chicken

The Ultimate! 11 Herb and Spice Fried Chicken

September 14, 2019 by Becky Spoon

This 11 Herb and Spice Fried Chicken is perfect for your Sunday lunch or for that matter, any day of the week. So flavorful, crispy yet so tender, is the perfect description for this chicken.

I have other fried chicken recipes on my blog; oven fried chicken, southern fried chicken are a couple that come to mind. Fried Chicken was always a favorite growing up. My Mom would make pot roast or fried chicken almost every Sunday. I mean, let’s face it, fried chicken just says Sunday lunch with your family. I have a few more fried chicken recipes on my blog. Here’s the link for my Oven Fried Chicken that is really my Mom’s fried chicken recipe. It is absolutely delicious! oven fried chicken

The Ultimate! 11 Herb and Spice Fried Chicken

I made mashed potatoes and cream gravy to go with the chicken. Don’t you have to? It’s kind of a must in a southern home. I also made homemade creamed corn! Yum, so delicious. Fresh corn cut off the cob; then the cob is scraped down to release all of that sweet milk, it’s fried a little in butter, heavy cream is added and all this lusciousness is cooked until the corn is tender and the cream is cooked down!

The Ultimate! 11 Herb and Spice Fried Chicken

I made deviled eggs too to go with my Southern meal. I used Chef Jessee Houston’s recipe for deviled eggs (minus the caviar and fried shallots) that is on the menu at the restaurant Fine & Dandy in Jackson, Mississippi. I’ll add the recipe to the blog later, but until then here is the link from Garden & Gun: https://gardenandgun.com/recipe/jesse-houstons-fine-deviled-eggs.

Jesse Houston's Deviled Eggs — Jesse Houston’s Deviled Eggs

Hope you enjoy this recipe and have Sunday dinner with your family. If you don’t do that already, start a tradition. This is one of my favorite traditions started by my parents and it continues to this day in my home. It may be a couple of tables full of folks or it may just be my husband and I, but we always have Sunday lunch or dinner and it is always a little bit more special than other meals. Enjoy!

11 Herb and Spice Fried Chicken

Print Recipe

CourseAppetizer, Breakfast, dinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineAmerican

Keywordchicken, fried chicken, southern food

Ingredients

For the Herbs and Spices

1 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp thyme, dried
1/2 tbsp basil, dried
1/3 tbsp oregano, dried
1 tbsp celery salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp dried mustard
4 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp garlic salt
1 tbsp ground ginger
3 tbsp white pepper

For the Coating

1 tbsp seasoning mix or more to taste
2 cups flour

For the Fried Chicken

6-8 pieces of chicken
some of the seasoning mix for dry bringing the chicken
3-4 cups buttermilk
the 2 cups coating mixture
Peanut oil, canola oil or other neutral oil for frying

Instructions

For the Herb and Spice

Combine all the ingredients and store in an air tight container for later use.

For the Coating

Combine the 1 tbsp seasoning mix with 2 cups of flour.

For the Fried Chicken

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with a light coating of the seasoning mix. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours up to overnight.
When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Pour the buttermilk into a container large enough to cover the chicken. Add the chicken pieces to the buttermilk and let it sit on the counter to come to room temperature.
Meanwhile place the coating mixture either in a paper sack for shaking or in a large bowl for coating the chicken.
In a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven heat your oil to about 335 to 350. Remove pieces from the buttermilk, place in the flour to coat shaking off the excess. Place the chicken skin side down in the heated oil in batches or as much as your pan will hold in a single layer. Brown on the first side about 10 minutes or so then turn. When you turn, place a lid on the skillet, reduce the heat a little and cook for about 15 minutes. After about 15 minutes, remove the lid, turn the chicken over, increase the heat to medium high and continue to cook without a lid until the internal temperature reaches 165. Drain on a rack fitted over a sheet pan and repeat until all your pieces have cooked. Keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Dear to my heart, My Grandmother’s Fried Chicken.

