Wet Batter:
- Buttermilk
- baking soda (meat tenderizer)
Breading:
- all-purpose flour
- cornstarch
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- baking soda
- cayenne pepper
- seasoned salt
- salt
- black pepper
- white pepper
- paprika
- granulated sugar
Gravy:
- spices
- cornstarch
- fat (shortening)
- flour
- dry milk
- water
How To Make Country Fried Chicken from Scratch:
- Slice each chicken bread in half lengthwise (or pound thin with a meat mallet.)
- Make the chicken tenderizer by combing the buttermilk and baking soda together. Marinade the chicken for 10 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl; whisk together the breading ingredients and add the marinated chicken breasts.
- Press the seasoned flour into the chicken and toss in the flour pressing and patting breading into the chicken until all the creases are coated. Lightly shake off any excess flour and repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
- Fry in a few inches of oil until crispy or until the thermometer reads 165°F.
- Transfer to a wire rack and keep warm in the oven while the remainder chicken cooks. This also prevents cold and soggy chicken.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, corn, cranberry sauce, and buttermilk biscuits.
Country Fried Chicken vs Country Fried Steak?
Country fried steak (also known as Chicken Fried Steak) is breaded and deep-fried beef, whereas Country Fried Chicken is pan-fried chicken. Either poultry selections are dredged in seasoned flour to create crispy meat and also, vary in gravy. Some variations are covered in brown gravy or peppery white gravy.
How To Get Crispy Chicken Skin?
To achieve that desired shaggy skin-on chicken, press the coating into the chicken breast multiple times flipping and pressing the flour into the meat. Having some bits from the batter residue helps the chicken create little bits and lumps. If you need to give the flour a jump start to those bits, drizzling some wet batter into the seasoned flour helps create little lumps without dredging a batch of chicken.
Is Soaking Chicken in Buttermilk needed?
- Buttermilk is not the only way to marinate chicken! However, since this fried chicken recipe calls for baking soda (also known as a meat tenderizer) I like to quench the bitterness with something acidic like buttermilk. Cultured buttermilk is usually thick and creamy which is also a better alternative to milk since milk is much thinner.
- Acidic ingredients also help break down the meat better. I’ve been using baking soda as a meat tenderizer for some time now and love how tender and quick it makes chicken! Buttermilk or vinegar is always a good idea to quench the bitterness coming from the baking soda which is far stronger than baking powder.
- A thicker batter helps the breading stick to the chicken and since buttermilk is typically on the thicker side it’s a better option than milk unless you’re using eggs.
If you have some buttermilk use it. However, it’s not the only way to make fried chicken.
How to Make Chicken Meat Tender Quickly?
The best way to tenderize chicken breasts is to start with thinner chicken breasts and use my secret meat tenderizer, by adding baking soda! You can pound or slice the chicken breasts if you wish but stick to about 1/4″ thickness.
Once you have the desired thickness, simply marinate in 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 cup of buttermilk. All you need is 10 minutes to marinade and you’re ready to bread and fry your chicken breasts! No more soaking for hours or overnight with baking soda!
The thinner chicken cooks evenly and fast. Keep in mind chicken also plumps up when it’s cooking so don’t stress if it looks thin. Besides, restaurants chicken is typically on the thinner side and is usually a decent serving with different sides.
Buttermilk Substitutes:
The Best substitute for buttermilk is to mix 2 Tablespoons of vinegar (or juice of a lemon or lime) for each cup of milk. Sour cream and yogurt can also be incorporated with a splash of milk to make it smoother for dipping chicken.
What To Serve With Country Fried Chicken:
How to Store Fried Chicken:
If you get any leftovers pop them into an airtight container and keep them refrigerated for up to 3 days.
To reheat, microwave, or warm in the oven until hot.
Can freeze up to 3 months.
Tools To Use:
- Deep Pot to fry chicken in so oil doesn’t splatter.
- Baking Soda (Meat Tenderizer)
- Mixing bowl to bread chicken well
- Wire Cooling Racks to keep fried chicken warm in the oven and prevent soggy bottoms
- Kitchen Tongs to remove chicken from grease
Tips For Making Fried Chicken:
- Drizzle wet batter into the seasoned flour to get shaggy skin on your chicken.
- Start with thinner chicken breasts by slicing in half or pounding meat thin. The chicken cooks faster this way.
- Use the spices listed to a Bisquick or Pancake mix for the dry ingredients.
- Make a quick honey glaze for biscuits by combining 2 Tablespoons of melted butter and 1 teaspoon of honey.
Fried Chicken Recipes to Love:
- Popeyes Chicken Sandwiches
- Boneless Chicken Wings
- Crispy Chicken Tenders
- Gloria Chicken Casserole (with Homemade Gravy)
How to make Country Fried Chicken with Gravy:
Country Fried Chicken with Gravy (99 Copycat)
Equipment
- Pot or deep frying pan
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken breasts (2 1/2 lbs)
- 1 cup peanut oil for frying
Buttermilk Tenderizer:
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp baking soda
Breading:
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 Tbsp seasoned salt
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 Tbsp sugar
Country Gravy
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and white pepper
- 2 Tbsp dry milk
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup oil
Instructions
How to make Country Fried Chicken
- Cut each chicken breast in half; pound thin if needed.
- Mix together the buttermilk tenderizer and marinade chicken for 10 minutes. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Combine breading ingredients into a large bowl. Add chicken pieces a few at a time and toss and press into the chicken to coat well. Shake off any excess flour and finish coating the remaining chicken.
- Fry chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side or until done. Keep warm in the oven until the remaining chicken is finished frying.
How to make Country Gravy
- Combine the dry ingredients into a small saucepan (first 8 ingredients.) Slowly stir the water into the dry mix. Add the oil and bring the mixture to a boil.
Notes
- Honey-Glazed Biscuits: mix together 2 Tablespoons of melted butter and 1 teaspoon of honey; brush over warm biscuits.
- Serve with Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Biscuits, and 5-minute Cranberry Sauce.
- Shaggy Chicken Skin: Drizzle 2 tbsp of the buttermilk batter over the breading to create little bits and lumps.
Nutrition per serving
