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How do you like your fried chicken? Pickle-brined? Spicy? Marinated in buttermilk? Lemon-brined, coconut-crusted, cold, or nestled in a bun? If you answered yes to any (or all) of the above, these fried chicken recipes are for you. We've got everything from crispy fried chicken sandwiches to sweet, spicy, and salty Dakgangjeong, Korean fried chicken with soy sauce. There's even an air fryer fried chicken recipe, paired with a guajillo chile hot honey. All you have to do is pick which one to make first — read on for all 24 recipes.
Fried Tandoori Chicken
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For extra-juicy, flavorful fried chicken, chef Rupam Bhagat of Ritu Indian Soul Food in San Francisco marinates his meat using the traditional two-step tandoori process: He first lets the chicken sit in a blend of aromatic spices for 12 hours, then folds in yogurt to help tenderize the meat and caramelize the crust when it's fried.
The Ultimate Southern Fried Chicken
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This fried chicken from chef Shaun Doty of Bantam + Biddy in Atlanta is a no-fail, no-fuss version of classic fried chicken with a perfectly crunchy, seasoned crust — the trick is the cornstarch — and juicy meat.
Super-Crispy Pan-Fried Chicken
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Instead of deep-frying chicken in a vat of oil, cookbook author Angie Mosier prefers pan-frying, which creates delightfully crunchy and moist chicken without using as much oil.
Lemon-Brined Fried Chicken
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To make this juicy and delectably crisp chicken, chef Thomas Keller soaks it in a lemony brine, then coats and fries it.
Coconut Chicken with Pickled Pepper Collards
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Here, chef Marcus Samuelsson marinates chicken in a mixture of buttermilk, coconut milk, and minced garlic, then coats the cutlets in shredded coconut and panko. They're fried in a skillet until crispy and paired with collard greens that have a touch of heat, thanks to pickled jalapeños.
Chicken Milanese with Sage and Lemon Butter Sauce
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Cook in Tuscany food tour guide Linda Meyers serves these pounded, breaded, and fried chicken cutlets with her own butter sauce, made with fresh sage and lemon.
Oven-Fried Chicken Breasts
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"I admit that nothing can stand in for good fried chicken," says chef John Currence. "But this is a hell of an impostor." He adds sweet tea to his marinade; the tannins help tenderize the poultry while the sugar gives it a light cure. The accompanying gravy gets a ton of flavor from strips of caramelized onion.
Oven-Fried Chicken by the Bucket
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Thick-cut potato chips in this crust stay more crispy than the standard kind. Salt-and-pepper chips are delicious here, but any flavor works beautifully — even barbecue.
Extra Crispy Fried Chicken
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To make his phenomenal fried chicken, chef Tyler Florence first bakes it low and slow, so it's juicy. Then he coats the chicken pieces in seasoned flour and fries them in oil that's been flavored with garlic and herbs.
Fried Chicken with Honey Mustard
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Star chef Bobby Flay's crispy fried chicken stays tender and juicy for two reasons: First, the tangy yogurt marinade; second, the fact that the chicken is roasted first, then quick-fried just before serving.
Fried Chicken with Tomato Gravy
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In 2018, Food & Wine named this recipe one of our 40 best. Chef Scott Peacock first met the venerable Edna Lewis when they cooked a fundraising dinner together in Georgia in 1990. The two shared a love for Southern cuisine and went on to publish a book together called The Gift of Southern Cooking. Taste and authenticity were paramount for both cooks, and this spectacular fried chicken speaks to that. The bird is double brined; dredged in a mix of flour, cornstarch, and potato starch; and fried in a trinity of lard, butter, and bacon fat.
Master Stock Crispy Chicken
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The first step in chef Eric Johnson's incredibly moist, incredibly crisp fried chicken isn't a spice rub or batter, but rather a whole-bird simmer in an aromatic, umami-rich broth. This allows the fat beneath the skin to render as the meat gently cooks. Once dried and fried, the chicken skin becomes lacquered and shatteringly crisp.
Kurdish Fried Chicken in Broth
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"I love this style of cooking chicken for both its flavor and its ease," says cookbook author Naomi Duguid. "The chicken is cut into pieces and rubbed with salt and lemon juice, kind of a quick marinade, before being shallow-fried until golden. But there's no worry about whether the frying cooks the chicken completely, because it then simmers in water with a little onion, turmeric, and cumin until tender and cooked through."