July 2, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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Southern Fried Chicken
Southern Fried Chicken you cook yourself is the best! My mother was an only child and we spent a lot of time with her mother, my grandmother or Granny as we called her. We’d go for the weekend to stay with her and almost every Saturday night before we went to bed Granny and Mom would make sure the kitchen was spotless and then they would cut chickens up and put them in salted water and into the refrigerator to brine overnight for Sunday lunch. — Southern Fried Chicken

Southern Fried Chicken you cook yourself is the best! My mother was an only child and we spent a lot of time with her mother, my grandmother or Granny as we called her. We’d go for the weekend to stay with her and almost every Saturday night before we went to bed Granny and Mom would make sure the kitchen was spotless and then they would cut chickens up and put them in salted water and into the refrigerator to brine overnight for Sunday lunch.

The next day the house smelled amazing of fried chicken! I remember a table full of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and cream gravy, maybe some fresh Blackeyed peas, corn on the cob, cornbread, sliced tomatoes, all the delicious foods you may find on a Southern table.

What I do…

I buy a whole chicken and cut it up myself. Not only is this less expensive but I’m getting all the pieces from the same chicken. I also don’t want a too big chicken but about a 3 to 3 1/2 pound chicken. Then I cut it up, legs and thighs first, then the wings and then remove the breast. I fry every part of the chicken which includes the back which by the way has some delicious meat on them. If you don’t know how to cut up a chicken, here’s a short video of instructions: https://www.youtube.com/embed/GEwRmG2HEuM?autoplay=1&FORM=VIRE6&PC=EMMX06.

I like to buy a natural chicken like the H-E-B Natural Chickens I buy from my local Store. Whole Foods, Costco, Central Market, Sams Club, other groceries will offer a natural chicken.

Granny’s Essential Southern Fried Chicken

I like to serve this with different sides. Probably the most favorite for most is mashed potatoes. Here’s my mashed potatoes recipe also: delicious buttery mashed potatoes!!

Granny’s Essential Southern Fried Chicken

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineAmerican

Keywordchicken, fried chicken, southern food, southern fried chicken

Ingredients

1 3 – 3 1/2 lb chicken, cut into pieces
4-5 cups All purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
a little more salt and pepper to lightly season your flour
3-4 eggs, beaten
canola or vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Cut a whole chicken up and place in a bowl of salted water. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator the night before.
Beat three eggs completely in a medium bowl. I like to use a hand held blender because I like the eggs a little frothy.
In another bowl add your flour and lightly salt and pepper, add the baking soda and whisk together.
Pat your chicken pieces dry and season the entire chicken with the 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. I let it sit for a minute or so to allow it to so it will adhere to your chicken.
Place each peace of chicken in the flour, then the eggs, then the flour again covering completely and shaking off the excess. Place on a sheet pan and continue until all pieces are battered.
Add oil to a heavy skillet to 350. Add chicken in batches making sure not to crowd. I like to maintain a heat between 325 and 350 otherwise your chicken will be brown and raw in the middle. Another tip is that I like to brown the chicken lightly on all sides, then reduce the heat to about 325 to allow it to cook through, turning occasionally.
When the first side browns, turn and allow the other side to completely brown. Then I turn a few more times from side to side to make sure the inside is fine. I always check each piece with a thermometer because nothing’s worse than a raw chicken. You want the internal temperature to be 165 degrees for the breast and for the thighs and legs 175 degrees will render a better texture. I drain on a rack placed over a sheet pan to insure the chicken remains crispy! Enjoy!

Garlic Mashed Potatoes — Southern Fried Chicken

Big Green Egg Smoked Bbq Chicken

June 22, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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This Big Green Egg Smoked Bbq Chicken is the best! I finally bought a Meat Injector from Home Depot! I injected this with melted butter that I added bbq sauce and when the cooking had finished, the juices were almost pouring out of this chicken!! Yes! Crazy good! Use the BBq sauce of your choice.

