I must say, I have never had Church’s Fried Chicken… I don’t even know where there is a Church’s near me. lol Anyway, so many people e-mail me about this recipe, so I had to post it. I tried it last night and it was definitely the best fried chicken I’ve ever made at home. I served it with some homemade mashed potatoes and my Mom made her famous green bean casserole. I’d love to hear some feedback from some of you who have been to Church’s.
1 Tbs sugar
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 tsp seasoned salt
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup biscuit mix
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
1 envelope onion soup mix
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1 Chicken (Cut into Pieces)
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2 eggs, mix with
1/4 cup cold water
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1 cup corn oil (for frying)
Combine first set of ingredients in a 4-cup bowl. Mix to blend the ingredients thoroughly.
Dip the chicken pieces in egg mixture and then into dry coating mix and repeat so each piece is double coated.
Pre-heat the oil in a heavy skillet. Brown pieces skin-side down for 4 to 6 minutes. Use medium high heat.
Turn and brown underside of pieces a few minutes. Transfer to an oiled or Pam-sprayed pan. Cover with foil, sealing it on only 3 sides of pan.
Bake at 350F for about 45 to 50 minutes. Remove foil, then Bake another 5 minutes until the coating is crisp.
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Haven’t tried YOUR recipe yet, but if it’s as good as the Church’s in the nearby city of Beaumont, TX, it’s going to have to be really great!!! Can’t pass one without buying!!!
Church’s Chicken is good BUT, the ones here in Phenix City,Al & Columbus,Ga are to greasy.
This is a good tip. For better results… Soak the chicken in ice water for several hours before breading and frying.
Church’s chicken is very good . I was told by an x employee that they soak the chicken overnight in cold salted water . I haven’t tried this recipe yet but will soon .
Sue
There are a number of Church’s Chicken sites in Phoenix, AZ. It’s my favorite, bar none. I like the thigh’s best with a jalapeno pepper. Awesome!
I did this one last night and it came out
W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-l! Thanks so much!
Debra
Web Mistres
Secret Treasures of the Barefoot Cafe
I think Church’s chicken is greasy everywhere! I think that’s what makes it so good! I like it because it’s crispy outside and moist inside. The crispy skin is what sets it apart from KFC and Bo’s.Church’s is so popular here, they sometimes run out of chicken on Sunday afternoons. I like it best with fries, okra, jalapenos and dinner rolls. I’m using this recipe for an Easter cookout.
I’ve had Church’s Fried chick many times and this recipe is darn close to the real thing. If you put this chicken in a Church’s chicken box you’ll fool almost everyone
.
Here in NY, their are many Church’s Chicken / White Castle combo restaurants. We also have many Burger King/Popeye’s, KFC/Taco Bell and KFC/Pizza Hut combo restaurants. I don’t like these combo joints because I think they should focus on one thing. I guess real estate is so expensive here that combo restaurants make sense.
I’m going to open up a McDonald’s/Jenny Craig combo. LOL
Ron
I made this recipe for my family and my son said that it was the best breaded chicken he has ever eaten. I also use skinless chicken pieces and it comes out great. I’ll have to try soaking it in salted cold water and see if it makes any difference. I put the pieces in the deep fryer until I got the color I wanted, then I put the pieces in the oven at 350 to cook it the rest of the way. I’ve never even heard of Church’s.
I live in Dallas Tx. an I have a Church’s Fried chicken just down the street. But I wood much rather make this recipe, why wast the money. This is the BEST recipe for fried chicken I have ever seen. Thank you
Made this chicken this evening (March 30th) and thought it was lousy. The chicken was cooked very nice, but the batter was terrible. I am not an American and have a better appreciation for food in Canada. Will stay with the traditional way of roasting chicken. Thank-you.
I tried this recipe the other night because it sounded flavorful and different. I thought it was delicious! The coating was crisp without a hint of grease and the chicken was tender and moist. We don’t have Church’s fried chicken in RI so I’ve never had it before but this was great.
