Maryland Fried Chicken With White Gravy Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

Covering the pan partway through frying helps the chicken cook evenly; a few minutes uncovered afterwards guarantees a crispy exterior.
A simple white gravy made in the same skillet takes this fried chicken to a whole new level of indulgence.

Until a couple weeks ago, I had never heard of Maryland fried chicken, which is embarrassing given that I consider myself an honorary Marylander as far as food is concerned. See, my mom grew up in Maryland, down on the Eastern Shore in a tiny farming town of about two hundred. Even though I was born and bred in Brooklyn, she had me picking crabs from the moment I had the dexterity to hand-feed myself, and taught me to shun over-breaded crab cakes before I even had the teeth to chew them. She even made sure to instruct me on the finer points of how to make beaten biscuits with the blunt side of an axe and a tree stump, even though I had no hope of finding my own axe and tree stump in New York City to beat my own.

So when, over the holiday, I picked up andrestored a vintage cast iron skillet, and then queried my Facebook friends for suggestions on how to inaugurate it, I was totally at a loss when my Aunt Susan replied that I should make Maryland fried chicken. Why had I never heard of this stuff?

I set to work researching it, while my aunt reached out to old Maryland friends for their input. The first thing I discovered is that, like many regional culinary icons, there are many, many versions of this dish, with each household doing it a little differently. Here's what one of my aunt's former classmates had to say:

"As for Maryland fried chicken...hmmm, a tough one. I can only respond by stating how my mother fixed it (then again, she grew up in Pennsylvania!). I do know she dipped it in milk, dredged it in flour, salt and pepper, then fried it in very hot lard until it was golden brown. The finishing touch was to put a small amount of water (a tablespoon or so) in the skillet, cover it, and "braise" it until the water disappeared and the chicken "crisped." Then came the gravy made in the skillet, scraping up the residue with some milk and adding a water-and-flour combo until slightly thickened. I have no idea what made it Maryland fried chicken, but I venture a couple of guesses...the chicken was what we now call organic, the lack of seasonings, the braising...overall, simple preparations."

That lines up somewhat well with the recipe in my copy ofCooking in the Chesapeake County, a community cookbook published in 1967 by theGalena Volunteer Fire Department. It describes dredging the chicken in a coating of flour seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, frying it in a deep layer of fat until browned, adding that same small amount of water mentioned above, and covering and steaming until tender. It's then fried for a few more minutes uncovered until crisp, but strangely there's no mention of the gravy.

Maryland Fried Chicken With White Gravy Recipe (1)

That gravy, though, seems to be a feature in most of the other sources I've come across, and is one of the details that makes this fried chicken different from most others out there, so I'm considering it essential. In some ways, the gravy makes Maryland fried chicken surprisingly similar tochicken-fried steak, except with chicken instead of steak. (I had always wondered why chicken-fried chicken didn't exist...turns out it does, as Maryland fried chicken.)

Most sources also agree that lard is the fat to use if you want the most traditional flavor. For ease, I fried it in vegetable oil in my recipe, since that's what most of us keep on hand, but if you have lard, consider using it here.

Two other details pop up regularly in descriptions of Maryland fried chicken: First, it's common for people to insist that the chicken must be a good quality, free-range one, given the dish's old-time farm origins, but that could also be said of just about any recipe that's been around longer than industrial agriculture. Regardless, it's just a generally good tip; for reasons too lengthy to list here, I think we should always try to buy the best quality chicken we can afford. The other is that acast iron skilletis the most authentic cooking vessel for the recipe; this is a pretty common tip with fried chicken in general, and I see no reason to disagree with it—I love cast iron.

Let's take a closer look at the recipe.

The Coating

A lot of fried chicken recipes use either a batter or a multi-part dredge that includes egg, flour, and sometimes milk, which forms a thicker fried coating. Maryland fried chicken, on the other hand, uses a much simpler coating, often nothing more than seasoned flour. I kept mine very simple with just salt and pepper, but garlic powder, Old Bay, or cayenne would be nice touches if you want to go a more assertive route.