Big Green Egg Smoked BBQ Chicken

I don’t know if it’s because we’re from Texas but I really like some of the Texas BBQ sauces out there. I love the BBQ sauce from Salt Lick in Driftwood, Texas, just southwest of Austin. I love the BBQ sauce that Louis Mueller uses. It’s very thin and vinegar based. I love the BBQ sauces Aaron Franklin makes. That’s what I used in this recipe was the original sauce from Franklin’s bbq in this recipe. You can buy it online if you don’t have it in your area, but our Texas-based HEB carries it and that’s where I buy it. Here’s their link so you can see what I buy. https://www.heb.com/product-detail/franklin-barbecue-texas-style-barbecue-sauce/1639566

I smoked this chicken in my Big Green Egg, but you could smoke it in the smoker of your choice. If you don’t have a smoker you can cook this on your gas grill or charcoal grill as long as you cook it over hot coals. You would need to set it to the side away from the hot coals.

There are so many side dishes that would be great with this chicken! I always love a baked potato with bbq chicken for some reason. I love to make Texas Toast with BBQ chicken. My potato salad is an excellent side dish. Here’s the link if you decide to make potato salad: https://the2spoons.com/super-good-southern-potato-salad/

Big Green Egg Smoked BBQ Chicken

Enjoy the recipe!

Big Green Egg Smoked BBQ Chicken

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineAmerican, bbq

Keywordbbq, bbq chicken, big green egg, big green egg smoked chicken

Servings servings

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, wings tucked behind and legs tied
8 tbsp butter melted
1/4 cup bbq sauce of your preference, plus more for basting
oilive oil for coating the outside of the chicken
salt and pepper

Instructions

Combine the melted butter and bbq sauce. Inject the chicken all over with the mixture., under the skin around the breast, trying to make sure there's added moisture in all the areas that tend to be drier than others of the chicken.
Pat the outside dry with a paper towel. Apply a thin coat of extra virgin olive oil on the chicken, front and back and salt and pepper all over, including the cavity.
Place the chicken on your prepared grill or smoker. I usually want my smoker temperature about 350 degrees when I'm smoking a chicken, because a slow smoke is not necessary. I don't add bbq sauce at this time. When the chicken starts to brown and the skin starts to crisp a little, I start brushing bbq sauce on the chicken, and continue every 15 minutes or so until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165. I like to check the area between the leg quarter and breast because for me that seems to be the area that takes longer to cook.
Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to rest 15 to 30 minutes. Slice and enjoy with your favorite sides.

Quick Chicken Thighs Under a Brick with Pesto Verde

June 20, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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I saw this Chicken Thighs Under a Brick in the June/July issue of Bon Appetite and I had to make it!

I’ve made chicken under a brick many times with a whole chicken cutting out the back bone, but doing this with just the thighs was so quick and easy! The added pesto verde is a delicious addition to this crispy and juicy chicken!

I use two bricks that I wrap in foil. If you done have bricks you can use a heavy skillet like an iron skillet. You would place a piece of foil over the chicken, skin side down and top with the skillet. Here’s a quick “how to” if you aren’t familiar http://www.dartagnan.com/how-to-make-chicken-und…

Quick Chicken Thighs Under a Brick with Pesto Verde

These would be great with potatoes or even rice pilaf would be delicious. Here’s my recipe for my Cheesy Potatoes Gratin https://the2spoons.com/cheesy-potatoes-gratin/.

