Fried Chicken Breast

Chef's notes:

Chicken breasts are most likely America’s favorite part of the chicken. When I was a kid, it was the only part of the chicken that I would eat. Luckily, it was just a passing phase that I got over. For this article, I have rekindled my love for the chicken breast, and there is no better way to cook a chicken breast than to fry it. Maybe it’s not the healthiest option, but as long as you don’t eat fried stuff everyday, you should be okay. Everything in moderation, right?

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • ¾ tsp black pepper
  • Cayenne
  • Paprika
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • 1 cup flour dredge
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1 cup bread crumbs

Deep-Fired Chicken Breast Dredged in Spiced Flour, Milk and Eggs, and Breaded with Panko Bread Crumb

  1. Pick up some chicken breasts to fry. Chicken breasts come on the bone, boneless and skinless, and cutlets. The ones I am using here are boneless and skinless breasts. If you get chicken breasts with the bone still in, they will take much longer to cook. The cutlets, since they are essentially half of one breast, will cook the fastest.
  2. Assemble your chicken breast breading station. The basic breading recipe consists of flour, egg, and bread crumbs. The flour mixture is made of all purpose flour and spices. The spices I use here go well together, but you can add and subtract as you like. The egg has a little milk mixed in to thin it slightly. The bread crumbs are just plain, but you could add some herbs if you wanted.
  3. Bread your chicken breasts for frying. The first part of breading is the dredging. Cover the breast completely with the flour mixture. Next, thoroughly coat the chicken breast with the egg mixture, let it drip for a second, and put it in the bread crumbs. Coat the breast with as much as it will hold.
  4. Fry the chicken breasts at 340–350 degrees. Heat up 1–2 liters of frying shortening to 360 degrees F. I use peanut oil because it works the best, but I’m also not allergic. Use an oil thermometer to monitor the oil temperature. Lay the breaded chicken breast in the oil, and try to keep the temperature around 350 degrees.
  5. Drain the fried chicken breasts. Once the breasts are starting to get brown, begin checking them with the thermometer to see if they are up to temperature. You will want them to be 160 degrees to be considered finished. Fry them until they reach that temperature, or if they are getting too brown, you can finish them in the oven.

Tips & Tricks

  • Buy chicken breasts that look and smell fresh.
  • If you want your chicken breasts to cook faster, you can cut them thinner or use a meat hammer to pound them a little thinner.
  • If you want to add extra flavor to your fried chicken breasts, add seasoning to the bread crumbs or even the eggs.
  • Bread the chicken breasts just before you are going to fry them, otherwise store them on a wire rack to prevent them from getting soggy.
  • Be careful around hot oil. If you put too much into the pot, it may boil over and either burn you or start a fire.
  • Keep children and pets out of the kitchen when frying.