I find chicken fingers, strips, tenders...whatever you call them dry, tasteless, pre-formed and an affront to real fried chicken, particularly thigh meat and to a lesser extent, drum sticks. Of course, it depends to some extent on their origins. So any recommendations/opinions about who sells the best of either or both? A family get-together wants to know cause there is dissention in the house regarding this very important issue.

I get better quality consistency with tenders but the reality for this meal is it's all about the dipping sauce. Most chain fried chicken places it's around a 1 outta 5 whether I get a good fried piece that isn't over done or looked like it was cut from a midget chicken. But when a fried chicken place hits it blows tendies out of the water.

Making at home: tenders
At a restaurant: fried chicken

I use boneless skin on Thighs at home and that's my favorite. I wish restaurants had that option. I usually get a wing and thigh combo at restaurants.

Burrito post.

Smoked wings, legs, thighs
0-400

Duuude just gimme that chicken with at least one meal a day. Can't decide between the two choices in the OP, but that's my protein of choice for damn near half my life.

Don't get me wrong, I love red meat - steak, brisket, ribs - but chicken is great when it's done right. And a lot cheaper now than good beef

713nervy said:

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Strips bc meat on the bone is a yucky-no-no.

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You are welcome to dine with me anytime at Golden Corral.

Thigh meat is for fats.

I prefer white meat and off the bone.

Tyson Southern Style Chicken Breast Tenderloins are the best tasting and most consistent I've found. Similar sizes so they cook in the air fryer evenly, plus you don't get the odd small pieces and over-breaded chunks.

Bone in fried chicken is the best, but it has to be good sized pieces and that's harder to find these days.

Usually chicken strips but I love bone-in fried chicken from Gus's in Memphis. It's life changing.

Gus's is a chain but you're right it's life changing. One near me in Mesa, Arizona is getting a visit from me tomorrow. I'm 68 years old and it's the best fried chicken I've ever had. No contest.

713nervy said:

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Strips bc meat on the bone is a yucky-no-no.

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I got your "meat on the bone" right here!

Also....

MOIST MOIST MOIST

713nervy said:

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Strips bc meat on the bone is a yucky-no-no.

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You would have starved to death in my childhood home. Mom always cut up a whole chicken for the family of 6. I was the youngest, so I thought all chickens were made of backs and necks.

I still prefer fried chicken body parts, but strips are good if the cream gravy is good.

chicken necks?

In Korea they just cube them and cook.

The chicken feet are HOT AF!!!

FIDO*98* said:

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I use boneless skin on Thighs at home and that's my favorite. I wish restaurants had that option. I usually get a wing and thigh combo at restaurants.

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Isn't boneless skin-on hard to find? When I want that, I get bone-in, skin-on and remove the bone. Fairly easy to do but I'd opt for boneless, skin-on if I could find it.

And then what do you do? I assume batter & fry? With my boneless, skin-on thighs I usually am doing some kind of sheet pan dish.

jja79 said:

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Gus's is a chain but you're right it's life changing. One near me in Mesa, Arizona is getting a visit from me tomorrow. I'm 68 years old and it's the best fried chicken I've ever had. No contest.

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I went to the original one in Memphis a few times years ago and have been to the one in Little Rock and Dallas. I tell everyone they just go there. Everytime I go I eat half a chicken. It's so damn good! Great fried pickles too.

Caesar4 said:

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FIDO*98* said:

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I use boneless skin on Thighs at home and that's my favorite. I wish restaurants had that option. I usually get a wing and thigh combo at restaurants.

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Isn't boneless skin-on hard to find? When I want that, I get bone-in, skin-on and remove the bone. Fairly easy to do but I'd opt for boneless, skin-on if I could find it.

And then what do you do? I assume batter & fry? With my boneless, skin-on thighs I usually am doing some kind of sheet pan dish.

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I debone them myself and use the bones for chicken stock. I've never seen them for sale that way. I pound them out a touch to flatten them out, salt them, and place in a baggie with buttermilk overnight. I'll do a double batter and usually deep fry in cast iron. My favorite way to serve them is with biscuits and cream gravy. They make awesome chicken sandwiches as well.
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Is fried chicken different by region of the country?

My Mom was a terrible and uninventive cook. Only fried chicken I had growing up was KFC or Tinsley's.

Gracias

find you a catholic friend and go to a picnic in central texas. You'll likely come back with a greater appreciation for fried bone-in chicken.

I hated cooking chicken breasts for years. I had given up. They were always dry, even when cutting them in half so they aren't as thick.

I started brining all the chicken breasts/chicken cutlets that I cook. They are so much better now and easier to cook.

For 24 oz of chicken breast:

Butterfly or cut the breast in half to make 2 pieces
4.5 TBSP of kosher salt
4 Cups cold water

I brine cutlets for about 20 minutes and breasts about 30 minutes. The recipe I found calls for 45 minutes but I found this is too salty, at least for some of the people in my family.

It makes juicy, great tasting chicken, just make sure not to salt the breasts before cooking. Just add pepper or other spices/flavorings.

I prefer to cook thighs but I have one kid that refuses to eat them, so I'll cook thighs and breasts when necessary.

I also like to smoke chicken to about 135 degrees, then bread it and fry it to 165. Nothing like smoked fried chicken.

Now to the original question, I'd rather have meat on the bone, but three other people in the house object to my taste, so it boneless here.

Both

Anchorhold said:

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chicken necks?

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Damn straight. Mom never wasted the neck, gizzard, liver, or heart. They all got breaded and fried.

superunknown said:

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Thick thighs save lives

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I like how they drown out the noise.

I'm a sloppy eater,