We ate the leftovers cold the next day and it definitely was not as good. Next time i’d pop leftovers in the oven to crisp up a bit before serving.
I live in the south and we have Church’s Chicken all over the place. When I go by one, I have to stop just for a piece of chicken and their okra. The chicken is divine. Definitely the juiciest meat you will ever find. I won’t eat the skin on any chicken, not even my own, but I have to say Church’s chicken is different. I usually only have the bone left.
I live in Florida where Church’s Chicken is very popular. Their chicken is great, and I cannot wait to try it at home. However, their mushrooms are even better then their chicken. I would appreciate you posting the mushroom recipe if you can find it. It will be a big hit on your site.
Hmmmm… This was probably the most dissappointing thing I have ever tried to prepare. I am not a novice cook. I am a typical home cook that prepares meals on a regualar basis. That said, the chicken was so so so not worth the trouble. The breading tastes strangely like onion ring breading. IN fact the chicken actually tastes like onion rings. The coating was SOAKED in grease, and pretty much fell off the chicken onto the plate. This may be a good BASE recipe that needs a LOT of tweaking…. But it is certainly not worth the extra time, and ingredients!
I live in Arizona where there are plenty of Church’s Chicken restaurants, especially in Phoenix. However, your recipe, although tasty, doesn’t “copy cat” the flavor or texture of Church’s chicken at all.
Church’s chicken is the best, nice and crisp on the outside and the inside is moist. If we are near a Church’s Chicken while traveling about noon we stop and get the 8 piece which is 2 meals for us. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe and would be happy if it comes out half as good.
I am looking for the recipe for Churches OKRA!! OMG Ive been away since the 70′s and S-T-I-L-L remember stuffing my face
I’m looking for Church’s “Spicy Sprinkles” recipe. It’s a condiment packet that they used to give out with their chicken. Used my last packet recently and no Florida stores are ordering it from the company. All my nearby Church’s are franchises that are reducing $/inventory so no more Spicy Sprinkles.
Anyone?
here’s in the philippines have three brances of church’s chicken…never tried it though i’m planning to go on this weekend to try the original recipes chicken had! i think it’s way better to have jalapeños on the side! wooooooooooooh! i’m craving now! haha…way cool
Tried this recepie after seeing so many times in different places. Turned out being a soggy greasy mess even after allowing 15min to “crisp”. Then went back in oven another 10min at 400 and a little better. Maybe I missed something. Might be better cooked on a rack? Taste was just OK and certainly not anything close to Churches Chicken.
When we lived in Houston, TX, the man who started Church’s Chicken was my next door neighbor. We were like his “test subjects”. Boy, do I love Church’s Chicken. For those of you who haven’t tried Church’s Chicken, YOU ARE MISSING OUT!!! It is by far the BEST!!! Thanks for posting this.
I love Churchs fried chicken but this was NOTHING like it. Fed it to the dogs.
OY! Churches used to have wonderful deep fried Okra and gizzards. OMG! to die for!!! I am in a state that does not have any of this and I would LOVE to have the recipe for them.
OY! Churches used to have wonderful deep fried Okra and gizzards. OMG! to die for!!! I am in a state that does not have any of this and I would LOVE to have the recipe for them!!! I am drooling just thinking of them.
Hey, I have a fried chicken recipe, too! Chinese style fried chicken wings. Do visit my blog and give it a try! Add me to your blogroll, please…
I will definitely try this. I used to be crazy about Church’s Chicken and always wondered how they made it. They’re use to be plenty of them here in Chicago. They are famous (at least with us) for their wonderfully seasoned, and extra crispy batter and moistness. We love their batter covered mushroom too. If this recipe even comes close, I’ll be happy!
I just got done making this chicken recipe. It was definetly good but nothing like Church’s chicken. I love Church’s chicken and I was so hoping that it would taste like it since I have to drive 20 miles to get to a Church’s.
