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Golden brown, crispy fried chicken bubbling away in melted shortening inside a heavy cast-iron skillet.

Classic Cast Iron Fried Chicken

A foolproof, vintage recipe for incredibly crispy and juicy fried chicken using a simple wet brine, seasoned flour, and shortening.
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Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces, approx 3-4 lbs
  • Crisco or preferred shortening enough for frying
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tbsp salt divided
  • 2 tbsp black pepper divided
  • 2 tbsp garlic powder divided
  • 2 tbsp onion powder divided
  • 2 tbsp paprika divided

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Shallow dish (for dredging)
  • Large, heavy cast-iron skillet with a tight-fitting lid
  • Tongs
  • Wire cooling rack

Method
 

  1. Brine the Chicken: In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups of water with 1 tbsp each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Submerge the chicken pieces, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  2. Prep the Flour: In a wide, shallow dish, whisk together the 2 cups of flour with the remaining 1 tbsp each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.
  3. Heat the Fat: Heat enough shortening in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat to come halfway up the sides of the chicken. The fat is ready when a pinch of flour sizzles aggressively.
  4. Dredge: Remove a piece of chicken from the wet brine (do not dry it) and place it directly into the seasoned flour. Toss to coat completely, pressing the flour into the skin. Shake off excess.
  5. Fry Covered: Carefully place the coated chicken into the hot skillet. Once all pieces are in and sizzling, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Fry for about 20 minutes on the first side.
  6. Flip and Finish: Carefully remove the lid (avoiding dripping water into the fat). Flip the chicken pieces over. Cover again and fry for another 15-20 minutes until deeply golden brown and cooked through (internal temp 165°F).
  7. Drain: Remove the chicken from the skillet and let rest on a wire rack to drain excess fat before serving.

Notes

Safety: Always lift the skillet lid away from you to prevent hot steam or water droplets from causing the grease to splatter.
Temperature: If the crust is browning too quickly before the center is cooked, lower your stove temperature slightly.