Tuscan Fried Chicken, Pollo Fritto alla Toscana

Tuscan fried chicken made with a simple and good marinade of rosemary, garlic and lemon. It's beautifully juicy inside with an good crispy and crunchy batter on the outside. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice, a sprinkle of sea salt and a peppery arugula salad on the side.

Quick recipe snapshot

• Traditional Tuscan recipe – uses a flavour-packed marinade and simple batter.
• Tender yet crunchy – perfectly tender on the inside with a crispy and crunchy outside.
• Suited to sharing – this recipe is made for sharing around the table and is suited to an Italian Sunday lunch.

Oh our goodness, you have got to try this recipe. We've eaten Tuscan fried chicken a few times, mainly in Florence, but we didn't realise how simple the batter is to make at home.

The chicken is beautifully tender on the inside (we use skin-on and bone-in for added flavour) and has the most good crispy and crunchy outside. Squeeze with fresh lemon juice and sprinkle with sea salt, and it's heavenly!

Traditionally, a whole chicken is used for this recipe, and it's cut into pieces using the chicken breasts, legs and wings, but to make things a lot easier, we're only using chicken thighs and drumsticks.

The batter is incredibly simple yet creates a crunchy and crispy coating that we love. Traditionally, seasonal vegetables are also fried with the chicken. We went for zucchini blossoms and sage leaves, but you can use whatever you like. Mushrooms are a great option during autumn/winter.

See the full recipe below, including notes on ingredients, tips and serving suggestions, enjoy!

Ingredient notes

• Chicken – you can use a mix of chicken thighs and drumsticks, or use one or the other.
• Oil for frying – you can use a light olive oil or another flavourless oil that's ideal for frying, such as sunflower oil or vegetable oil.
• Rosemary, garlic and lemon – these give so much flavour to the chicken. Sometimes, freshly chopped sage leaves are used, too. Other herbs that would work well are thyme, oregano or marjoram. We also like to add a fresh bay leaf to the marinade sometimes.
• Optional seasonal extras – we use zucchini blossoms and sage leaves, which are good. You can go for any seasonal vegetables you like.
• Optional extra batter – We use a separate batter for the seasonal veg using a mix of flour and cold beer or sparkling water. We

Recipe tips

Use a thermometer – having control of the oil temperature is important, so a thermometer is useful. When you add the chicken to the oil, the temperature will drop quite a bit, so you want to keep an eye on it.

Remove the chicken from the fridge – let the chicken sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before frying so it's not too cold. This will help keep the meat tender.

Drain excess oil – drain the chicken on kitchen paper to remove excess oil.

Do we use chicken with skin on or off?

You can go with either; they both work great. We personally keep the skin on as it's crispy and good, and reduces waste.

Serving suggestions

Traditionally, Italian fried chicken is served 'fritto misto' style, usually with fried vegetables.

When we serve this for dinner, we love to serve it with a peppery arugula salad and grilled marinated eggplant and zucchini with red wine vinegar to cut through the heaviness of fried food. It goes so well.

More good Tuscan recipes to try

Mains

Trippa Finta (Fake Tripe in Tomato Sauce)

Sauces & Dressings

Sugo Finto (Vegetable Sauce)

Mains

Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Garlic & Pancetta

Sides

Italian Green Beans In Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

Makes 3 -4 servings

For the chicken mariade

• 6-8 chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks) (about 700g–900g / 1½–2 lbs (skin on and bone in))
• 1 sprig rosemary (finely chopped)
• 1 whole lemon juice and peel (cut into strips (use veg peeler))
• 2 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• sea salt and pepper

For the chicken batter and frying

• 2 large eggs (beaten)
• 1/2 cup (60g) all purpose flour (for dredging)
• 4 pints (2 litres) oil for frying ((e.g light olive oil or sunflower oil))
• lemon wedges ((for serving))

Optional extras for frying

• Zucchini blossoms ((courgette flowers))
• Fresh sage leaves

For the vegetable batter (optional)

• 1/3 cup (40g) all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (80ml) cold beer or cold sparkling water

Equipment

• Candy thermometer
• heavy based pot or pan

Method

Marinate the chicken

1. Add the chicken pieces to a large bowl. Add the rosemary, lemon zest and juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss well to coat and cover. Leave to marinate for at least 1–2 hours or overnight in the fridge.

Prepare the chicken for frying

1. Bring the chicken out of the fridge around 30 minutes before frying so it's not too cold. Heat the oil in a deep, heavy-based pot or large pan to 170°C (340°F). Use a thermometer to help.

2. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Dredge each piece lightly in flour, then dip into the beaten eggs, coating all over.

Fry the chicken

1. Carefully lower the chicken pieces into the hot oil. The temperature will drop; aim to keep it around 150°C (300°F) during cooking. Fry for 16–18 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through.

Drain and rest

1. Using tongs, lift the chicken out of the oil and hold it for a few seconds to allow excess oil to drip off. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Rest for a few minutes, then season with extra sea salt.

Fry extra (optional)

1. NOTE: if using zucchini blossoms, make sure to remove the inner stamen before frying.

2. While the chicken is resting, increase the oil temperature to 170–180°C (340–355°F). In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and cold beer (or sparkling water) to make a light batter. Dip zucchini blossoms and sage leaves into the batter, letting the excess drip off, and fry for about 1 minute, turning once or twice, until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

Serve

1. Arrange the chicken on a platter with the fried vegetables on the side. Serve hot with extra lemon wedges.

Kitchen notes

• Prep ahead you can marinate the chicken up to 24 hours in advance.
• Make in advance and leftovers you can fry the chicken in advance or to reheat leftovers. Lay the chicken on a wire rack on a baking tray and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C (350F) for 10 minutes or until piping hot throughout. The chicken will still be crispy and good.