Mustard Fried Chicken
Extra juicy, super crunchy, and deliciously flavorful, this recipe for mustard fried chicken makes quite possibly the best homemade fried chicken ever! Marinated chicken is coated in a beautifully-seasoned flour breading and then pan-fried until golden and crispy. It’s the ultimate Southern comfort food!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- The flavor of mustard fried chicken is absolutely unbeatable! A touch of cayenne, garlic powder, and pepper in the breading give the chicken skin so much flavor. Of course, that’s encasing the actual chicken meat, marinated in a rich, garlicky mustard. The fried chicken doesn’t taste mustardy at all, though.
- Marinating the chicken in mustard makes the meat extra tender and extra juicy. The acidity of the mustard tenderizes the chicken, so it’s less likely to dry out during cooking. If you’ve ever marinated chicken in buttermilk or lemon juice, it’s the same principle!
Chef’s Tips
- Make sure you don’t marinate the chicken in mustard too long or the acid will start to break down the meat, making it mushy.
- Leftover mustard fried chicken? Not a problem! Refrigerate it in an airtight container, then reheat the chicken in the air fryer to get the skin nice and crispy again!
More Delicious, Cheap Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Ranchero
- Air Fryer Frozen Popcorn Chicken
- Ground Chicken Soup
- Chicken Savoy
- Blackened Chicken Sandwich
- Marry Me Chicken Pasta
- Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken in the Air Fryer
- Chicken Almondine
- Air Fryer Chicken Katsu
- Rattlesnake Pasta
- Ultimate Chicken Casserole
- 5-Ingredient Air Fryer Flautas
- One Pan Chicken and Rice
Equipment
- medium mixing bowl (see Notes)
- 2 whisks
- extra-large vacuum seal bag (see Notes)
- vacuum sealer (see Notes)
- refrigerator
- large baking sheet
- wax paper (or clean dish towel(s))
- large mixing bowl
- gallon-size sealable bag
- 12-inch cast-iron skillet
- deep fry thermometer (optional)
- tongs
- internal meat thermometer
- paper towels
- wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 6 pounds bone-in chicken (chicken breasts, legs, thighs, etc.; with or without skin)
For the Mustard Marinade
- 1 cup classic yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
For the Breading
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon salt (more or less to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (more or less to taste)
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
To Fry the Chicken
- vegetable oil (2 quarts (64 ounces), more or less as needed)
Instructions
To Marinate the Chicken
- Add 1 cup classic yellow mustard, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper to medium mixing bowl. Whisk ingredients together until fully incorporated.
- Place 6 pounds bone-in chicken in vacuum bag. Pour marinade into bag and toss, turn, and massage bag until chicken is fully coated in mustard mixture.
- Vacuum seal bag, then place bag in refrigerator. Marinate chicken 2 hours.
To Bread the Chicken
- After 2 hours, line large baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. Set baking sheet aside.
- Add 4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ tablespoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to large mixing bowl. Whisk ingredients together until fully incorporated.
- Transfer 1 to 3 marinated chicken pieces from vacuum bag to gallon-size sealable bag. Add small amount of flour mixture to bag with chicken.
- Seal bag, then toss, turn, and flip bag until chicken pieces are fully coated in flour.
- Remove chicken pieces from bag and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining chicken pieces until all chicken has been breaded.
- Cover chicken with wax paper or clean dish towel(s). Let chicken rest until flour develops wet, paste-like consistency.
To Fry the Chicken
- Place large cast-iron skillet on stovetop over high heat. Add enough vegetable oil to cover pan completely, then continue heating pan until oil is hot, approximately 5 minutes. Test oil with deep fry thermometer or by sprinkling dry flour on top of oil. Oil should register 350° Fahrenheit according to deep fry thermometer. Flour should make oil bubble rapidly but not violently.
- When oil is ready, place 2 to 3 pieces chicken in skillet. Fry chicken 2 minutes, then flip chicken over and fry 2 minutes more.
- Continue frying chicken, flipping pieces every 2 minutes, approximately 15 minutes total or until breading is golden and crispy and chicken reaches 160° Fahrenheit internally.
- While frying chicken, arrange 2 to 3 layers of paper towels on counter or large plate. Place wire cooling rack over paper towels.
- Once chicken is ready, transfer fried chicken to wire cooling rack. Repeat process with remaining breaded until all chicken has been fried. Add oil to skillet as needed, allowing oil to come to temperature before adding chicken.
- When all chicken has been fried and allowed to rest at least 5 minutes, serve chicken warm with desired sides.
Notes
- Vacuum Sealer Alternative: Add the marinade ingredients directly to a large container. Whisk the ingredients together until combined, then place the chicken pieces in the container. Make sure chicken is fully coated in marinade, then cover container tightly with lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate chicken 2 hours.
Recipe costs provided are approximate. Actual cost per recipe & serving will vary by location, store, brand, etc. Approximate cost shown does not include costs for any optional ingredients.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 876kcal | Protein: 54g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 283mg | Sodium: 2019mg | Potassium: 654mg | Total Carbs: 49g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 0.5g | Added Sugars: 0g | Sugar Alcohols: 0g | Erythritol: 0g | Allulose: 0g | Net Carbs: 45g | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 46mg
Nutrition Disclaimer
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes. Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used. To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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