[...] I was trying to dig around for other recipes using condiment packages, but didn’t find a lot. There’s a chicken wrap for backpackers and a copycat version of Church’s chicken. [...]
My sister and I were the first to try Church’s Chicken
when they were putting a franchise here in Dayton OH. We are southern girls and would never tell our mom it was as good as hers. We only have a couple left here.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I always cook my chicken in a pressure fryer. Hope it works well for this recipe..
hi, what’s a good brand of italian dressing mix and onion soup mix to use?
also, what is a seasoned salt?
some suggested an overnight soak in cold salted water, how much salt is required?
If you have had Churches Chicken and liked it you are going to be very dissapointed in this. Not worth the trouble at all. Soaking in saltwater (brining) is poplar. Makes chicken and pork plump. Anywhere from a cup of salt per quart to a cup per gal depending on how long you want to brine. Google brining for many hints. Hope this helps.
Easy Chicken Gravy
3 tablespoons butter
3 to 3 1/2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
In a heavy sauce pan, melt butter and add flour. Stir to combine with a whisk. Cook until a light carmel color, stirring often. Slowly add chicken broth, stirring all the while, until thickened. Serve over mashed potatoes, chicken or biscuits. Enjoy!
Does anyone know where I can get the copy cat recipe for the Jalapeno Sauce? Love that stuff but our Church’s rarely has it.
Thanks.
I will be trying this recipe tonight i will let everyone know how it turns out.
Thanks
Im laughing reading all of these so called Church’s chicken recipes. Not a one of them is correct. I worked at Church’s a few summers ago. The way they make their chicken is to keep the chicken’ in a fridge just on the upside of freezing. When they are ready to cook the chicken they spread the chicken out in a sifter pan. Spray it with cold water and add a Flour and season mix. The seasons are the key, Paprika , sugar, Salt and peper, onion powder and two more the cook couldnt proonouce. Once the chicken is wet, then dump half your flour mixture over it. Sift it by turning the chicken by hand!! not in a bag! Leave sit for three minutes and repeat. Now dump it in Oil and deep fry it for 17-19 Minutes in 350 degree oil. To make it spicy just add extra of the spicier seasonings. Its basicaly the same. As for why your chicken doesnt taste the same. Thats cause Church’s uses the same fryers for all their food, so they are also cooking fried okra, poppers, friends, pies,and chicken paties in there too and those juices are mixing with the chicken. I cant believe no one has realized that, lol
Tried this recipe last night. Although it was tasty, it wasn’t anything like the Church’s fried chicken that I remember. First off, the breading was way too thick and heavy. Church’s was good because the breading was light and not over-seasoned like KFC. I will try again with the same breading mix, but I will use the former employee’s advice and not use an egg dip. I will also use my deep fryer next time. Thanks for the insider info “Former Employee”!
Church’s Chicken
They purchase a Seasoning blend(Garlic, Salt,pepper and other seasonings)Key to good tasting chicken is Garlic. they add to Cold water to marinate the chicken in for 24 hrs they then drain it and cut up the chicken into 8 pieces (not 9 theat KFC does ) Makes bigger Breast and wing meat…
They then have a battering soultion (prepackaged of more Garlic and egg white blend .Then they double batter the pieces .(liquid flour liquid flour ) tap off excess flower otherwise you get crunchy. If there are any breaks in the flour your chicken will be greasy . they then cook approx 16 minutes untill legs float in the oil .
Drain and ready to eat…
Brine in salty water overnight, drain, soak in buttermilk and pepper, sweet papricka and thyme for a hour and drain then dip in seasoned flour, then egg and flour and fry till brown then put in oven and continue baking until done.. You don’t have to use rising flour, the egg and buttermilk make the crust thick and crunchy
I am from the South, love Church’s. Have eaten it many times…got to have the Jalapeno too with the corn on the cob. I will try these recipe and I will know, baby, if this is the real thing; I tend to believe the 9/29 former EE’s idea, but will try both. I now live in the NW and there are no Church’s; I’m going thru withdrawals. We need a Church’s, Red, Hot & Blue BBQ, a Red Lobster, a Kohl’s and a Hobby Lobby and maybe I can survive. From Wenatchee, Wa, Apple Capital of the USA.
