Shatteringly crisp, flavorful Pioneer Fried Chicken that tastes so nostalgic you will feel like you’ve gone back in time!
Easy to make, only takes five minutes to make the wet batter and straight into the fryer! Serve with corn on the cob and your favorite Cole Slaw to make this meal complete.
Are you by any chance a kid of the 80s? Are you from Southern California? Do you remember Saved By The Bell? Ok ok, the last one doesn’t really apply, but this Pioneer Fried Chicken is legendary and going the way of Latin since the chain began closing shops years ago. Currently there are only a couple of Pioneer Chickens left and those that still exist haven’t been updated in 20 years.
Nothing is worse than craving a nostalgic regional food and not being able to find it. When I lived in DC and had major pregnancy cravings for this chicken, I scoured the internet and found absolutely NO recipes. A lot of people were talking about how much they missed Pioneer Chicken and how it was a food memory they treasured, but no one could decode the dish in a way that would satisfy us all. We grew up with this chicken, we all agreed KFC should’ve gone the way of the dinosaurs instead of Pioneer Chicken, yet here we were with two outdated fledgling locations left.
After much research and recipe testing, JACKPOT. In the strangest of places, some guy had made a youtube video of the recipe where he mixes and fries it with no audio and no recipe to copy. Taking old school pencil and paper notes, I could tell he was on to something when that wet batter come together. Sure enough when it came out of the oil it was gorgeous! The perfect orange brown tinted shade, with a smooth surface. It may not sound exciting to you if you aren’t familiar with Pioneer Chicken, but if you know what I am talking about here you are probably salivating as you read this.
For many who grew up in LA, this chicken is as much a childhood memory as playing Mario and all the wonder of Nintendo. It might be funny when to talk about video games, but I think every one of us has memories of being a kid and playing them! You can make this chicken for your kids while they enjoy today’s video games, and they might carry on the tradition! Next thing you know you’ll be buying them one of those pencil cases with hidden compartments… Or maybe just make more nostalgic copycat recipes like Tommy’s Chili, In-N-Out Animal Style Fries, and Hostess Cupcakes for dessert.
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How to Make Pioneer Fried Chicken
- Mix all the dry ingredients except for the reserved ¼ cup cornstarch. Add the water and whisk.
- Put ¼ cup of cornstarch in shallow pan and coat chicken with it.
- Dip the chicken that has been coated in cornstarch into the wet batter until completely coated. Let drip for a couple of seconds.
- Fry in 350 degree peanut or canola oil. for 8-10 minutes until cooked through in small batches.
- Drain on metal rack, not paper towels, that would make it soggy.
How to Store Pioneer Fried Chicken
- Serve: Don’t leave cooked chicken at room temperature longer than 2 hours before refrigerating.
- Store: Fried Chicken will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator, sealed in an airtight container.
- Freeze: Wrapped tightly in plastic, freeze Fried Chicken up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or reheat from frozen in the oven at 375 degrees for 20-40 minutes. Reheat to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken , cut into 8 pieces
- 1 cup cornstarch , ¼ cup reserved for coating
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup water
- 3 cups peanut or canola oil
Instructions
- Mix all the dry ingredients except for the reserved ¼ cup cornstarch.
- Add the water and whisk.
- Put ¼ cup of cornstarch in shallow pan and coat chicken with it.
- Dip the chicken that has been coated in cornstarch into the wet batter until completely coated.
- Let drip for a couple of seconds and gently lower into pot of oil.
- Fry in 350 degree peanut or canola oil. for 8-10 minutes until cooked through in small batches.
- Drain on metal rack, not paper towels, that would make it soggy.
Notes
Nutrition
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Photo used in a previous version of this post.
Its hard to find small chicken today. Most are 5lb or better. I find it too big to fry. By the time the chicken is done the batter is all but burnt. If you have a solution to that I would love to hear it. I love fried chicken but kind of give up on it due to this. I remember the best frying chicken was around 3lb.
The recipe is very different but looks like the crust should be crispy
It’s a cut up whole chicken… so you have 8 pieces to fry, not the whole chicken. But I agree, finding a whole chicken under 5 lbs is like trying to find a unicorn. Impossible.
OMG Pioneer Chicken!! HAHA I loved their chicken so much. I have a couple of the Titos Tacos OG recipes (grew up in Culver City in the 80s and 90s). Its good to have friends lol.
