Momma Dukes’ Classic Fried Chicken Breast

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Great for weeknight meals, parties, and picky kids, this elevated Fried Chicken Breast Recipe gets an extra flavor boost from a quick buttermilk marinade and a bit of parmesan cheese added to the breading. Enjoy this Deep fried chicken breast any night of the week!

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A fast and easy Fried Chicken Breast Recipe for any night of the week!

Growing up, one of my favorite meals my Momma Dukes (Mom, for short) would make was her fried chicken breast. She’d often prepare it in the mid-afternoon and allow it to cool, as my family typically preferred to eat their fried chicken room temperature or cold. Even now when I visit, she often makes it for me, with her homemade honey mustard (recipe included below), and we tear it up.

Over the years I’ve made some slight alterations to the recipe (a little extra spice here and there), but there’s not much not to love about this fried chicken breast; it’s easy, it’s yummy, and it even stays crispy leftover.  Serve it as an appetizer, with mashed potatoes and green beans, over a salad, or even tossed in buffalo sauce on a buffalo chicken sandwich. It’s as versatile as it is delicious.

Making the deep fried chicken breast- tips and tricks

Can I use thighs, legs, and wings with this recipe?

You can definitely use this breading for bone-in pieces of meat, but you will need to lower your oil temperature and cook for a longer time frame. I would recommend cooking only like pieces at a time (no mixing thighs and breasts) for more even cooking. 

Can I just use regular milk for the dredge and skip the buttermilk soak?

You can skip the buttermilk marinade, but I am a big advocate for what is does for the texture of the chicken and feel it is worth the time/wait. See substitute suggestions below for a buttermilk alternative using ingredients you probably already have on hand!

Can I use a different kind of flour?

I have always used regular all-purpose flour for this recipe, but you could probably try an alternative or rice flour. I would just be careful with the heat/cooking time and adjust accordingly.

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Made this Classic Deep fried chicken breast? Leave a review and rating below!

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Print Recipe

Momma Dukes’ Classic Fried Chicken Breast

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time40 mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

Chicken Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts, cut into 12 equal pieces
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, recommended: King Arthur A/P
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 3/4 cups grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups buttermilk*
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Canola oil, for frying

Honey Mustard Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 2 tbsp honey

Serving Suggestions:

Instructions

• If using whole chicken breasts, trim fat and cut into 6 equal portions/tenders. Take the 12 tenders and one by one, place into a quart size plastic storage bag, seal, and pound with a meat mallet until about 1” thick. Marinate chicken portions in buttermilk for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, grated parmesan cheese, cornstarch, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and salt. Whisk to combine.
• Remove chicken from buttermilk marinade to a separate platter and reserve liquid. Add buttermilk marinade, 1 tbs at a time to the dry mixture and stir in with a fork, until small clumps form.
• Combine remaining buttermilk marinade with 2 beaten eggs.
• Season each piece of chicken lightly with salt and pepper.
• Dredge: Dip each piece of chicken into the flour mixture, then into the egg/buttermilk mixture, then back into the flour mixture. Repeat until all pieces of chicken are well coated, placing each finished piece of chicken onto a dry platter until ready to fry.
• While you are dredging the chicken, heat canola oil in a deep frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium/high heat, using enough to fill the pan about 2”. Heat oil for 3-5 minutes, until shimmering. Oil is ready when a pinch of the flour mixture sizzles immediately upon entry to pan.
• Using tongs (Careful, oil will be hot!) place chicken pieces one by one into the pan to fry, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Allow 3-4 minutes per side (you should start to see browning around the edges when chicken is ready to flip over). When chicken is fully browned, remove to a cooling rack set over a cookie sheet and allow to cool. Repeat until all chicken is fried, lowering heat if necessary if chicken begins to brown too quickly. Allow cooked chicken to cool 5 minutes and enjoy!
• If making Honey mustard, stir all ingredients and enjoy!

*Substitutions:
If you don’t have/don’t feel like buying buttermilk, you can use any milk you have on hand, and just add a bit of lemon juice or vinegar (about 1 tbs to 2 cups of milk) and let it sit for 5 minutes, and voila!

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