Every food culture has its fried chicken, and Spain’s version deserves far more fame than it gets: chicken marinated in lemon, garlic and pepper, then double-coated in flour and breadcrumbs for a shatteringly crisp crust with bright, garlicky meat underneath.
The lemon marinade is what sets it apart — it seasons the chicken all the way through and keeps it juicy in the fryer, the same trick Iberian cooks have used for generations.
It needs only pantry staples and a couple of hours of marinating patience. Serve it with fries and a salad, or do as Spanish families do and pile it on a platter in the middle of the table.
Spanish Fried Chicken Recipe
Prep time: 20 minutes (plus at least 45 minutes marinating) · Cook time: 15 minutes · Total: about 1½ hours · Servings: 4 · Calories: ~283 per serving
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces and cleaned
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Garlic powder, to taste
- Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Neutral oil for frying (canola, sunflower or similar)
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken with the lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or at least 45 minutes.
- Mix the flour and breadcrumbs with a pinch of salt and pepper in a wide dish.
- In another bowl, beat the egg with the milk.
- Heat plenty of oil in a skillet over high heat.
- Dip each piece of chicken in the egg-milk mixture, then in the flour-breadcrumb mixture.
- Fry until deeply golden and crisp, and cooked through at the bone.
Recipe Notes
- Rosemary, thyme, paprika or cumin in the marinade all work beautifully.
- Cayenne or hot sauce in the coating gives it a kick; crushed cornflakes or panko make it even crunchier.
- Brining the chicken first (salt + sugar + water, a few hours) keeps it extra juicy.
- Aioli is the natural Spanish dipping partner.
