Fresh Milled Flour Fried Chicken
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With the health benefits of fresh milled flour being as good as they are, I am always trying to use it where I would normally use traditional flour in my kitchen. I just know you will love this crispy, delicious and nutritious fresh milled flour fried chicken!
One of my favorite foods throughout my entire life has been homemade fried chicken. You can ask my mom, it was always a birthday dinner request of mine and I still love it to this day.
Since discovering how healthy fresh milled flour is and beginning to mill my very own, I’ve been experimenting with all of my traditional flour recipes to see how I can substitute in the wholesome, natural version.
In all of my experimenting, I discovered that fresh milled flour fried chicken is crispy, tender and absolutely delicious. If you are looking for more ways to incorporate fresh flour in your kitchen, this recipe is for you!
Why You Will Love This Fresh Milled Fried Chicken
Delicious – Nothing says good home cooking like crispy, tender fried chicken. This recipe may be healthier than your average fried chicken recipe, but we aren’t compromising on the taste!
Simple – We love basic recipes around here. Simple yet delicious meals that can be made with staple kitchen ingredients and this fresh milled fried chicken is no exception!
Nutritious – Since we are using flour that is being ground fresh right in our kitchen for this recipe, the flour retains all of its God-given nutrition. Fresh milled flour is a superfood and chock-full of nutrients our bodies need, making it perfect for healthy fried chicken!
What is fresh milled flour?
Fresh milled flour is what you get when you take a whole wheat berry (the food part of the wheat plant) and grind it in a grain mill. When it comes out of the mill it is in its whole, unprocessed form. This means it also contains all of its nutrients, many of which are lost in the process of commercial flour production.
Benefits to making fried chicken with fresh milled flour
Because fresh flour is not naturally shelf stable, commercial flour millers process the flour by removing many of the parts that contain nutrients our bodies need. Most conventional flour will say that it is “enriched”, which means that those nutrients that have been lost through the commercial milling process have been added back in via a synthetic form.
When we use flour that has been freshly ground, we are able to give our bodies all of those nutrients in a natural form, versus the synthetic version our bodies aren’t able to absorb as well.
Best Place to Buy Wheat Berries
With the rise of popularity in grain mills and home ground flour, wheat berries (the whole form of wheat used in mills) are becoming easier to source.
Some popular places to source wheat berries include:
- Azure Standard – Arguably one of the most popular suppliers of wheat berries, Azure Standard is a whole food co-op that delivers natural groceries to local drops all across the United States. You can search for a drop local to you and join on their website. You then will be given an order close date with a “week of” delivery window every month. The delivery windows can be slightly unpredictable, but reach out to your local drop coordinator to see what arrangements can be made if you can’t make the drop. They offer wheat berries in large quantities and this can be a significant cost savings.
- Bread Beckers – Like Azure, Bread Beckers also has co-op drop dates but rather than monthly the drops occur a few times a year. They also have the option of ordering retail from their website. Sue Becker, the founder of Bread Beckers, is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to home milling flour. She did a wonderful podcast with Lisa from Simple Farmhouse Life that was a great resource for information on fresh milled flour. You can find that podcast here.
- Other places to find wheat berries include Pleasant Hill Grain, Palouse Brand, Amazon, or reach out on a local Facebook group to find a wheat berry farm near you.
Ingredients
Boneless skinless chicken breast
Soft White Wheat
Hard Red Wheat
Eggs
Milk
Salt
Coconut oil
Tools You Will Need
Grain Mill – I have the NutriMill Harvest and love it.
Heavy bottom pan for frying – I like to use a cast iron pan or dutch oven
Baking sheet – It is best if it has a wire rack
How to Make this Fresh Milled Flour Fried Chicken Recipe
Step 1 – In your cast iron pan or dutch oven, heat your coconut oil (2 cups, 450 g) over medium high heat. The oil needs to get nice and hot before you begin frying the chicken.
Step 2 – Grind your soft white wheat berries (1 cup, 175 g) and hard red wheat berries (1 cup, 210 g) in your grain mill. Set aside.
Step 3 – Slice your chicken breast (2 pounds) into tenders. If they are very large, slice them in half so that you have two thinner pieces then slice into tenders.
