Old-fashioned fried chicken may be part of the perfect meal.
If you like home-style food, there's nothing better than old-fashioned fried chicken. Served with mashed potatoes and gravy, a healthy side dish of vegetables and maybe something sweet for dessert, it may be the perfect meal. But how long does it take to fry the chicken?
Function
Cut up a large fryer chicken into eight pieces--wings, breasts, thighs and legs--on a cutting board specifically used for meats. Wash and dry thoroughly. Soak the pieces in 2 cups buttermilk for at least six hours in the refrigerator before sprinkling with salt and pepper as well as about 1 ½ tsp garlic powder.
Pour 1½ cups of self-rising flour in a gallon sealable bag. Drop in the pieces two at a time, and shake until the chicken is well coated. Remove the pieces from the bag and shake off any excess flour.
Heat 2 cups peanut oil in a large skillet until it reaches 325 degrees. There should only be about an 1/8 of an inch of oil in the skillet. Depending on the size, you may need more or less oil for frying.
Add chicken, arranging the pieces in such a way that the thighs are toward the center of the skillet and the rest closer to the edge. Cook 10 to 12 minutes on each side, turning only once during the process.
Remove from oil and place on a cooling rack so any excess oil has a chance to drip off before serving. Place a cookie sheet under the rack to catch any grease. Place on a platter and serve.
Time Frame
It takes approximately 20 to 24 minutes to fry chicken--10 to 12 minutes per side. You should start with the skin side down and turn midway through cooking.
Identification
While it should take 20 to 24 minutes to fry the chicken, one of the best ways to tell when your chicken is done is to watch it closely. When it starts to get golden brown, your chicken is probably done, so keep an eye on your meal as you fry it.
Size
With larger chickens of around 3 lbs., it could take closer to 14 minutes per side to fry (28 to 30 minutes total). Again, watching closely and using a trusty thermometer are good ways of knowing when the chicken is truly done.
Expert Insight
If you have a meat thermometer, the internal temperature of the chicken should be 165 degrees for a breast and 180 degrees for a thigh. Pull a piece out of the oil and stick in the meat thermometer. It should take only a few seconds to register the temperature of the meat. If it needs more time, carefully place the chicken back in the oil and continue to heat another minute before checking again.
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