When I ask “what do you love about summer” what would you say?
Is it your family enjoying the sun and relaxing at the beach?
Could it be the smell of fresh cut grass after your dad mowed the lawn?
Or maybe it’s the rich flavors of burgers and steaks from the BBQ grill?
Ah, memories.
For me, as a kid I remember my grandma’s pan fried chicken. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, and watermelon.
Delicious!
Summer just wasn’t the same without the chicken.
To help you bring scrumptious meals to your table, below you’ll find our family recipe for fried chicken in tallow which is sure to wow your family.
Bear in mind though, you will be on fried chicken duty from here on out (as I have now become).
Is tallow good for frying chicken?
Tallow is the key to this decadent meal and for good reason.
Tallow (or rendered beef fat) is a fully saturated fat that has a high smoke point of 420 lending itself well to high heat cooking, such as frying, due to its incredibly stable nature.
Unlike most vegetable and seed oils (such as soybean, canola, and peanut oils), tallow does not oxidate easily making whatever is cooked in it tastier, juicier, and frankly better for you.
For fried chicken, yes, tallow is the perfect fat to use as it creates a crispy breading you long for on the outside while keeping the inside meat moist, tender, and delightful.
You can’t go wrong cooking with tallow.
It’s our family’s go-to-fat for any frying or sautéing needs (besides the occasional helping of butter of course).
How many times can tallow be used?
Did you know you can use tallow you fried with more than once?
It’s true.
With breaded fried chicken like this recipe has it, you can reuse your tallow around 4 times before it needs to be replaced, or up to 8 times with cleaner or non-breaded food.
All you do is filter the melted tallow through a fine mesh sieve to remove the sediment built up from cooking, put the tallow back into a glass jar, and keep it on the counter or fridge for your next frying day.
Though with as much as your family will love this fried chicken, you won’t have to leave the tallow sitting for long.
Fried Chicken in Tallow Recipe
Ingredients:
For Buttermilk Brine:
- 1 Quart Buttermilk
- 3 Tablespoons Pink Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Tabasco
- 4 Christal Fields Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (2 – 2¼ LB)
- 4 Christal Fields Chicken Thighs (1½ – 1¾ LB)
To Coat and Fry:
- 2 Cups Self-Rising Flour
- 4 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- ½ Tablespoons Pink Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 3 1/2 Cups Tallow
SERVES 4-6
- Whisk together buttermilk, 3 tablespoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and Tabasco in a large bowl. Submerge chicken pieces in the brine and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 8 or up to 24 hours.
- When you are ready to fry, prepare two baking sheets fitted with wire racks.
- Whisk together flour, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and spread in an even layer in a shallow dish.
- Using one hand, pull one piece of chicken from the buttermilk brine, let some of the excess drip off, then add to the dredge. Using the other (dry) hand, generously press dredge into the chicken to coat. Set on one of the prepared wire racks. Repeat with remaining chicken.
- Heat tallow in No. 12 Skillet over medium heat until a thermometer reads 350˚F. Gently slip about half the chicken pieces into the hot tallow. The temperature will drop to 300˚F; adjust the heat accordingly to maintain 300˚F the whole time.
- Fry until deep golden brown, flipping after every 5 minutes to encourage even browning. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer reads 150˚F (it will continue cooking as it cools), about 12-14 minutes total. The thighs will be done in about 12 minutes and the breasts in 14 minutes. Remove the chicken to the clean prepared rack to cool.
- Return tallow to 350˚F. Repeat with remaining chicken, maintaining oil temperature of 300˚F as you go.
- Cool for about 10 minutes before enjoying.
What is your favorite part of summer?
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