Chicken Thighs Under a Brick

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineAmerican

Keywordchicken, chicken thighs under a brick, Roast Chicken Thighs

Servings Servings

Ingredients

4 skin on, chicken thighs
1 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 oil packed anchovy filet, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
3 scallions, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced

Instructions

Wrap 2 bricks with foil (if you don’t have any bricks lying around, use a heavy skillet). Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Pour oil into a medium cast-iron skillet. Place chicken in pan skin side down (it’s okay if the pieces touch, but make sure they don’t overlap). Heat pan over medium-high and place a prepared brick on top of each piece (or, place a sheet of foil over chicken, then set a second cast-iron skillet on top). Cook chicken, checking halfway through to make sure skin isn’t taking on color too quickly and reducing heat to medium if needed, until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and flesh is almost completely cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Pesto Verde and Assembly
While chicken is cooking, place anchovy, garlic, and 1 tsp. salt in a mortar and use pestle to pound to a paste, about 1 minute. Add parsley and continue to pound until completely pulverized, about 2 minutes. (Alternately, grate garlic and finely chop anchovy and parsley, then mix together in a medium bowl.) Mix in oil, vinegar, mustard, and red pepper flakes with pestle, then add scallions. Taste and season with more salt, if needed.
Carefully remove bricks (foil will be greasy) and check chicken. There should be only a hint of medium-rare flesh on the thickest part of the thigh. Using a thin spatula, release chicken skin from pan and turn onto flesh side. Remove from heat and let sit to finish cooking through, about 1 minute.
Spoon some pesto verde onto a platter. Top with chicken, skin side up, and spoon more pesto over (but don’t cover up all that beautiful crisp skin you just created!).

Cheesy Potatoes Gratin — Chicken Thighs Under a Brick

Chicken & Dumplings, the Perfect Comfort Food

June 18, 2019 by Becky Spoon

Yesterday I made Chicken and Dumplings for my 90-year old Mom. Allen and I had them too, because who can resist this dish? I can’t! They are delicious any time of the year. Mom made delicious dumplings growing up. These are a little different because they seem to be juicer, and I have the finished dumplings with peas and carrots. Not only are you getting added vegetables but look how pretty they are? I added a lot of fresh cracked black pepper because I love it on dumplings!

Some like drop dumplings so I’ve included a recipe from Food Network for those, but I honestly love this recipe for dumplings. They hold together yet they are so tender. If you are in a pinch for time Bisquick has a recipe for drop biscuits that is quick and you’d do everything else the same…but try my dumplings! they are the best! https://www.bettycrocker.com/…/bisquick-recipes/bisquick-dumpling-recipes

I cooked the chicken in my instant pot by cutting it into maybe 5 or 6 pieces, you don’t have to be precise, just as long as they are small enough for you to brown them before you add water and the other ingredients and start your pressure cooking. To add even more flavor, instead of water I used chicken stock with a carrot, onion, and celery.

Chicken and Dumplings, The Perfect Comfort Food

You honestly don’t need anything with this dish, but if you want something else I think a nice vegetable like asparagus would be great. https://the2spoons.com/prosciutto-wrapped-asparagus-screams-spring/

Chicken and Dumplings – the Perfect Comfort Food

Print Recipe

CourseMain Course

CuisineAmerican

Keywordchicken, chicken and dumplings, Dumplings

Servings servings

Ingredients

For the Chicken (I cooked the chicken in my instant pot)

1 whole chicken pieces (cut into 5 or 6 pieces
onion, cut in chunks (does not have to be peeled), stalk of celery and one carrot for cooking the chicken, along with enough chicken stock to cover

For the Dumplings

2 1/4 cups flour
4 1/2 tsps baking powder
1 1/2 to 2 Cups milk
3 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt

For the Chicken and Dumplings

1/2 onion, chopped
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinkly sliced
4 tbsp unsalted butter
8 tbsp flour
chicken broth from cooking your chicken
Cooked chicken, diced or shredded
1/2 cup english peas
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

For the Chicken

Brown the chicken pieces in a little oil in the instant pot or a stock pot. When browned add 1/2 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk. Cover with water or chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer until chicken begins to fall off the bone..45 minutes to 1 hour or about 30 minutes in the instant pot. Remove from the stock pot and after it has cooled, shred the pieces you want to use and save the remainder for another use.

For the Dumplings

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Heat the milk and butter in a small sauce pan to a scald. Pour the milk mixture over the flour, baking powder and salt mixture.
Combine the mixture and form into a disc.
Roll the dough on a floured surface as think as possible.
Cut the rolled out dough into strips, then pieces.