Church’s puts thier chicken in a vat of cold water with salt and garlic powder and marinates it this way over nite.
Hey guys, I made this tonight; have eaten @ Church’s many times; love their chicken-this is nothing like Church’s. My own chicken is better than this. If interested, it is easy. Take your cut up chicken, dip in egg, then flour, then egg then flour (in a bag-like a plastic grocery bag). Then put the chicken in a hot fryer with canola oil, if you don’t have one, put in a deep pot 1/2 full with the hot grease; turn the grease down to med hot, fry til brown and drain on a paper towel, then salt while still hot. If you want spicy then add your own spices to the flour before frying; personally, I don’t think Church’s puts spices in the batter at all. This recipe is a waste of $$$$. Best wishes.
They soak their chicken in buttermilk before battering which makes the awesome crust and tenderizes the chicken. It works with other meats as well.
Thank you so much for this method of cooking Chicken, My family loves homemade fried chicken. I will try it.
Churches Fried Chicken and Okra.. OMG… to die for!!! PLEASE find the recipe for the Okra. What a wonderfull side dish!!
TY!!
I LOVE Church’s chicken and I just got done cooking the recipe for this chicken and it tastes nothing like Church’s chicken, when the chicken was done the skin was soggy and a mess. This recipe was a waste of money. I rather go and buy churchs chicken but unfortunately the nearest one is 2 hours away. Thanks anyways.
what is a “church’s bar”????
as mentioned in the song: “fried chicken song” on youtube
That’s all well and good but could anyone tell me how to make church’s chicken jalapeno bombers.. please the franchise left my country and I’ve developed an almost like pregnant craving for the dam things
I was store Manager for Church’s back in the early 90′s before Al Copeland of Popeye’s bought out the company. I worked close to corporate headquarters in San Antonio. Church’s Chicken today is nothing like it was before Al Copeland bought the Company. He changed out the receipe for a “dry mix” Spoke about this with one of the VP’s at the test kitchen in San Antonio. I thought it sounded like a mistake but of course said nothing. ORIGINAL recipe called for receiving whole chicken between 2 to 3 pounds in whole. Chicken would be marinated for 18 hours in 100 gallon vats. Salt would be added (I’m leaving out exact details) along with seasonings. After marinating for 18 hours, the chicken would be cut up in the store and panned.
Pre batter mix would be made in pans of water. Water would be refrigerated for 12 hours before use. To cook chicken, chicken would be imersed in pre batter mix and then rolled in flour mix. When cooking chicken the old way, the aroma would bring in folks for blocks. The new way is a laugh. Bill Church had it perfected. Al Copeland destroyed Church’s with his grand ideas — rubbish……
I’ve always made the same receipe at the house which identical to the old way……
I still have a case of the old spicy sprinkle at the house after all this time. I forgot about it!!!!
Bob T
I concorded fry chicken, now I must pefect it. what are churchs real spices pack.
Bob T,
Any idea on the recipe for Spicy Sprinkle? Can you send me some of that spicy sprinkle my way?
I’m from the South an theres nothing better than fried chicken to us. My Dad was in the business all of his life, so he taught me a few things on frying chicken. The salt and water as we call it is a brine, you put enough salt in the water for it to taste like real salty water, like you have sallowed a mouth full of ocean water..lol then soak in the frige for 30 minutes up to overnight, then rinse off. The brine helps the chicken to stay moist especially white meat. He always told me to deep fry my chicken and that when it was done it would float to the top. Hope this helps someone out on the chicken recipe.