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Frying the Chicken

Recipes differ to some extent on how to approach this. Aside from the fat itself, which I discussed above, I saw some recipes that called for a deep layer of fat, while others insisted on a shallow layer. Meanwhile, many suggested adding a tiny bit of water—a tablespoon or two—midway through cooking, and then covering the chicken to steam, before uncovering and allowing it to crisp for the last few minutes.

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Against my better judgement, I tried adding the water in one of my test batches and almost lit my kitchen on fire from the explosion of violently spattering oil. I don't think it's a great idea, and I also don't think it's necessary; covering the pan for a portion of the frying traps more than enough of the steam generated by the chicken without pouring in additional water. I have a few theories about what this covering/steaming step accomplishes, the main one being that it helps the chicken cook more evenly despite its not being fully submerged in oil. It essentially helps simulate the benefit of deep-frying without having to use nearly as much oil. I haven't tested it, but I wouldn't be surprised if it also ensures extra juiciness in the meat as compared to a lengthier period of uncovered shallow frying.

Maryland Fried Chicken With White Gravy Recipe (4)

Covering and steaming may seem antithetical to the goals of frying, but it's pretty amazing how crispy the chicken ends up after the final minutes of cooking while uncovered.

I also settled on a shallow layer of fat: Given the covering step, I didn't see the benefit of pouring more than a quarter inch into the pan.

The Gravy

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Once the chicken is fried, I transfer it to a preheated oven to keep warm and quickly whip up the gravy. I start by pouring out the fat in the skillet—you should see some brown bits.

Following the basic method of a white sauce, I melt butter in the pan, scraping up those browned bits.

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Then I add flour and whisk it into the butter to make a paste.

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I cook it, whisking, until some of the raw flour smell has cooked off.

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Then I add milk, whisking to blend. I let that simmer until the gravy is just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, then season it with salt and plenty of black pepper.

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Once the gravy is ready, it's time to eat.

Maryland Fried Chicken With White Gravy Recipe (10)

Don't wait—eat it fast and passionately. This won't get any better sitting around being gawked at.

Maryland Fried Chicken With White Gravy Recipe (11)

January 2015

Recipe Details

Maryland Fried Chicken With White Gravy Recipe

Active30 mins

Total30 mins

Serves4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), cut into 8 serving pieces, backbone reserved (see note)
Vegetable oil or lard, for frying
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups whole milk
Corn on the cob, white bread with butter, and mashed potatoes, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 200°F (90°C). In a shallow bowl, season flour with salt and pepper. Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper and dredge each piece in flour, shaking off excess. Reserve seasoned flour.
In a large cast iron or heavy nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 inch oil over high heat to 350°F (177°C). Carefully lay chicken pieces in hot oil, skin side down, and fry until lightly browned, 1-2 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken and brown lightly on other side. Turn chicken once more so that it's skin side down again and cover skillet. Cook, covered, for 2 minutes. Remove cover and continue frying chicken, turning as necessary, until well browned on both sides and just cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt. Transfer to oven to keep warm.
Pour off grease into a heatproof container and return skillet to burner. Lower heat to medium-high, add butter, and cook until melted and foamy, whisking to scrape up any browned bits. Add 2 tablespoons of reserved seasoned flour, whisking to form a paste. Whisk in milk and cook until a smooth gravy forms that coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Season gravy with salt and a generous amount of black pepper.
Load chicken onto plates and pour gravy on top. Serve with sides like ears of corn, soft white bread and butter, and mashed potatoes.

Special Equipment

Large cast iron skillet, whisk

Notes

The chicken backbone can be set aside to later make a flavorful stock.

Chicken-Fried Chicken With Cream Gravy
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Maryland Fried Chicken With White Gravy Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the best flour to use for fried chicken? ›

All-purpose flour gives the buttermilk and seasonings something to stick to, while ensuring a wonderfully crispy crust. This crispy fried chicken recipe calls for paprika (which helps with browning), salt, and pepper. You can add more spices and seasonings to taste.

