Whether for a picnic, everyday family meal, or special dinner, fried chicken is an excellent choice. The typical skillet fried chicken is made with a cut-up broiler-fryer chicken, but feel free to use your favorite parts -- chicken drumsticks, whole legs, thighs, or chicken breasts.
Here are some of our favorite preparations, including classic Southern fried chicken, lighter oven-fried versions, fried boneless chicken breasts or cutlets, and fried chicken sandwiches.
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Southern Fried Chicken With Cream Gravy
StockFood/Noel Barnhurst/Riser/Getty Images This old-fashioned favorite includes a creamy milk gravy made with the drippings. The chicken pieces are perfectly fried with a simple coating of seasoned flour.
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Fried Chicken Sandwiches With Sriracha Mayo
Diana Rattray Crispy fried chicken with spicy Sriracha mayo makes incredibly delicious sandwiches. Just serve the chicken on soft buns with lettuce, tomato slice, red onion, and dill pickle slices.
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Crispy Oven Fried Chicken Thighs or Legs
Diana Rattray These oven-fried chicken thighs start in the skillet. The chicken is fried in a small amount of oil until browned, and then it's baked to golden perfection.
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Simple Fried Chicken Breast Cutlets
The Spruce
Hot sauce and Cajun seasoning flavor these fried chicken cutlets. If you can't find chicken cutlets, slice chicken breasts (average size) horizontally to make the thin cutlets, and then pound them gently to an even thickness.
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Classic Southern Fried Chicken
The Spruce
The coating for this fried chicken includes a batter of milk and eggs, and then the chicken is dredged in seasoned flour. Fry the chicken in a cast iron skillet or heavy Dutch oven.
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Crispy Fried Chicken
Daniel Loiselle / Getty Images These chicken pieces take a dip in milk before tossing with some seasoned flour. Add some bacon drippings to the oil for extra flavor.
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Honey Marinated Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Joseph De Leo/Photolibrary/Getty Images A sweet and sour honey marinade flavors the chicken pieces in this recipe. The chicken is marinated and then dipped in buttermilk and a crumb mixture. It's a deliciously different alternative!
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Oven Fried Parmesan Garlic Chicken
Diana Rattray You don't have to use a deep fryer to make delicious crispy chicken. Baking reduces the fat content while the Parmesan cheese, butter, and garlic keep it juicy and flavorful.
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Fried Chicken for Two
Iain Bagwell Buttermilk marinated bone-in chicken breasts are dredged in flour and deep-fried to crispy perfection. Add French fries or mashed potatoes for a fabulous meal for two.
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Fried Chicken Breasts
The Spruce
These fried boneless chicken breasts can't be beaten! The chicken breasts or cutlets take far less time to cook, and they come out crispy and flavorful. Serve them as an entree or slice the fried chicken and serve atop a Caesar salad.
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Oven Fried Chicken With Cornflake Crumb Coating
Diana Rattray Crushed cornflakes make a tasty, crunchy coating for this chicken recipe. The chicken pieces are brushed with sour cream before they're coated with the crumbs. Use assorted chicken pieces or use all chicken thighs or whole legs.
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Spicy Fried Chicken Tenders
John E. Kelly/Photolibrary/Getty Images A buttermilk marinade with Creole seasoning flavors these deep-fried chicken tenders. Serve them with fries, in sandwiches, or on waffles.
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Oven Fried Chicken Thighs With Panko Crumb Coating
Diana Rattray Panko breadcrumbs are made using a special process. The crumbs absorb less oil than other types of breadcrumbs, and they maintain their crispiness when cooked. The coating for these juicy, baked chicken thighs includes some butter and spicy mustard along with a combination of plain Panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese,
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Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwiches
Diana Rattray Serve these tender, buttermilk fried boneless chicken breasts on lettuce-lined baguettes or hoagie rolls.
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Southern Fried Chicken Thighs
The Spruce
These juicy chicken thighs are marinated in buttermilk and then coated with spicy seasoned flour.
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Spicy Fried Chicken Strips
Diana Rattray A buttermilk and hot sauce marinade flavors these yummy chicken breast strips. The marinated chicken is coated with a spicy seasoned flour mixture and deep-fried to perfection. Serve them with your favorite dips.
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Spicy Sriracha Panko Chicken Fingers
Diana Rattray Spicy Asian Sriracha sauce teams up with honey and soy sauce to flavor these Panko-coated chicken fingers. Serve them with an Asian-style dipping sauce.
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Crispy Fried Chicken Drumsticks
The Spruce
These drumsticks are perfect for a picnic. Add them to your cooler along with potato salad, slaw, and some fresh veggies.
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Oven Fried Pepper Jelly Chicken Thighs
Diana Rattray Hot pepper jelly and a small amount of Dijon mustard provide depth of flavor to these tasty oven-fried chicken thighs. Crushed stuffing crumbs make up the coating.
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Mississippi Oven Fried Chicken
Thomas Firak/Getty Images A cut up chicken is coated with some vegetable oil and seasoned fine dry bread crumbs. Baking the chicken keeps it light without sacrificing flavor.