Southern fried chicken, also known simply as 

fried chicken, is a dish consisting of chicken pieces

that have been coated with seasoned flour or batter and pan-fried, deep fried, pressure fried, or air
fried. The breading adds a crisp coating or crust to the exterior of the chicken while retaining juices
in the meat. Broiler chickens are most commonly used.
The first dish known to have been deep fried was fritters, which were popular in the European Middle
Ages. However, it was the Scottish who were the first Europeans to deep fry their chicken in fat
(though without seasoning). Meanwhile, many West African peoples had traditions of seasoned fried
chicken (though battering and cooking the chicken in palm oil). Scottish frying techniques and West
African seasoning techniques were combined by enslaved Africans and African-Americans in
the American South.

History
The Roman cookbook of Apicius (4th century) has a recipe for deep-fried chicken called Pullum
Frontonianum.[1]
The American English expression "fried chicken" is first recorded in the 1830s, and frequently
appears in American cookbooks of the 1860s and 1870s. [2] The origin of fried chicken in the southern
states of America has been traced to precedents in Scottish[3][4][5] and West African cuisine.[6][7][8]
[9]
 Scottish fried chicken was cooked in fat (though unseasoned) [3][5] while West African fried chicken
was seasoned[3][4][9] (but battered[7][10] and cooked in palm oil).[6] Scottish frying techniques and African
seasoning techniques were used in the American South by African slaves. [3][4][5][9] Fried chicken
provided some means of an independent economy for enslaved and segregated African-American
women, who became noted sellers of poultry (live or cooked) as early as the 1730s. [11] Because of
this and the expensive nature of the ingredients, it was, despite popular belief, a rare dish in the
African-American community[6] reserved (as in Africa) for special occasions.[10][8][9]

Homemade lard made from pig fat

After the development of larger and faster-growing hogs (due to crosses between European and
Asian breeds) in the 18th and 19th century, in the United States, backyard and small-scale hog
production provided an inexpensive means of converting waste food, crop waste, and garbage into
calories (in a relatively small space and a relatively short period). Many of those calories came in the
form of fat and rendered lard. Lard was used for almost all cooking and was a fundamental
component in many common homestead foods (many that today are still regarded as holiday
and comfort foods) like biscuits and pies.[12] The economic and caloric necessity of consuming lard
and other saved fats may have led to the popularity of fried foods, not only in the US, but worldwide.
[13]
 In the 19th century cast iron became widely available for use in cooking. The combination of flour,
lard, a chicken and a heavy pan placed over a relatively controllable flame became the beginning of
today's fried chicken.
When it was introduced to the American South, fried chicken became a common staple. Later, as
the slave trade led to Africans being brought to work on southern plantations, the slaves who
became cooks incorporated seasonings and spices that were absent in traditional Scottish cuisine,
enriching the flavor.[14] Since most slaves were unable to raise expensive meats, but generally
allowed to keep chickens, frying chicken on special occasions continued in the African
American communities of the South, especially in the periods of segregation that closed off most
restaurants to the black population.
American-style fried chicken gradually passed into common 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 as the growth of industry reduced its cost, it
gained further favor across the South. Fried chicken continues to be among this region's top choices
for "Sunday dinner". Holidays such as Independence Day and other gatherings often feature this
dish.[15] During the 20th century, chain restaurants focused on fried chicken began among the boom
in the fast food industry. Brands such as Kentucky Fried Chicken, Popeyes,
and Bojangles expanded in the United States and across the world.
Before the industrialization of chicken production, and the creation of broiler breeds of chicken, only
young spring chickens (pullets or cockerels) would be suitable for the higher heat and relatively fast
cooking time of frying, making fried chicken a luxury of spring and summer. Older, tougher birds
require longer cooking times at lower temperatures. To compensate for this, sometimes tougher
birds are simmered till tender, allowed to cool and dry, and then fried. [14]