Ingredients
Chicken
- 1chicken, about 1.2 kg, jointed into 8, or 8 thighs and drumsticks
- 300 mlbuttermilk
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tspsalt
- 1 tspwhite pepper
Coating
- 150 gplain flour
- 3eggs, beaten with 2 tbsp milk
- 200 gfine dried breadcrumbs
- 1 tspsalt
To fry
- 1.5 litresclarified butter, lard or sunflower oil
To serve
- lemon wedges
- parsley sprigs, fried in the same fat for 10 seconds
- potato salad or a green salad with pumpkin seed oil
Directions
- Marinate the chicken pieces in the buttermilk, lemon juice, salt and pepper for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Lift them out and pat them properly dry. Wet chicken makes the flour gluey and the crust slides off in the pan.
- Set up three shallow dishes: seasoned flour, beaten egg, breadcrumbs. Coat each piece in flour, shake off the excess, then egg, letting it drain, then crumbs.
- Press the crumbs on lightly — only lightly. A Backhendl crust is meant to be loose and puffed, standing slightly away from the meat, and pressing it firmly makes it dense and flat.
- Rest the coated pieces on a rack for 15 minutes so the crust sets.
- Heat the fat to 165°C (330°F) — lower than most frying, because bone-in chicken needs 12–15 minutes to cook through and a hotter fat burns the crumbs first.
- Fry in batches, without crowding, for 12–15 minutes, turning once, until deep gold and cooked to 75°C (165°F) at the bone. Spoon hot fat over the tops as they fry to help the crust puff.
- Drain on a rack. Fry the parsley for a few seconds until crisp and translucent, and serve alongside with lemon.
Technique
- Traditionally fried in lard or clarified butter, which is a large part of the flavour. Sunflower oil works and is what most kitchens use now.
- Fine dried breadcrumbs, not panko and not fresh. The Viennese schnitzel crumb is what is wanted.
- A rack, never a plate. Backhendl steams itself soft in minutes on a flat surface.
Substitutions
- Breast pieces if you prefer, but drop the fry time to 8 minutes or they dry.
- Milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice replaces buttermilk.
Variations
- Wiener Backhendl, the Vienna version, often served with the fried liver and heart alongside.
- Steirisches Backhendl, dressed with the region’s dark pumpkin seed oil.
History
Breaded and deep-fried chicken, documented in Austrian cooking since at least the 1700s and closely associated historically with Viennese cuisine specifically, at a time when chicken itself, and the specific breaded, fried preparation, were considered a comparatively luxurious dish reserved for special occasions rather than routine everyday eating for much of its early history. Its breading and frying technique closely parallels Wiener schnitzel‘s breaded veal preparation, reflecting a broader shared Viennese culinary approach to breaded, fried proteins across multiple different dishes. Backhendl became significantly more widely and routinely eaten across Austria as chicken itself became a more affordable, everyday protein through the 1900s, and it remains a traditional, well-established part of Austrian home and restaurant cooking today.
Frequently asked questions
What is Backhendl?
Backhendl is a main from Austria: marinated chicken breaded and fried, Styrian classic. Breaded and deep-fried chicken, documented in Austrian cooking since at least the 1700s and closely associated historically with Viennese cuisine specifically, at a time when chicken itself, and the specific breaded, fried preparation, were considered a comparatively luxurious dish reserved for special occasions rather than routine everyday eating for much of its early history. Its breading and frying technique closely parallels Wiener schnitzel’s breaded veal preparation, reflecting a broader shared Viennese culinary approach to breaded, fried proteins across multiple different dishes. Backhendl became significantly more widely and routinely eaten across Austria as chicken itself became a more affordable, everyday protein through the 1900s, and it remains a traditional, well-established part of Austrian home and restaurant cooking today.
How long does Backhendl take to make?
Backhendl takes 25 min plus 2 hr marinating of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Backhendl?
Yes, within limits. Breast pieces if you prefer, but drop the fry time to 8 minutes or they dry. Milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice replaces buttermilk.
What is the most important thing to get right in Backhendl?
A rack, never a plate. Backhendl steams itself soft in minutes on a flat surface.
