Einkorn Fried Chicken

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I’m from the south, but frying chicken is something I’ve only recently mastered. Now that I’ve perfected my recipe as any true southerner should, I am pleased to share it with you. Einkorn Fried Chicken is simply chicken fried in lard using healthy flour, so don’t let the name intimidate you if you have no clue what Einkorn is (I shall explain).

You don’t have to use Einkorn flour.

I have been on an Einkorn “kick” lately – and it’s also been my mission to perfect fried chicken – thus, Einkorn Fried Chicken was born. You don’t have to use Einkorn flour, though. Any flour will do but if you can, use a fresh milled grain. Check out my article Homemade Flour from Whole Grains if you’re wondering why this is important to your health.

Aren’t fried foods bad for you?

No! Fried foods don’t have to be “bad” for you. It depends on what you are frying them in. The two healthy fats that I use and recommend for frying are lard and tallow. If you’re still living in the “fat is bad” era, read/listen as to why we need animal fats. I love lard because it’s neutrally flavored, is heat stable, and nothing about it leaves me feeling heavy or bloated. My 96 year old great aunt says that eating lard weekly is her secret to feeling great… I think I’ll follow in her footsteps!

The Whole Chicken

We raise our own meat birds, and before we did that we bought frozen whole chickens that had been reared on actual pasture (not the tiny square footage that marketers fool you into believing is beneficial), eating an omnivorous diet, and living happy lives. There is something ancestral and human about consuming the entire animal.

There is nothing flippant about taking a life, any life, even an animal’s life. All life is sacred. For something to live something must die. If you are going to eat meat, I encourage you to eat the whole animal. It deserves the dignity of utilizing every piece.

Ok, I’m stepping off my philosophical soapbox.

I have a video on How to Cut a Whole Chicken, give it a watch if you’ve never done this before. If you’re new to the healthy eating/homesteading lifestyle like I was a few years back, I see you. I remember finally feeling like a homesteader when I cut my first chicken. I was nervous, it took way too long, and I watched a handful of videos before whetting my knife.

And then I jumped in.

It’s now almost a weekly routine. I can turn a chicken into multiple meals plus make a few gallons of fresh stock to put away. If you’re curious about this whole process, check out my article How to Boil a Whole Chicken for more details. When I make fried chicken, I use the breasts and tenders for another meal like (our favorite) Chicken Caesar Salad, Chicken Parmesan, BBQ Chicken Nachos, Pad Thai, or an easy quesadilla and then I use the rest of the bird to fry.

Now that we’ve talked ingredients, let’s dive in.

Place the chicken parts (like I mentioned above, I use thighs, wings, and drums for frying) in a colander or drying rack and allow them to come to room temperature. It really must be at room temperature or the outside will burn when you cook it.

Mix together the flour and seasonings in a medium sized bowl and set this aside. All ingredient measurements are listed below.

Melt the lard or tallow in a 12″ cast iron pan, braising dish, or similar sized pan with sides. There should be enough lard to cover the chicken roughly halfway. Add more if there isn’t enough. When the lard is between 350 – 360℉, it’s ready.

The temperature of the lard is important. When you add in the chicken, the temperature will drop. I usually will turn the burner up when adding the meat, and turn it down as it cooks and everything rises in temperature. To keep a close eye on the temperature, use a thermometer like this one and let it rest in the lard while the chicken cooks.

Once the lard is at temperature, dip the chicken pieces into the flour mixture one at a time and carefully add them to the pan. When chicken hits the lard, it should sizzle.

The order in which you add the chicken matters. Start with the drums first because they are the thickest, followed by the thighs, and lastly the wings. Wait to add the wings for 5-7 minutes, after the thighs and drums have had a chance to cook awhile. (If you are including tenders or breasts, add those with the wings as they will also cook quickly.)

Make sure the temperature of the lard is kept between 350 – 360℉ and cook chicken until the center of each piece has reach 165℉. (Use the same digital thermometer to check both the lard and the meat.)

Also, take note of the “hot spots” on your burner (usually one side of the pan will get hotter if your stove has any type of “lean” to it) and move the chicken around appropriately so everything cooks evenly. There are three “secrets” to fried chicken: it needs to be at room temperature when it hits the grease, it has to be moved around slightly so it doesn’t cook in one place too long, and you have to hold your mouth right.

When the chicken is done, use tongs to remove it from the pan and place it on a clean drying rack or a plate covered with a paper towel. Serve it warm with your favorite sides like creamed corn or mac and cheese. We also love eating fried chicken with green olives and a touch of honey.

Leave a comment below letting me know if you tried this recipe and what you thought! What are your favorite sides to serve with fried chicken?

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