Applebee’s Chicken Fried Chicken Recipe

Applebee’s Chicken Fried Chicken is a savory delight, featuring a tender and crispy breaded chicken breast served with a rich country gravy, embodying the classic American “chicken fried” comfort food experience.

Make our Applebee’s Chicken Fried Chicken Recipe at home. With our Secret Restaurant Recipe your Chicken Fried Chicken will taste just like Applebee’s.

Photo by Mark H. Anbinder

Chicken Fried – A Southern Culinary Tradition

“Chicken Fried,” a beloved cooking technique, is a Southern culinary tradition that has become a comfort food staple. Originating in the United States, particularly the Southern states, this method involves breading and frying meat, typically beef or chicken, in a manner similar to frying chicken. Two iconic dishes that showcase this technique are Chicken Fried Steak and Chicken Fried Chicken.

The history of “chicken fried” dishes can be traced to German immigrants who settled in Texas, bringing with them the tradition of pan-frying meats. As this culinary style blended with Southern influences, it gave rise to the quintessential comfort food we know today.

Chicken Fried Steak, often considered the epitome of Southern comfort, involves coating a tenderized beef steak with seasoned flour, followed by a dip in buttermilk and another coating of flour before being pan-fried to golden perfection. It is then typically smothered in creamy white gravy.

Similarly, Chicken Fried Chicken follows the same process, featuring a boneless chicken breast treated to the same flour and buttermilk bath before being fried to a crispy exterior.

This cooking style has become a hallmark of Southern cuisine, celebrated for its hearty and indulgent nature. It has transcended regional boundaries, finding its way onto menus across the United States. The “chicken fried” technique has even inspired variations, with some chefs adding unique twists to the breading or experimenting with different cuts of meat. Regardless of the variations, “chicken fried” dishes remain a cherished part of American culinary heritage, embodying a perfect union of crispy textures and savory flavors.

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Applebee's Chicken Fried Chicken Recipe

Applebee's Chicken Fried Chicken is a savory delight, featuring a tender and crispy breaded chicken breast served with a rich country gravy, embodying the classic American "chicken fried" comfort food experience. Make our Applebee's Chicken Fried Chicken Recipe at home. With our Secret Restaurant Recipe your Chicken Fried Chicken will taste just like Applebee's.

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Active Time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Southern

Keyword: Applebee's, Chicken Recipe, Fried

Ingredients

Chicken

• 2 pounds boneless skinless Chicken Breasts or Chicken Thighs
• Vegetable Oil for frying

Dusting

• 1 cup Whole-Wheat Flour
• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon granulated Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper

Coating

• 1 cup Whole-Wheat Flour
• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon granulated Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper

Country Gravy

• 3 cups Milk
• 1 cup Chicken Broth canned or from powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground Black Pepper
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup Cornstarch
• 1/3 cup cold Water

Batter

• 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup Whole-Wheat Flour
• 1 teaspoon granulated Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 2 teaspoons Paprika
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 1/2 cups Water

Instructions

Dusting (Use only ingredients under Dusting Heading)

• In a large bowl, add all ingredients. Mix well with a whisk. Set aside.

Coating (Use only ingredients under Coating Heading)

• In a large bowl, add all ingredients. Mix well with a whisk. Set aside.

Batter (Use only ingredients under Batter Heading)

• Add all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, garlic, onion powder, salt, baking powder, paprika and pepper to a large bowl. Mix with a whisk to combine.
• Add oil Add oil, eggs, milk and water. Beat mixture by hand or with an electric mixer until there are no lumps. Set aside.

Gravy (Use only ingredients under Gravy Heading)

• Place milk and chicken broth in a medium cooking pot. Place over low-medium heat. Stirring constantly, so as not to scorch the bottom, bring to a low simmer.
• Add garlic, onion powder, pepper and salt. Stir to mix.
• In a small bowl, add cornstarch and cold water. Stir and mix thoroughly until the starch is completely dissolved.
• Increase the heat of the gravy and gradually stir in the starch-water mixture as it bubbles and thickens.
• Reduce heat to low and keep warm.

Chicken Fried Chicken

• Add enough vegetable oil to a large skillet or fryer to reach a depth of 2 to 3 inches. Place over medium heat and heat to 350°F, as measured on a candy thermometer.
• Place a chicken breast or thigh into the dusting mixture. Turn to cover both sides with a thin layer.
• Then move to the batter. Turn to coat fully.
• Remove chicken from batter, allowing excess to drain off, and place in breading mixture. Turn and press to ensure a dry, but not excessively thick, coating.
• Place chicken in hot oil to fry . Bread a second piece and place in fryer or skillet, if it will fit comfortably. Do not crowd or coat before ready to fry.
• Fry chicken for about 8 minutes - The time will vary depending on equipment, the quantity of chicken and its thickness. Ensure the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 165°F as measured on a meat thermometer.
• Remove to a paper towel-covered plate to drain. Keep warm.
• Repeat with remaining chicken pieces, breading and frying immediately, until done.
• Heat gravy up to a good eating temperature.
• Place 1 or 2 prepared Chicken Fried Chicken pieces on a plate and smother with Country Gravy.
• Serve hot with Southern Side Dishes.

Applebee's Chicken Fried Chicken

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Photo of “Chicken Fried Chicken” is by Mark H. Anbinder and is used by permission under the Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) Creative Commons License. Read the Full License Here – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/legalcode. Photo of “Applebee’s” is by Mike Mozart and is used by permission under the Attribution 2.0 Generic Creative Commons License. Read the Full License Here – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode.en. Thank you, Mike Mozart. Great Picture. Photos may be “representative” of the recipe and not the actual finished dish. All photo licenses listed were correct at the time of the posting of the page. Thank you, Mark and Mike. Great Pictures. Photos may be “representative” of the recipe and not the actual finished dish. All photo licenses listed were correct at the time of the posting of the page. Recipe is our adaption of several recipes formally widely-circulated on the internet – courtesy of the Wayback Machine. Additional Information Courtesy of Wikipedia and is used by permission.