Southern Fried Chicken

Name: Southern Fried Chicken
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

A global fried chicken showdown. Joshua Weissman finds out who does it best.

Prep

15 minutes

Cook

5 minutes

Total

20 minutes

Serves

people

Ingredients

Marinade:

Dredge:

In a large mixing bowl whisk together buttermilk, MSG, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and white pepper until thoroughly combined. Add your chicken and toss by hand making sure the chicken is fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In a separate large mixing bowl whisk together flour, salt, MSG, garlic powder, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Working two at a time, press your marinated chicken into your dredge until completely coated. Shake off the excess starch and place your chicken on a flour dusted sheet tray.
Fill a 6 quart Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot with vegetable oil and heat to 350°F (175°C). Once the oil is hot, add the chicken, working in batches, and fry, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. The internal temperature should read 165°F (75°C). Using a spider, transfer cooked chicken to a wire rack lined baking tray to drain off excess oil and season with salt to taste. Serve and enjoy.