I was just surfing on the internet for different recipes, and I ran across this one and it sound really good. I have to drive at least 30miles to get to Churches here where I live. THANKS Im glad I was surfing the internet…… Keep the recipes going THE DIRTY SOUTH FROM THE MOTER CITY……..
The Secret to Church’s Chicken is they marinate the chicken overnight in seasoning+salt for 24 hours .
Also they Keep the batter at 38 degrees .To kep keep from being greasy you must completley coat each piece twice and dont allow the grease to decrease in tempature …. Have a great Day Joe R&D dept
LOL! Funny, Road Dawg. I found this site trying to find a recipe for Church’s Creamy Jalapeño Sauce.
Not sure if that’s available in the U.S.-based Church’s Chicken, but it is at the ones in Puerto Rico and Honduras and they use it to make a delicious sandwich they call the “Pancho Sandwich.” It’s fried, boneless chicken breast, the Creamy Jalapeño Sauce, minced red onions, a slice of cheese, a few crispy tortilla chips, tomato and lettuce. I’m hoping to make that sandwich at home, but I need to be able to make the sauce first.
So, ChefTom (or anyone else), do you have, or can you figure out the Church’s Chicken Creamy Jalapeño Sauce recipe?
Here’s what I’ve tried for the Creamy Jalapeño Sauce, so far:
In a blender, purée together 1 cup mayonnaise, 3 seeded and diced jalapeño peppers, 1 diced Roma tomato (minus the stem end, of course), 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
The last time I was at Church’s, I had them include some extra Creamy Jalapeño Sauce on the side, with my order, so I brought that home and kept tasting that as I developed the mixture I mentioned above. It’s pretty close, but not exactly the same and I’m debating if (and how much) garlic to add, as well as whether to add a bit of lime juice. Even so, what I outlined above is delicious and worth trying. Perhaps someone else could start with that and fine tune it a bit.
Road Dawg, I wonder if the sauce for which you are looking is actually the same as this one for which I am looking. Maybe, with some lime juice added, my concoction is pretty close to what you seek. If you try it, please post your reaction here.
The Church’s Chicken jalapeño-lime sauce they serve here in Saint Louis, MO is more of a thick vinaigrette. I’m doing some experimenting with little luck. The counter rep called it chili-lime, but the menu sign calls it jalapeño-lime. Call it what you want, but I’m addicted & in desparate need of help. Thanks ; )
Hello!! this recipe is good. Very tasty.
Thanks for the tips.. By the way, it doesn’t taste like church’s chicken they are better.
Gardena CA.
Oh man, love oven jerk chicken. I enjoy resting the little dears on a wire rack in the roasting pan. This way the bottom gets crispy as well. Also a fan of using spray olive oil on the crust before it hits the oven. .
I am so glad that i read the comments in this forum. The “ex” employee’s helped me out a bunch. I was almost thinking about using my vacation time to work @ church’s, (just kidding). I grew up in Alaska but we had a church’s up their but I’m Hebrew and have to prepare all of my meals my self. Even tho I LOVE to cook I hate it when I can’t duplicate a meal that I had before the no restaurant era. I tried the recipe and would have rather it been called some other name not Church’s. This recipe is deplicated @ various websites and should be titled Italian Onion fried chicken. Whoever made this recipe is very creative but it could use a little tweeking. Look @ it this way, you wont be having big exectives from church’s threatening you any time soon.
I would add a hint of garlic and then fry them in olive oil – superb!
Makes sense now why ”Churches” has gone “down the tubes” since the owner of Popeyes took it over. I knew it didn’t taste the same as it did in the past. It is dry and the only places you can get TRUE Churches chicken is at the old Churches chicken places, and not at those Combo gas-convenience store spots. I will try the brine with cold water/salt..makes sense & the buttermilk/flour route with salt on the meat as soon as it comes out of the fryer. Floating th chicken shows that it is done sounds good too, but all these italian spices etc is a JOKE people…don’t waste your time or $$.