Now Lets make some Johnnies Pickles !!!
Not a bad idea!
I used to work at Pioneer Chicken as a teenager in the 70’s on Oahu, so this recipe puts a great big smile on my face. I will attempt your recipe soon and add another comment later about the results. But just some info when I worked there: to prepare the wet batter, we added ice cubes with the water to the dry ingredients; we used fine wheat flour (Wonder brand?) to coat the chicken before dipping it in the wet batter; we fried cod fish (for fish and chips) in the same batter, but coated the fish with the Pioneer dry batter first; I remember the dry batter smelled like curry, so I think there might be turmeric, coriander and, or cumin in the original recipe. And don’t forget about the “Hawaiian” bbq sauce served on the side! Thanks for the memories!! I’ll give your recipe a five-star rating because it sounds (and looks) promising…will send update….
Looking forward to it Ron! Thank you!
Still waiting…
Not updated in 20 years??? More like 45-50!
Fair enough, they look like 80s restaurants even when they were going out of business 20 years later, lol. Gosh don’t you miss them though?
FINALLY! After more than 40 yrs of marriage and numerous disasterous attempts at making fried chicken I got it right! Super crispy on the outside, nice and moist on the inside instead of the usual blackened on the outside and raw on the inside I tend to end up with. I had a rather large boneless, skinless chicken breast and I didn’t want to cook it forever to make sure it was edible so I cut it into 3 peices, of close to the same size. In 14 minutes they were done – same time as the corn on the cob (which doesn’t happen often either that everything was ready at the same time lol). Living in Canada I had never heard of Pioneer chicken, our only choice growing up was the Colonel. Man I think I missed out big time! Thank you so much for the recipe, and the confidence to make it again knowing what to do now!
That is so awesome to hear! Thank you for the review!
So it would be similar to something like a fish and chips batter? The wet kind. I always try so many fried chicken recipes (because I love it so much) and they never turn out ?? I use a thermometer, the right oil everything. But it’s always over cooked to the point of burnt on the outside and not cooked inside. Funny thing is I can do chicken wings perfectly. But I want whole pieces of chicken. 🙁 well I’m still definitely giving this one a try!! Ty for the recipe! Looks amazing!
I hope you enjoy it!
I wasn’t a cook, but worked the front for two years, sometimes helped in the back. I remember staring at the dry mix trying to figure out what was in it. Pretty sure sugar was one of the ingredients, which explains the sweetness. I remember the cooks telling me the wings and legs were around 8-10 minutes in the fryer, the breasts were large breast pieces and took 18 minutes if I remember correctly. Last thing, I’m pretty sure I remember them being fried in lard or shortening – it was thick and white before being warmed, came in solid cubes consistent with lard.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge, Rick!
By the way. Some pioneer trivia. On the TV series Full House. During the intro theme song for every show. When they are at the park having a picnic. There is a box of Pioneer Chicken on the blanket. Happen to see it when my nieces were watching it recently.
Now I have to go watch it, haha! Thanks for the tip!
I use to watch the show back in the day during my late teens. I remember that part of the introduction about the blanket, but never paid attention to the name on the box. Good to know that. Btw, I grew up in Bakersfield and we use to go to Pioneer Chicken. Miss those days. It’s too bad that they can’t branch out again. Thanks for sharing this recipe
I worked at Pioneer Chicken on Sepulveda in Harbor City back in 1980. My first job. The batter came in bags we would mix with water. The batter when wet was pinkish beige. It turned that reddish color hard crispy shell that sealed in all of the juices.
Good stuff. I, too went looking for the chain when I came back to Cali. Disappointed only 2 stores left.
Trying it with slice potatoes tonight-not wedges. Chicken is so good, time to try dunking potatoes in it and frying!!
Followed recipe exactly. Split chicken breasts – (Just two). The batter was very thick and we needed to put them in the oven because they were not cooked enough when we sat down for dinner.I think a lot more water is needed to thin this recipe. My chicken turned out as if it had a thick, cake like, salty crust.
Forgot to give it a rating: FIVE stars for sure, but the cook time of eight minutes can’t be right. Like I said, I went 18 minutes and the meat (thighs) was tender and juicy and the coating was spot-on.
Four thighs – 10 minutes in the deep fryer and my meat thermometer read 110 degrees. Five more minutes got it up to 140. Shouldn’t it be 165?