Fried Chicken Sandwiches with Hot Sauce Aïoli
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This is a damn-good sandwich from chef-restaurateurs Larry McGuire and Tom Moorman. The chicken is tender and crisp, and it's topped with a crunchy, tangy slaw and spicy aïoli. It's messy, delicious, and completely irresistible.
Best-Ever Cold Fried Chicken
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Food & Wine Culinary Director at Large Justin Chapple likes making extra-crispy chicken that retains its crunch in the fridge, so it's ideal for picnics or just eating right out of the icebox.
Spicy Fried Rice-Stuffed Chicken Wings
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This recipe for stuffed and fried chicken wings from 2019 F&W Best New Chef Junghyun Park features chicken wings dredged in a crackling breading and stuffed with spicy, savory doubanjiang fried rice. (They're a lot of fun to eat, so when preparing them, take the time to get the hang of carefully removing the bones without piercing the skin.) The final touch is a tongue-tingling spice blend of Szechuan peppercorn, salt, sugar, and powdered vinegar.
Pickle-Brined Fried Chicken
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Adding pickle brine to a traditional buttermilk marinade helps infuse every bite with flavor and a gentle sweetness. Bonus? You can serve the pickles left in the jar alongside the fried chicken. Patience is essential to guarantee the crunchiest, juiciest results, so be sure to marinate the chicken for at least eight hours so it has a chance to fully permeate the bird, and allow the breaded chicken to rest before frying so the coating adheres to the skin.
Super-Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwiches
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Seasoning boneless, skinless chicken thighs with a classic, Southern fried chicken spice blend and dill pickle juice makes for the juiciest, crunchiest fried chicken sandwiches. Choose a dill pickle brine without much sugar, which can burn during cooking.
Marghi Na Farcha (Parsi Fried Chicken)
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Chef Meherwan Irani's Parsi-style fried chicken is first marinated with an aromatic mix of ginger, garlic, chiles, and spices, then dredged in flour and dipped in fluffy beaten egg for a crispy, golden crust. Basting the chicken while it cooks helps to crisp the outside while keeping the inside juicy and evenly cooked.
Auntie Georgia's Dakgangjeong (Korean Fried Chicken with Soy Sauce)
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A sticky glaze of soy sauce and brown sugar gets subtle heat from fresh jalapeños to give these fried wings the perfect level of spice, sweetness, and salt. Potato starch creates a shatteringly crisp exterior on the wings and stays crunchy for hours — even after they have cooled.
Air-Fryer Fried Chicken with Hot Honey
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Who needs a deep fryer to make fried chicken when you can get such delicious results from an air fryer? Here, we start with a hot sauce and buttermilk soak, then coat the chicken with a well-seasoned flour mixture. Next comes a dip in beaten eggs, then back into the flour mixture to ensure a crispy coating. The air fryer will take it from there.
Fried Chicken with Root Vegetable Escabeche
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Crispy fried chicken tops 2019 F&W Best New Chef Caroline Glover's salad made with bitter greens tossed with cilantro dressing and escabeche, or pickled vegetables. The longer the vegetables sit in the pickling liquid, the more flavorful they will be.
Fried Chicken Sandwiches with Anchovy-Garlic Dressing
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2019 F&W Best New Chef Caroline Glover's crispy fried chicken sandwich starts with her Ultimate Buttermilk-Marinated Fried Chicken Breasts, which get drizzled with a creamy homemade anchovy-garlic dressing, fresh radicchio, Castelvetrano olives, and spicy Calabrian chiles. The dressing gets an additional umami boost from Parmesan cheese and a balancing touch of acidity from white wine vinegar. It all adds up to make one incredibly flavor-packed, satisfying sandwich.
Grown-Up Chicken Nuggets with Herb and Radish Salad
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Cookbook author Molly Stevens fillets chicken breast for crispy grown-up chicken nuggets dredged in panko and fried in olive oil and butter. Flattening chicken to even thickness is paramount. If the chicken is too thick, it takes too long to cook, and you risk scorching the coating before the interior is done; if too thin, it'll dry out before the breading has time to brown.
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