Chicken Fried Chicken Recipe (with Country Gravy)

When you’re craving comfort food to soothe and fill your belly, my chicken fried chicken recipe with country gravy is just what you’re looking for.

Just imagine tender, juicy chicken breasts seasoned to perfection, then pan-fried to a golden brown for a crispy, crunchy exterior that your whole family will love.

 

Our chicken fried chicken recipe with white country gravy is classic Southern comfort food at its best. Whether you serve it for dinner or breakfast, it’s sure to bring smiles to your dinner table.

If you love fried chicken, check out my Fried Chicken Tenders and my chicken version of authentic Wiener Schnitzel.

Ingredients

Gather the ingredients to prepare our chicken fried chicken recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”

Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.

What is Chicken Fried Chicken?

Chicken fried chicken is a Southern dish made from boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of chicken pieces. It is similar to chicken fried steak, which uses beef cube steak instead of chicken.

You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs to make this dish.

How to Make our Chicken Fried Chicken Recipe

Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make our chicken fried chicken recipe in your home kitchen.

• Trim the breasts of any fat or skin.
• Place them between two pieces of plastic wrap on a cutting board and pound them thin using a meat mallet.

• Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to a shallow bowl or plate.
• Mix well to combine the seasoned flour.
• Add the eggs and buttermilk to another shallow bowl.
• Whisk to combine the egg and buttermilk mixture.

I didn’t use onion powder in my flour mixture, but feel free to add some. If you like heat, add a little cayenne pepper.

• Place the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, completely coating the breast.
• Dip the floured breast in the egg mixture, coating it completely. Let the excess egg drip off.

• Dip the piece of chicken in the flour mixture a second time (shaking the excess flour off), getting a good coating of flour on the breast.
• Add vegetable oil to a large skillet (or Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Heat until the oil temperature is between 325 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The oil should be at least one inch deep. For deep frying, you’ll need about four inches of oil in the pot.
• Cook the chicken in the hot oil for 5-7 minutes per side until it’s deep golden brown and crispy. Or, use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken — it is finished when it reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit

*Reserve three tablespoons of the cooking oil to make the country gravy.

You can fry the chicken in vegetable oil, peanut oil, canola oil, or your favorite frying oil. Oils with a high smoke point, like safflower oil, avocado oil, and sunflower oil, are also good choices. Olive oil will also work, but it is too expensive to use for deep frying.

Depending on the size of the breast, cooking times will vary.

Remove the cooked chicken from the oil and allow it to drain on a wire rack or on paper towels.

 *If you have to cook the chicken in two batches, place the pieces in a shallow dish and keep them warm in a 225-degree oven until ready to serve.

I love the juicy meat and crispy crust of my chicken fried chicken. Although it’s best served hot, there is something to be said for cold fried chicken; it’s my favorite midnight snack!

How to make White Country Gravy

• Add the reserved used cooking oil and flour to a small pot.
• Mix well with a wire whisk and cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Don’t let the roux get dark.
• Add the milk to the roux and whisk until fully combined. Continue cooking over medium heat until it begins to get thick.
• Add the chicken broth to the mixture and whisk to combine. Let the creamy gravy simmer for 3-4 minutes. If the gravy gets too thick, add more water, milk, or chicken broth until you get the desired consistency.
• Taste and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
• Mix to combine and simmer the creamy white gravy over low heat until ready to serve.

Ladle the homemade gravy over the chicken fried chicken and serve with your favorite side dishes.

For a classic Southern experience, serve with green beans, homemade buttermilk biscuits, collard greens, and your favorite hot sauce.

Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. You can also freeze them for 2–3 months.

Recipe FAQ’s

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