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I have long been on a search for the perfect Fried Chicken recipe. One that combines my love for easy, simple recipes, comfort food and of course, all things spicy. I think I have finally found it. This recipe I must admit comes from three different sources. One is an old recipe that my dad used to make that used tomato sauce to coat the chicken and give it a tangy flavor. That recipe goes back at least 40 years. Who knows where he got it from. Second is the simplest recipe I could find on the internet for fried chicken that had the fewest steps and third is my own addition of spice to the recipe to make it truly unique. In the end this is a recipe that could only be found in my own kitchen until now. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

INGREDIENTS
* 1 cup shortening (I like the Sticks since they are pre measured)
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
*1 teaspoon salt
*1 teaspoon ground black pepper
*1 (2 to 3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
* Enough Picante Sauce in a Ziploc Bag to shake and cover your chicken pieces

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the shortening in a large, cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. (A little plug for Lodge Cast Iron Skillets here. I consider the Lodge Cast Iron I have purchased to be one of the best investments I have made for my kitchen. I will let the 124 reviews with an average of almost 5 stars do the rest of the selling.)
2. In a gallon or quart sized Ziploc Storage Bag coat with your desired Picante Sauce. (If you do not want this recipe to be spicy at all then substitute tomato sauce.)
3. In another Ziploc bag combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Shake two chicken pieces in the bag to coat, and place them in the skillet. Repeat until all of the chicken is coated and in the skillet.
4. Fry the chicken over medium-high heat until all of the pieces have been browned on both sides. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 25 minutes. Remove the lid, and increase heat to medium-high. Continue frying until chicken pieces are a deep golden brown, and the juices run clear.
Enjoy!

The Mary's brand of chicken we carry has a unique story in how they process their chicken. Instead of using the communal water bath method to cool the chicken, Mary's uses cold air to chill their chicken. This method of chilling eliminates the absorption of water, greatly reducing any potential bacterial cross contamination.

This method of chilling also enhances the flavor of the chicken. With no water being absorbed the flavor is not washed out and the chicken has a much more robust flavor.

Another benefit of this method of chilling is with no added water the package of chicken that arrives to you is much cleaner. There is significantly less purge in each package which means less chance of cross contamination due to leakage and a better value as you aren't paying for added water that has purged out of the product.

For more information about this great brand click here Mary's Chicken