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What's the best oil for fried chicken? ›

Canola Oil

Benefits: With a high smoke point and neutral flavor, canola oil is excellent for frying chicken. As an added bonus, it has high levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which makes it healthier than other options.

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What is the sauce traditionally served along with chicken maryland made of? ›

Chicken Maryland is an American dish that is basically a combination of Southern fried chicken and cream gravy. The gravy is usually made with a mixture of flour, chicken stock, heavy cream, salt, and pepper.

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What is typically served with fried chicken Maryland? ›

In its home base, the food dish consists of fried chicken served with a cream gravy. It is traditionally garnished with bananas, which were historically one of Baltimore's leading imports. Chicken Maryland with bacon, corn, banana, chick peas, cannelloni beans, fresh mint, wine and cream.

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Should you coat chicken in flour before frying? ›

For the most flavorful Skillet-Fried Chicken, make sure to completely coat the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour. Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels before dredging. For best results, pat cut-up chicken dry with paper towels before dredging in seasoned flour to help coat pieces.

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Which flour gives crispy batter? ›

Rice flour and cornstarch work particularly well because they fry up crispier than wheat flour. They also absorb less moisture and fat during the frying process, making the products less greasy. This is why rice flour is often used when making tempura because it produces a very thin and crispy, dry crust.

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What oil does KFC use? ›

KFC products are fried in oil which may contain the following: Canola Oil and Hydrogenated Soybean Oil with TBHQ and Citric Acid Added To Protect Flavor, Dimethylpolysiloxane, an Antifoaming Agent Added OR Low Linolenic Soybean Oil, TBHQ and Citric Acid Added To Protect Flavor, Dimethylpolysiloxane, an Antifoaming ...

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How long should chicken fry for? ›

This usually equates to around 10 minutes for wings and 12 minutes for breasts, thighs and legs. For the best tasting fried chicken with a beautifully even golden crumb, turn your chicken pieces with tongs (being careful not to splash yourself with hot oil) every 1 – 2 minutes.

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How many tablespoons of oil do I need to fry chicken? ›

To fry, heat 5 or 6 tablespoons of oil in a heavy skillet over a medium-high burner until the oil is very hot. Place the chicken pieces in the hot oil, skin side down, one piece at a time. Leave enough space between pieces so that they are not crowded. This allows the pieces to cook and brown more evenly.

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What makes maryland fried chicken different? ›

A take on the classic Southern dish, Maryland Fried Chicken is differentiated by covering the chicken in a pot while frying it and adding gravy, poured over the chicken.

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What is the white seasoning on fried chicken? ›

The white seasoning used on fried chicken typically includes a combination of ingredients such as salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and sometimes a hint of paprika. These ingredients work together to create a savory and flavorful coating for the chicken.

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What is Maryland's national dish? ›

Maryland – State Food: Crab

Maryland is known for its blue crabs that are fantastic freshly caught or as part of a crab cake.

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What's in a Chinese chicken Maryland? ›

Maryland Chicken is basically Southern Fried Chicken served with a cream gravy. (sometimes with pineapple and banana fritters.) In Australia, Chicken Maryland refers to a chicken leg with both thigh and drumstick attached.

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Can you use any type of flour for fried chicken? ›

You can use any flour to fry, and some will add Panko to the batter to make a little crunch. However, you can add cornstarch to your flour and get an even crispier chicken. Look for recipies that use a cornstarch and try and try it out.

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Is it better to fry chicken with all-purpose flour or self rising flour? ›

When most folks think of fried chicken, it's usually accompanied by the word "Southern." That's why it pays to take a few tips from Southern cooks.

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What is best for fried chicken cornstarch or flour? ›

Cornstarch will make your fried chicken better. A 50-50 split of all-purpose flour and cornstarch in your batter will leave you with an audibly crunchy, beautiful browned exterior. The corn adds a bit of golden color that all-purpose flour can't quite get to.