Best Fourth Of July Fried Picnic Chicken Recipes

PICNIC FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pat chicken pieces with paper towels; place in large flat dish. Pour buttermilk over chicken; cover, and allow to soak at least 1 hour or overnight in refrigerator. , Combine coating ingredients in large shallow dish. Add chicken pieces, one at a time, and turn to coat well. Lay coated pieces on waxed paper for 15 minutes to allow coating to dry (will cling better in frying)., In a Dutch oven or other deep skillet, heat 1/2 in. oil over medium heat to 350°. Fry chicken, uncovered, until coating is dark golden brown and meat is no longer pink, turning occasionally, 7-8 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

FOURTH OF JULY FRIED PICNIC CHICKEN

Steps:

• 1. MARINADE: • 1 Fryer Chicken cut into 8 pieces, skin on, trimmed of excess fat [if you have additional drumsticks or breasts, use them--- it's the best out of the bunch!] • Buttermilk [enough to cover & marinate the chicken in a glass baking dish or bowl] • Apple Cider Vinegar [1 tablespoon per piece of chicken used in the marinating process] • Louisiana Hot Sauce [1 dash per piece of chicken during marinating--- personally, I prefer Crystal® Brand] • 3 tablespoons Kosher Salt • Peanut Oil [approximately ¾ gallon] • 8 to 10 slices toasted Wonder® White Bread
• 2. SEASONED FLOUR: • 1 cup Bisquick® Baking Mix • 1 tablespoon Cornstarch • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal® Salt [fine] • 1 teaspoon Ground White Pepper • 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 3. BATTER: • 1 cup Bisquick® Baking Mix • ½ cup Self Rising Flour • 1¼ cup Whole Milk • 3 tablespoons Accent® Seasoning • 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt • 1 tablespoon Cracked Black Pepper • 1 teaspoon Chili Powder • 1 teaspoon Garlic Salt • 1 teaspoon Dried Marjoram • ½ teaspoon Dried, Ground Sage • ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper • ½ teaspoon Turmeric
• 4. FINAL COAT: • 1 cup Medium Grind Bulgur Wheat • 1 ½ cups Campbell's® Condensed Chicken Broth, do not add 1 can water, use condensed • 15 Nabisco® Premium Saltine Crackers [Salted Tops] • 1 tablespoon Finely Ground Cornmeal • ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 5. STEP 1: • Place chicken pieces into glass baking dish [or bowl]. Spoon 1 tablespoon vinegar over each piece and then one dash Louisiana hot sauce. Cover entire chicken with buttermilk followed by a generous sprinkling of kosher salt over each individual part. Refrigerate/marinate for at least 10 hours; overnight is best.
• 6. STEP 2: • Create the "Final Coat" by bringing chicken broth to a boil. Add bulgur and cayenne, cover and set aside [off heat]. • When bulgur has absorbed all the broth [about 20 minutes]; if the bulgur is fluffy, but there is residual liquid, simply discard, and cover for a few more minutes. Remove lid and "fluff" with a fork, then folding in the cornmeal and the saltines [which have been crushed into fine crumbs], delicately combining the ingredients until it looks like wet sand. • Immediately proceed to "Step 3".
• 7. STEP 3: • Make the "Batter" by combining the Bisquick®, flour, milk, Accent®, salt, pepper and spices; mix until smooth. If the batter is not the consistency of pancake batter, either add more flour or milk. Set aside and proceed to "Step 4".
• 8. STEP 4: • Preheat peanut oil in large cast iron skillet to 280 to 300 degrees. • Remove chicken pieces from marinade and pat completely dry with paper towels. Discard used marinade. • Combine "Seasoned Flour" ingredients [Bisquick®, cornstarch, salt, white pepper and onion powder]. Coat each piece of chicken thoroughly and then dip each piece, completely covering with the batter. • After the first piece is battered, roll in the "Final Coat" and set aside. • Repeat until all the chicken is floured, battered and coated. Don't let chicken stand too long before proceeding to "Step 5".
• 9. STEP 5: • Using tongs, place chicken pieces in skillet; do not crowd, leaving at least 1" on all sides of the chicken. Because time is of the essence, my great-grandmother used two skillets frying simultaneously. I like to fry drumsticks and thighs together, and breasts and wings at the same time, the latter two parts frying the quickest. • Do not stir or move chicken around during this process; if the temperature is maintained, the oil will do all the work for you. • Fry for about 8 minutes and then turn each piece and continue to fry for another 5 to 9 minutes; you'll know when it's done . . . it's the color of heaven! Golden and glorious!
• 10. STEP 6: • Drain each piece of hot, fried chicken on a piece of toast [you'll thank me later!] and let stand for at least 5 minutes before service. I, however, love eating this delicacy straight from the icebox the next day. It's great for hangovers, too!

4TH OF JULY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Rinse chicken pieces, pat dry and place in a shallow dish for marinating.
• Pour buttermilk over chicken and marinate for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.
• Combine flour, salt, sage, paprika and pepper in paper bag.
• Add chicken and shake to cover.
• Dip chicken in egg and roll in breadcrumbs.
• Let stand for 15 minutes.
• Pour oil into large skillet to a depth of 1 inch and heat to 375°F or until water spatters when sprinkled on oil.
• Add chicken legs and thighs first.
• Fry until browned about 10-12 minutes before adding remaining pieces, frying another 10 minutes or until brown.
• Drain chicken on paper towels before serving.

PICNIC FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the honey giardiniera butter: Add the butter, honey and salt to taste to a bowl and mix until smooth. Stir in the giardiniera until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the chicken: Add the chicken thighs, reserved giardiniera brine and pickle brine to a plastic zip-top bag and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.
• When ready to fry the chicken, fill a Dutch oven halfway full with oil and heat to 350°F.
• Set up a dredging station: Pour the buttermilk into a large bowl and in a separate large bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, paprika, salt, pepper and cayenne until well combined. Use your tongs to drizzle some of the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture.
• Remove 1 or 2 pieces of the chicken from the brine at a time and submerge in the buttermilk. Add 1 piece of the buttermilk-soaked chicken at a time into the flour mixture and turn to completely coat the chicken. Transfer to a plate and repeat until all the remaining chicken is well coated.
• Add the chicken to the hot oil in batches, 2 or 3 pieces at a time, and cook until brown and crispy, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to a wire rack on a baking sheet to drain. Serve immediately with the giardiniera butter or let cool and store on a wire-rack on a sheet pan, lightly covered, in the fridge overnight. Serve at the picnic at room temp. Served with softened honey giardiniera butter.

OVEN-FRIED PICNIC CHICKEN

Steps:

• In large bowl, combine buttermilk and garlic. Add chicken pieces and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.
• Arrange rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Line large shallow baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking oil. In large bowl, combine bread crumbs, oregano, basil, marjoram, salt, and pepper; toss well to blend.
• Drain chicken and discard buttermilk. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken in bread crumbs until well coated, then place, skin side up, on baking sheet. Spray pieces lightly with cooking oil.
• Bake chicken until golden and cooked through, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
• Transportation tips:
• If you cook the chicken just before leaving, you can transport it warm, uncovered, in a basket lined with foil and paper towels. If you make it a day ahead, let it cool, then refrigerate it overnight. Pack the cold chicken in a covered plastic container lined with parchment paper.