Step 4 – Prepare to fry your tenders by making the egg wash (2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk or 120 g) and adding the salt (1 tsp) to the freshly milled flour, giving it a good whisk to incorporate the salt well.
Step 5 – Bread the chicken tenders by first dipping them into the egg wash, then into the flour mixture, ensuring they are fully coated with flour. Place your breaded chicken tenders into your hot oil. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan. You will likely need to do this in multiple batches.
Step 6 – Fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes, then flip and fry for another 2-3 minutes until they are golden and crispy. You can check the internal temperature of the chicken if you want to be sure they are fully cooked. The temperature should read at least 165°F.
Step 7 – Place the cooked chicken onto a paper towel lined baking sheet. It is best if the baking sheet has some sort of wire rack to elevate the chicken and allow excess oil to drip off. Salt the hot chicken well. Repeat this process until all of your chicken is fried. Serve with homemade fries, in wraps, on salads or any way you prefer and enjoy your delicious fresh milled flour fried chicken.
For a visual, check out these step by step images!
Heat your oil over medium-high heat. You will know it’s hot enough when you sprinkle flour in and it immediately sizzles.
Slice your chicken breasts into tenders. Make the egg wash by whisking together the milk and eggs. Then dip the tenders into the egg wash.
Combine your freshly milled flour and salt. Then dip the egg wash coated chicken into the flour.
Place the breaded tenders into your hot oil. Be careful not to overcrowd them.
Cook tenders for 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes. You want them to be golden and crispy.
Place the cooked chicken onto a paper towel lined baking sheet. Salt the tenders well and enjoy!
Substitutions
Coconut oil – You can use any oil with a high smoke point. I would avoid using olive oil as it is not best for frying.
Milk – If you do not have milk on hand, you can use an extra egg in its place.
Wheat – You can use any wheat variety you would like for this recipe, I simply prefer a combination of soft white and hard red.
Tips for making the best fresh milled flour fried chicken
FAQ
Homemaker Tip
Double this recipe and store the extra chicken wrapped tightly in aluminum foil and placed in the freezer in a ziplock bag. When you want to use it, just reheat it right from frozen in your air fryer or oven.
Fresh Milled Flour Fried Chicken
Equipment
- Grain Mill
- Heavy bottom pan for frying
- Baking sheet best if it has a wire rack
Ingredients
- 2 cups coconut oil 450 g
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 cup soft white wheat berries 175 g
- 1 cup hard red wheat berries 210 g
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp salt plus additional for salting cooked chicken, to taste
Instructions
- In your cast iron pan or dutch oven, heat your coconut oil (2 cups, 450 g) over medium high heat. The oil needs to get nice and hot before you begin frying the chicken.
- Grind your soft white wheat berries (1 cup, 175 g) and hard red wheat berries (1 cup, 210 g) in your grain mill. Set aside.
- Slice your chicken breast (2 pounds) into tenders. If they are very large, slice them in half so that you have two thinner pieces then slice into tenders.
- Prepare to fry your tenders by making the egg wash (2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk or 120 g) and adding the salt (1 tsp) to the freshly milled flour, giving it a good whisk to incorporate the salt well.
- Bread the chicken tenders by first dipping them into the egg wash, then into the flour mixture, ensuring they are fully coated with flour. Place your breaded chicken tenders into your hot oil. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan. You will likely need to do this in multiple batches.
- Fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes, then flip and fry for another 2-3 minutes until they are golden and crispy. You can check the internal temperature of the chicken if you want to be sure they are fully cooked. The temperature should read at least 165°F.
- Place the cooked chicken onto a paper towel lined baking sheet. It is best if the baking sheet has some sort of wire rack to elevate the chicken and allow excess oil to drip off. Salt the hot chicken well. Repeat this process until all of your chicken is fried. Serve with homemade fries, in wraps, on salads or any way you prefer and enjoy your delicious fresh milled flour fried chicken.
Notes
- Use a baking sheet with a wire rack to elevate the cooked chicken and allow any excess oil to drip off.
- Coconut oil – You can use any oil with a high smoke point. I would avoid using olive oil as it is not best for frying.
- Milk – If you do not have milk on hand, you can use an extra egg in its place.
- Wheat – You can use any wheat variety you would like for this recipe, I simply prefer a combination of soft white and hard red.
Did you make this fresh milled flour fried chicken?
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