Chicken Fried Chicken with White Country Gravy
I know we’ve all heard of Chicken Fried Steak, but Chicken Fried Chicken is the most fitting for an authentic southern country meal! Afterall, who doesn’t love a delicious fried chicken recipe?!
Chicken Fried Chicken is an easy chicken recipe perfect for feeding a family. It’s made from thin cut chicken breast that are dredged in flour, dipped in egg, then coated in flour again for extra crisp. Fry it up in hot oil for a few minutes and you’ve got yourself a juicy, crispy, chicken fried chicken dinner!
Oh.. and the best part? A creamy white country gravy to smother your entire meal!
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Fried Chicken Recipe
This chicken fried chicken recipe is perfect if you’ve got a crowd to feed. It’s bursting with that deeply seasoned chicken flavor paired with a crispy exterior and a tender, juicy interior. It doesn’t get any better than that!
Asides from the crispy chicken, my favorite part about this southern chicken dinner is the white gravy. White gravy uses milk instead of broth when making the gravy giving it it’s signature white color. It works so well with this chicken fried chicken recipe and I can’t get enough of it!
What to Serve with Chicken Fried Chicken
Mashed potatoes are always a classic when it comes to a good side dish for fried chicken. The country gravy used on the chicken is also the perfect gravy for mashed potatoes. Asides from that, green beans and peas are great options for this meal to add in a little nutrition.
How to Store Leftover Chicken Fried Chicken
Refrigerate in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Keep in mind, the chicken will lose its crisp after being refrigerated (especially if reheated in the microwave). The best way to reheat is to bake it at 350°F until warmed through but the microwave will work well too if you don’t mind the softening of the breading.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
Chicken Breast – the main star of this dish! Choose a whole, boneless chicken breast thick enough to be cut in half lengthwise.
Vegetable Oil – peanut oil , canola oil, or lard are excellent substitutes. Just make sure it’s an oil with a high smoke point (meaning the oil won’t break down and start smoking when it’s under high heat) and low flavor profile so it doesn’t affect the chicken flavor.
Eggs – to grab the flour and hold the coating onto the chicken.
Flour – to coat the chicken and create that golden, brown, crispy coating.
Cornstarch – allows the flour to fully crisp.
Chicken Bouillon – use in place of salt to give the chicken a DEEP chicken flavor. Knorr’s is my favorite brand.
Smoked Paprika – to add a hint of smokiness that adds to the southern charm of this chicken.
Buttermilk – to soak the chicken in for a half hour prior to cooking. This will break down the proteins in the chicken making it more tender. None at home? No problem! Blend 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and you’ve got yourself some homemade buttermilk!
For the Country Gravy
Whole Milk – the creamy star of our gravy.
Garlic Powder – the main flavor of our gravy.
Butter – to add a smooth, rich, texture that’s both buttery and inviting.
Flour – to create the roux; the base of our gravy.
Salt and Pepper – to taste.
How to Make Chicken Fried Chicken with Country Gravy
Start with the most important step; turning our regular chicken breast into tasty buttermilk chicken. Butterfly cut 3 whole chicken breasts lengthwise so one breast becomes two. We do this so that it is thin enough to fry all the way through (otherwise it will be overcooked on the exterior by the time the interior is cooked).
Place in a bowl filled with about 1 cup of buttermilk or enough to fully submerge the chicken. Allow to sit out at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes. For added tenderness, you can soak the chicken in buttermilk for 4 hours in the refrigerator (but realistically, I don’t have time for that)!
While waiting, begin your egg and flour dredging setup. Blend 1 ¼ cup flour with ¼ cup cornstarch. Add in ½ tbsp chicken bouillon and 1 tsp smoke paprika for flavor and saltiness. Place into a deep bowl suitable for dredging whole pieces of chicken. In a separate bowl, add 2 eggs and whisk together until blended.
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan or pot to medium-high heat (about 425°F). My favorite pot for frying is the All-Clad D3 Sauté Pan, but a budget friendly option that I also use is this one by Breville.
The amount of oil used will vary depending on how deep and wide your pan is, but you want to make sure the chicken is fully submerged.
Time to get frying! Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and dab dry with paper towels. Make sure it is close to room temperature before you fry. Dredge each piece in the flour mixture followed by the egg mixture, followed by the flour mixture once more until you have a fully coated chicken. Repeat for all pieces.
Place each piece of chicken into the oil making sure to not overcrowd. 2 pieces at a time is a good amount. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the coating is a deep, golden brown color. Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack with paper towels underneath the absorb oil drippings.
While the chicken is cooling, make the country gravy. Melt 3 tbsp butter in a small pot set to medium-high heat and add 3 tbsp flour. Whisk vigorously until the mixture turns into a golden paste.
Note: Low on time? Check out this country gravy mix. All you need to do is add warm water!
Slowly add in 2 cups of whole milk while mixing to incorporate into the gravy. Add salt and 2 tsp garlic powder for flavor. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 5 minutes until thickened.
Note: The country gravy will continue to thicken as it cools. It is ready when it is no longer a runny liquid.
Now – the fun part! Serve your country fried chicken with sides of your choice and smother it in country gravy. Enjoy!
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Chicken Fried Chicken with White Country Gravy
Ingredients
Chicken Fried Chicken
- 1 cup buttermilk can be made at home by adding 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup whole milk
- 3 whole chicken breasts sliced down the middle lengthwise to get 6 thin chicken breasts
- 3 cups vegetable oil depending on how deep and wide your pan is, this amount is highly variable. vegetable oil may be substituted for lard, peanut oil. or canola oil.
- 2 jumbo eggs 2 jumbo eggs or 3 large eggs for dredging
- 1¼ cup flour for coating the chicken
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ tbsp chicken bouillon knorr's brand is what I use
- 1 tsp smoked paprika for flavor
White Country Gravy
- 3 tbsp butter kerrygold is the best butter for that rich, buttery flavor
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp salt/pepper adjust to taste preference
Instructions
- Butterfly cut 3 whole chicken breasts lengthwise so one breast becomes two thin slices. We do this so that it is thin enough to fry all the way through.
- Place chicken in a bowl filled with about 1 cup of buttermilk or enough to fully submerge the chicken. Allow to sit out at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes. For added tenderness, you can soak the chicken in buttermilk for 4 hours in the refrigerator.
- While waiting, blend1 ¼ cup flour with ¼ cup cornstarch in a large bowl. Add in ½ tbsp chicken bouillon for flavor and saltiness.
- In a separate bowl, add 2 eggs and whisk together until blended.
- Heat the oil in a deep frying pan or pot to medium-high heat (about 425°F). The amount of oil used will vary depending on how deep and wide your pan is, but you want to make sure the chicken is fully submerged.
- Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and dab dry with paper towels. Make sure it is close to room temperature before you fry. Dredge each piece in the flour mixture followed by the egg mixture, followed by the flour mixture once more until you have a fully coated chicken. Repeat for all pieces.
- Place each piece of chicken into the oil making sure to not overcrowd. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the coating is a deep, golden brown color. Remove and cool on a wire rack with paper towels underneath the absorb oil drippings.
- While the chicken is cooling, make the country gravy. Melt 3 tbsp butter in a small pot set to medium-high heat and add 3 tbsp flour. Whisk vigorously until the mixture turns into a golden paste.
- Slowly add in 2 cups of whole milk while mixing to incorporate into the gravy. Add salt and 2 tsp garlic powder for flavor. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 5 minutes until thickened.
- Plate the chicken and spoon the country gravy over top. Serve with vegetables of your choice and mashed potatoes. Enjoy!