Enter the characters you see below Sorry, we just need to make sure you’re not a robot. This air fryer bottom round steak is about the style of fried chicken that originated in the Southern United States. For other fried chicken dishes, see List of fried chicken dishes. For the restaurant chain, see Southern Fried Chicken.

The first dish known to have been deep fried was fritters, which were popular in the European Middle Ages. The American English expression “fried chicken” was first recorded in the 1830s, and frequently appears in American cookbooks of the 1860s and 1870s. American-style fried chicken gradually passed into everyday use as a general Southern dish, especially after the abolition of slavery, and its popularity spread. Since fried chicken traveled well in hot weather before refrigeration was commonplace and industry growth reduced its cost, it gained further favor across the South.

Older, tougher birds require longer cooking times at lower temperatures. Fried chicken has been described as being “crunchy” and “juicy”, as well as “crispy”. The dish has also been called “spicy” and “salty”. The dish is renowned for being greasy, especially when coming from fast food outlets. It has even been reported that some of those who enjoy eating the food limit themselves to eating it only a certain number of times a year, to keep their fat intake reasonably low.

Generally, chickens are not fried whole. Instead, the chicken is divided into its constituent pieces. The white meat sections are the breast and the wings from the front of the chicken, while the dark meat sections are the thighs and legs or “drumsticks” from the rear of the chicken. To prepare the chicken pieces for frying, they are typically coated in a flour-based batter that may contain eggs or milk, or they may be dredged in flour or breadcrumbs. Traditionally, lard is used to fry the chicken, but corn oil, peanut oil, canola oil, soybean oil, or other vegetable oils are also frequently used. The chicken pieces are prepared as above, then fried. Deep frying requires a deep fryer or other devices in which the chicken pieces can be completely submerged in hot fat.