*My super secret fried chicken recipe contains affiliate links

(Image source – my kitchen. This is my last batch of fried chicken, but you can follow my cooking on Instagram)

I know what you are thinking. If this is a secret fried chicken recipe, then what on earth are you sharing it for? I’ve thought about this a lot you know. And when it came down to it, I just didn’t feel like it was fair for others to miss out on such good fried chicken. So secret fried chicken or not-so-secret fried chicken, I’m sharing the recipe with you. I live in a small home, so I just use chicken breasts and make small, bite-sized pieces. But you can essentially go with the flow and change it up as much as you want.

Equipment

Yeah, I’m adding this for the affiliate links. Might as well be up front about it.

A wok (honestly – nothing fancy. Here’s my actual one: https://amzn.to/311pgLr 

A METAL colander (funny story: I once threw all the fried chicken and fat into a plastic colander. I really am THAT stupid)

`Sharp knife (here is a link to that standard, multi-coloured knife set EVERYONE has in their first house)

long, flat oven dish, like this one

pyrex bowl or jug

Ingredients (serves 2)

1 x pot of buttermilk

2 x chicken breasts

1 bottle of cooking oil (large)

4 eggs

1 lemon

1 lime

6 cups flour (any, but I use plain white flour)

4 x tablespoons of mixed herbs

3 x teaspoons pepper

3 x teaspoons salt

2 x teaspoons paprika

2 x teaspoons all seasoning

pinch of chilli powder (to taste. I don’t put any on if I’m making it for my Mum, if it’s just for me I put loads on)

1 x teaspoon of lazy garlic

Method

What you will find here is that there is a very important pre-step that you put in place. It’s a bit like how important pre-drinking is to a good night out (I don’t drink but I used to and pre-drinks are the way forward if you do. Giving up alcohol for anxiety was the best thing I ever did).

24 hours before you are ready to fry…

1.Cut your chicken up into bite-sized pieces. I know you are probably thinking my pieces in the picture look huge. Well that’s because I am a gobby so and so with a big mouth. My bite-sized and your bite-sized ain’t really the same thing.

2. Put your cut up chicken in the bowl. Squeeze both the lemon and the lime over the chicken. Add in all of the garlic. Then add the following ingredients:

2 x teaspoons mixed herbs

1 x teaspoon salt

1 x teaspoon pepper

Buttermilk

3. Give this all a good mix around. To be honest. you are not going to achieve the level of coating you need with a wooden spoon. Get in there with your hands and do some mixing and squeezing.

There you have the secret part of my secret fried chicken recipe. Cover with foil and allow this to marinade overnight.  Nothing worse than getting fried chicken that’s dry as a Nun’s chuff. 

When you are ready to fry…

The good things about putting this in the fridge to marinade is that, much like when you make roasties,  the chicken will be cold and when it hits the hot oil it should go extra crispy. The next part takes some practising to get the “knack” but ones you do it’s worth it.

Pour all of the oil into the wok and set it to the highest heat setting

You will need to drop the coated chicken straight in the oil, so make sure this is fully heated before you start coating. I hope it goes without saying not to test the oil with your finger. Just drop a little bit of flour in it

Mix ALL of the dry ingredients in here. Make sure you even them out well, I usually use a fork (another secret fried chicken recipe secret)

Break 2 of the eggs into your Pyrex bowl or jug. Which them. I use the eggs 2 at a time because once you start using them the eggs get floury. So half-way through I clean my egg jug

Dip a piece of chicken in the egg mixture. Swirl it around so that it gets coated everywhere

Repeat this process. Yes, you. read correctly. You absolutely need to do this twice

When the egg mix gets a bit floury, pour the egg out and use the other two. Dirty egg mix will infiltrate your fried chicken and stop the beautiful flour coating from sticking

When you have done each piece, put it straight in the boiling hot fat. To deep-fry through, it should  not take more than 20 minutes in total to cook right through

Serving suggestion…

I eat my fried chicken with rice and gravy. This is a trick I learned on one of my various trips to the Philippines.

Of you like my recipes here is my “buy me a coffee” link: https://www.paypal.me/kellyjackson674?locale.x=en_GB