For the Chicken and Dumplings

Strain your broth and return to the pan you cooked your chicken in and heat to medium high. Mix the butter and flour together with two cups of warm stock and add to your other chicken stock whisking to insure no lumps. This is your thickener. Add the chopped vegetables and cook until crisp tender.
Add the shredded chicken and the peas.
Add the dumpling strips one at a time. I use a table knife to just clear an opening, then add more until all used. Cook uncovered until for about 20 minutes until done. You want to not disturb as much as you can until they are cooked but I just shake my pan a little while they are cooking.
Spoon the dumplings into serving bowls and enjoy!!

Crazy Good BBQ Chicken & Grilled Vegetables

February 27, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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Bbq Chicken is probably one of the most popular foods for the grill. It is that one meat that almost everyone loves and can eat! I think it epitomizes summer grilling!

This bbq chicken really is crazy good! It also makes a beautiful presentation for those you’re serving!

I spatchcocked the chicken so it would cook more evenly which actually cut down on the cooking time. Here’s a link that shows how to spatchcock a chicken. https://www.seriouseats.com/2017/01/the-food-lab-how-to-roast-a-butterflied-spatchcocked-chicken.html

I cooked the bbq chicken on the gas grill. After heating the grill to 350 degrees I placed the chicken on the top rack and turned off the burners directly below and I left the burners on the opposite side burning, basically I cooked with indirect heat. I also did not add bbq sauce until the last few minutes.

The day before I cooked the bbq chicken I rubbed it with olive oil, salt and pepper on both sides and I stored in the refrigerator uncovered overnight. Leaving the chicken uncovered will allow the skin to crisp even more!

Crazy Good BBQ Chicken & Grilled Vegetables

I’d serve the bbq chicken and grilled vegetables with a nice salad. My garlic green beans would be a great side dish. https://the2spoons.com/perfect-browned-butter-and-garlic-green-beans/

Here’s the recipe! Enjoy!

Crazy Good BBQ Chicken & Grilled Vegetables

Print Recipe

CourseBBQ, dinner, Main Course

CuisineAmerican, bbq

Keywordbbq chicken

Prep Time10

Ingredients

For the Chicken

1 – 3 or 4 Lb Whole chicken, spatchcocked See above link for spatchcock chicken
olive oil for rubbing the chicken
salt and pepper
barbecue sauce of your choice

For the Grilled Vegetables

2 yellow squash, sliced lengthwise
2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
enough red potatoes for your your number of servings
Salsa verde to drizzle on the potatoes if you like, and a lemon to drizzle on the vegetables

Instructions

For the Chicken

The day before grilling the chicken, spatchcock your chicken, rub with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place uncovered in the refrigerator overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator one hour before grilling to allow to come to room temperature. I used my gas grill, but you can use a charcoal grill. I heated my gas grill to 350 degrees. I placed the chicken on the top rack, turned the burner off directly below and left the burners low to medium on the opposite side. Maintaining the 350 degrees, cook until your chicken registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees. After about 45 minutes start brushing your chicken with barbecue sauce. It will take an additional 30 minutes to 45 minutes to reach the desired temperature. Brush again in about 15minutes and again if you like.
When done, remove from the grill and allow to rest 10 to 15 minutes.

For the Grilled Vegetables

Slice the red potatoes in half and boil in water seasoned with salt and a little oil until they are tender. Gently remove from the heat to not tear the skin to tear. If you are not placing the potatoes immediately on the grill, cover with saran wrap.
Slice the two squashes. Brush the potatoes and squash with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the hot grill. Allow the vegetables to cook until you have nice grill marks. Turn, and do the same on the other side. It’s not really necessary to get grill marks on the other side of your potatoes. When done, remove to a serving platter. I drizzled a salsa verde on the potatoes and some lemon juice on the vegetables.