Yes, definitely 165 minimum with chicken. It will carry over cooking when you take it out. But not 25 degrees worth. Did it work out for you? Was it good?
I tried making this recipe twice..and both times it tasted nothing like Pioneer chicken the only thing that’s close to it is the crust.
Excellent recipe. I did add some Cajun seasoning for some extra kick.
I made this exactly, and got to say it was really too strong on the Paprika, and super salty. It might be close to Pioneer, but was really toooo strong on flavor to match.. so maybe putting less of the ingredients might be the key, not sure. The other recipe I made was Knotts Chicken, and that recipe was too weak on ingredients, next time I will hopefully get it right on both.
Made it tonight. It was very good def will be making it again! Thank you..?
Living in Australia, I’m even further from a Pioneer than you were! I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
looks like this maybe close….only thing that sticks out as different is the dry dredge….it maybe had corn starch…maybe mostly…..maybe entirely…but the dredge we used when cooking had more grit to it than “normal” corn starch. ……I was a cook for pioneer and my step Dad was a regional manager…although I never saw it made…and never knew any of the true ingredients (the batter came in one bag and the dredge in an other)…it must of had something else or been really gritty corn starch.
….all that mentioned I am anxious to see how good this version is…thanks
Man I gotta find out about the Hawaiian Sauce…that stuff was soooo good on everything I put it on.
I made this chicken last week and my family loved it esspecially my husband so I’m making it again tonight thank you for the recipe
Question, how do i make the chicken not stick tot he wire basket when i deep fry it? is the batter supposed to be a lil thick or still runny?
You’ll want to hold the chicken for a second or two in the oil to set before letting it go into the basket. That will help avoid it from sticking. HOpe this helps for next time.
My parents used to make this in the 60’s, they called it “broasted” chicken. Wonderful memory. They also made homemade donuts in the fryer with canned biscuits then sprinkled with powdered sugar or cinnamon and sugar. So yummy.
Those donuts sound delicious and oh so easy! So glad it brought back fond memories 🙂
There’s a restaurant in Burbank, CA that serves “broasted” chicken!! It’s called Lancers. Unsure of the origin of “broasted” just seemed like fried chicken to me. It is nothing close to my childhood favorite – Pioneer Chicken, of course, but not bad at all!
ok this was really really good..but..i used my deep fryer and when i went to check the chicken..they were so stuck to the basket..i had to pry them off which left the battered skin on that side stuck fried on..lol i don’t understand why..i put six peices in..maybe they were too croweded??..i’ve used my fryer for home-made fries..never a prob..oil was heated to 350..so ..checken took about 15min. to cook thru..i think i should have done 3 and 3..and the tip putting on the rack..boy what a difference..i always put my other recipe on paper towels to suck up the oil..hubby loved it this way..ty
I agree, it sounds like it was too overcrowded. But I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed even still!
Don’t use the basket next time. Just put them in without it. That’s what I do. No sticking.
being a Canuck i have never heard of this place..I never do fried chicken with skin on as i di oven fried chicken..but i want to try this tonight..will be back to let you know tomorrow..it sure sounds good..huggzz
Can’t wait to hear how it turns out!
I use the skinless/boneless breasts only and it works just fine.
Tried this tonight on boneless chicken breast and it was really good. I should have either seasoned the chicken a little or pounded a bit thinner. I also didn’t have celery salt so I used Lawry’s seasoned salt. Hubby and I both think it would be great on fish and shrimp as well.
I saw your comment that you use table salt for baking and wondering if you are talking about Morton’s Iodized salt or something else???? I only have kosher and fine sea salt in my pantry. Is the sea salt a good sub for table salt?
I use Morton’s Iodized for baking but you can absolutely sub fine sea salt for table salt.
Hi Sabrina. Do you use Kosher salt or table salt?
I use kosher salt for cooking, table salt for baking. Hope this helps!
I am so so happy that I came across your recipe. I’m going to try it tomorrow night. I used to live next door to Pioneer Chicken on Sherman Way and Mason. At the time (in the 70’s) there was a Lucky Market in this tiny shopping center. According to Google Map, it looks like it is now a Smart & Final and where Pioneer Chicken was, there is a Chinese restaurant. I used to be able to walk to Pioneer and they would give out (or sell, I cant remember) cone cups of just the skin that would drop or fall between the metal racks. I so love that chicken and really wish they would come back. I dont understand why they went away. Such a shame and loss of fabulous chicken to the world.
