Is fried chicken the greatest entree ever? Quite possibly.
From tenders to drumsticks to sandwiches, breaded chicken is simply fabulous! A ton of people agree with me, evidenced by how hard #NationalFriedChickenDay is trending on July 6, which might just be the best food holiday of the year.
Did you know that Americans ate an average of 91 pounds of chicken per person in 2016, according to Fortune? That's pretty serious stuff. Poultry is definitely a staple for many U.S. homes, so what better way to celebrate it than spending a whole day in honor of the fried snack?
Even better, you can score some sweet deals for this holiday. Here are some of the best deals of the day, courtesy of Fortune:
Giant Eagle: For $1.99, you can get a four piece chicken meal. The discount is only good on July 6, so you might want to grab, like, eight of them and have a family feast. Why not?
Popeyes: Head to the cajun chicken chain and grab 10 pieces of Bonafide Chicken, two large sides and five biscuits, all for $10!
Wing Zone: For the very reasonable price of $20, you can get yourself 25 boneless wings, aka tiny fried chicken. In addition to two flavors, the deal also includes jumbo wedge fries or coleslaw and two cups of ranch or bleu cheese.
Checkers and Rally's: Some locations are offering a $4 for three deal that gets you a spicy chicken sandwich, small fries, a small drink AND a deep fried apple pie for that great price.
Burger King: Pick up 10 nuggets for only $1.49. In other words, you can score 100 nuggets for around $15. Let that sink in for a second.
If you'd rather make your own fried chicken from scratch, you can totally do that too! It's not terribly complicated. Here are a few recipes you can try out:
1. Chicken Fingers
This easy recipe uses boneless tenderloins and takes a lot of shortcuts to ensure that making evenly cooked, crispy, tender chicken is a breeze! If you want to bake these instead, I recommend around 15-20 minutes on 425.
2. Best-Ever Fried Chicken
If you'd rather spend a few extra minutes frying bone-in chicken for a more classic taste, this recipe won't let you down!
3. Sesame And Madras Curry Fried Chicken
If you want to do something just ever-so-slightly different to your chicken, this is a great way to play with new flavors. Curry lovers will enjoy this with some coconut curry dipping sauce (recipe here).
4. Five-Ingredient Fried Chicken Sandwiches
Brining the chicken in pickle juice for a few minutes not only brings a bit of extra flavor (it won't taste too much like pickles, though you can also brine it in water mixed with mild vinegar like rice or apple cider and a bit of milk), it also ensures that you get tender, juicy meat for a delectable sandwich.