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At a glance: Tallow Fried Chicken — Crispy Southern Style: serves 4, cooked in tallow, with no seed oils.
Southern fried chicken was cooked in lard until the 1970s, when Crisco and vegetable shortening replaced animal fats in American home and restaurant cooking. The tallow version is more historically accurate and produces a crust that lard and tallow fans have always claimed is crispier, holds longer, and tastes of something rather than nothing.
The key variables: buttermilk brine (minimum 8 hours), aggressive seasoning in the flour, and temperature control. Tallow at 325°F cooks the chicken through slowly enough that the interior reaches safe temperature before the crust is overcooked.
Tallow Fried Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (or 4 thighs and 4 drumsticks), cut into pieces
- For the brine: 500ml (2 cups) buttermilk, 1 tbsp sea salt, 1 tsp garlic powder
- For the coating: 250g (2 cups) plain flour, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp black pepper, ½ tsp cayenne
- 600ml (2½ cups) beef tallow for frying
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South Chicago Packing Wagyu Beef Tallow- Lodge 5-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Method
- Combine the buttermilk, salt, and garlic powder. Submerge the chicken pieces. Refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours, ideally 24 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the brine and allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Combine all coating ingredients in a large bowl.
- Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour coating, pressing firmly to adhere. Shake off excess. Allow to rest on a rack for 10 minutes — this helps the coating stick.
- Heat the tallow in a large Dutch oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Fry the chicken in batches — do not crowd. Cook for 12-15 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the coating is deep golden and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Transfer to a rack (not paper towel). Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Why tallow for fried chicken?
Tallow at 325°F produces the Maillard compounds specific to beef fat that make the crust taste savoury and complex rather than neutral. The crust also remains crisper longer as saturated fat solidifies rather than seeping back into the breading.
Is fried chicken seed oil free?
Yes with tallow. Most restaurant and commercial fried chicken uses soybean or canola oil.
Can I use lard?
Yes — lard is equally excellent and more traditionally accurate to Southern fried chicken. Use the same technique.
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