Brenda, it depends on the combo joint. Ours is run by someone who used to run a straight up Church’s from before the buy-out. Corporate would probably hang him if they knew he was STILL making old-style chicken. He won’t share the seasoning secret, but gave me a few tips.
1) WASH chicken after cutting and trimming up to make eight pieces. He uses shears to cut out the backbone, btw.
2) In a large container, mix 2 quarts water, 1/2 to 2/3 cup of salt, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar. stir to combine. Put chicken in a large non-reactive covered container with enough of the brine to cover the chicken by an inch or two. Refrigerate for at least 12 and no more than 24 hours.
3) Take chicken out and place on racks while you make the dip.
4) So far as he will tell me, the dip is 1/2 buttermilk, plus one or two eggs, a few drops of Tabasco and enough water as to make it the consistency of cream.
5) Here is the part I am still working on: seasoning. I know there is salt, black AND red pepper, garlic and onion powders as well as celery salt (I think). He adds whatever the seasonings are to 1 1/2 cups of flour for the coating.
6) The coating process is simple but devious. Flour, dip and recoat the chicken in flour. Return the pieces to the rack and put in the fridge for 15 minutes. Remove, dip and flour again.
7) Deep fry chicken in batches in 350 degree oil (for 16 to 18 minutes or till golden and juices run clear. Allow to rest 10 minutes before consuming. (It will still be hot.)
He also makes his own poppers. The halved and cleaned peppers get fried for 1 minute, are cooled and then filled, battered (same dip and flour recipes) and fried golden.
Can anyone tell me the brand of Jalapeno’s that Churche’s uses. I’ve tried every brand I can find and nothing compares. I’ve even tried making my own, but always comes out to vinegary.If any one has any info about this please, please let me know, I’ll dance at your wedding.
How can someone that never had Church’s Chicken post the recipe?
I’ve been eating Church’s for over 30 yrs. This recipe is not even close. I’ve tried it several times. Church’s chicken is deep fried not oven baked. Althought this recipe is good, it’s better to me deep fried. But it’s just not as good as, or close to the Original..
Love love love churches chicken …nothing and o mean nothing comes close to their chicken period! We drive 187 miles one way 3-4 times a year and buy loads to bring home and freeze till the next trip. My question is does anyone know what brand of Jalepenos they use? We love those things but so far have had no luck finding them in area supermarkets…HELP!!!!
I haven’t found the exact brand of Jalapeno’s they use at Churches, but these are close. The Brand is SanMarco’s in a can. They are a little hotter, but have a great taste. They also have pickled carrots in with the Jalapeno’s that are to die for.
Delicious Recipe!
I have a homemade version for a number of KFC recipes among them the most famous finger licking good fried chicken and also the crispy-luscious, mouth watering buttermilk chicken recipe. While making the recipes one can fill the moist, crunchy and tasty chicken ever made. Visit my website… http://kentuckyfriedchickenrecipe.org/
Yummy!!!
Just by looking @ it, I can tell it is too spicy. You’ll just have to do some research, find a TRUE CHURCHES, not one of those in a gas station. One that stands by itself, and then go for it. It is good.
Yummm .. Hi.. Where I live there is NO Churches. I cannot just go to one unless I hop a plane, so IF anyone has a recipe that’s at least close to Churches please, let me know.
Im trying this reciepe tomorrow im going to soak my chicken overnight in iced salted water.im using sea salt because it tasts better and its better for you. Thank you chef tom for this reciepe. Keep em comming.
Ate at a Church’s in Alice,Texas this afternoon. I asked for white pieces (3-piece pack) and got three fairly large items. As I pulled the wing off, nibbled the skin off the neck, twisted out the top half of the thigh and ate what appears to be half of an old cut of breast (keel), I was wondering if it was chicken or iguana… A single piece that has neck, wing, thigh and breast meat? Still, tasty as always due to the soak and spiced batter. 200 calories per piece.