Paprika Fried Chicken
Submitted by laan
Paprika fried chicken with a crisp, smoky crust: chicken pieces dredged in paprika-seasoned flour and fried in deep oil until golden brown. Classic Southern fried chicken with a Hungarian twist.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
10 minREADY
30 minClassic fried chicken gets a Hungarian-style upgrade with a generous shake of paprika in the dredge and another sprinkle on top before serving. The result is a crust that’s not just crispy but also smoky-sweet and a beautiful brick-red color, the kind of fried chicken that draws stares the moment it hits the platter.
The oil temperature is the entire game. 375°F (190°C) is the magic number, hot enough to crisp the crust on contact and seal in the juices, but not so hot that the outside burns before the inside cooks. The bread cube test in the directions (browns in 20 seconds) is the no-thermometer way to gauge it accurately.
Don’t crowd the pan. The recipe makes the point twice for good reason: chicken pieces touching each other drop the oil temperature, lengthening cooking time and giving you greasy, soggy results. Fry in batches and keep finished pieces warm in a low oven.
A cast-iron skillet is the move for this kind of frying. Its thermal mass keeps the oil temperature stable when cold meat enters, where thinner pans crash and recover slowly.
Pro Tips
- Use Hungarian sweet paprika for authentic flavor, or smoked paprika for a deeper, BBQ-like profile.
- Let the dredged chicken rest 10 minutes before frying. The flour hydrates and adheres better, giving a crust that doesn’t slide off.
- Drain on a wire rack, not paper towels. Paper traps steam and softens the bottom of the crust.
- Fork-test for doneness near the thickest part. Juices should run clear, no pink.
Variations
- Swap half the flour for cornstarch for an even crispier crust.
- Add 1 tablespoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon cayenne to the dredge for spicier Southern-style.
- Marinate the chicken in buttermilk for 4 hours before dredging for a more tender, flavorful result.
Ingredients
Directions
Trim the excess fat and skin from each piece of chicken.
Sprinkle the pieces with salt and pepper.
Stir the flour and paprika together in a shallow bowl.
Dredge the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour to coat on all sides.
Shake off the excess flour.
Pour enough vegetable oil into a heavy deep skillet (cast-iron is perfect) to fill it to 2 inches.
Heat over medium heat to 375℉ (190℃). (A small cube of bread dropped in the dropped in the oil will brown in about 20 seconds.)
Add only as many of the chicken pieces as will fit without touching.
Overcrowding will lower the temperature of the oil and make your fried chicken greasy.
With a long-handled fork or tongs to prevent getting splattered, turn the chicken pieces until they are golden brown on all sides and cooked through, about 6 minutes.
The easiest way to tell if the chicken is cooked is to poke a fork down to the bone near the thickest part - if the chicken is cooked the juices will run clear, not pink.
Remove the chicken pieces from the skillet to drain.
If you have to fry the chicken in batches, keep the fried chicken warm on a baking sheet in a 250 F oven.
When all the chicken is fried, sprinkle the pieces with paprika and serve hot.
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