I’m glad to hear this recipe brought back fond memories for you, hopefully it tastes just was good as the original. Enjoy!
Hello! I tried it today and boy it was soooo yummy and oh so crunchy! I’ll keep the recipe, promise! Hahaha! 1 question though, how long will it stay crunchy? The batch i made didn’t sit long to cool down ?
I’m so glad you loved it! If you allow the chicken to cool on a wire rack, they’ll stay crispy and not get soggy. Hope this helps!
Do you suggest a deep fryer or is a pan fry okay too?
Either works but make sure your pan is deep enough to cover the chicken and not cause a huge mess of splatter in your kitchen too. Enjoy!
This was some of the best fried chicken I have ever had! I will definitely be making this again! It was super moist, the texture was phenomenal, and the flavor was outstanding! I’m sold on pioneer chicken. Thank you so much for the recipe!!
You’re welcome, Kellie!
I’m wondering if this can be made in an air fryer. I know it wouldn’t be the same. I’ve never had Pioneer chicken and I don’t own a deep fryer and prefer not to deep fry in a pan but I think this looks so yummy!
I’ve not tested it yet but you might be able to find a similar recipe online using one and follow that as a guideline. Good luck!
OMGoodness!!!!! I grew up in SoCal and I am ALWAYS talking about Pioneer Chicken. The only Fried chicken place I have ever loved. You are right in saying that KFC should have been the place to close. It is gross!!!! While scrolling Pinterest I could NOT believe my eyes when I came across your post. WOW! I am so over the moon excited right now. I will be trying this, this weekend! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for understanding Pioneer love (Insert laughing emoji here)….
So glad you found this recipe!! Pioneer chicken lovers unite, lol!
I also grew up in Southern Cal. I would save my allowance money and walk to Pioneer and buy a drumstick or a thigh. Long story short, my dad was military and we moved away. Later, as a Marine, I was stationed back in San Diego. You can imagine my distress when I discovered my beloved Pioneer was no more. I saw your recipe and tried it last night and I was transported back in time to the mid 1970’s and remembered walking through canyon that took me to the shopping center where Pioneer was located. Thank you for doing the work and research! The recipe is spot on.
Thank you so much for your kind words and your service.
I just made this and followed recipe as written. I have never had Pioneer Chicken; however, as fried chicken goes this was okay. Loved the light, crispy coating. Next time I will play a little with the spices as the flavor needs a little more kick. Like that the recipe is adaptable to suit your personal taste. I recommend trying as written first and then tweak if you need to. Also do fry in small batches; chicken cooks better. I used chicken tenders.
This recipe is FIRE! Super easy to make and delicious AF.
I have been craving Pioneer chicken for years, my family used to have it all the time back in the 70’s. I found your recipe and decided to try it last night. It’s been a really long time since I have had Pioneer, and this was pretty much exactly how I remember it, from the dark color and crunchy texture of the skin, to the juicy flavorful chicken inside. You got this recipe pretty much spot on. Thank you Sabrina for your research and for posting this, I’ll definitely be making this again soon. And I am looking forward to trying some of your other recipes too!
This just makes me so happy! I’m so glad you all enjoyed it, John.
Hi! I loved this recipe. However, is the batter supposed to be so thick. It was hard to keep the batter on the chicken. Other than that, the flavor was spot on. Im going to try making the chicken again.
So glad you enjoyed it. Next time, completely pat down your chicken so that it’s dry before starting. Hopefully this helps.
OMG!!!!! I grew up on Pioneer Chicken in southern CA. About a year ago started searching for one and wasn’t able to locate any. This chicken is soooooo goooood. I did work at Kentucky Fried Chicken in Van Nuys CA when in High School but my fav was Pioneer! Thank you so much for posting this I can’t wait to try it!!!
Patty D
Enjoy!!
for the reserved flour do I take that from the 1cup of flour or is it 1/4 on its own
For the 1/4 cup cornstarch? Yeah you keep it from the 1 cup you start with. The 1/4 cup flour is not reserved, it goes into the batter with the rest of the ingredients.
SO – to be PERFECTLY clear, the BATTER itself contains 3/4 c of cornstarch plus 1/4 cup of flour, correct?
Yes, that makes up the wet batter.
Has anyone tried this with the air fryer? Never had pioneer but will try this, sounds nice.
I guess no since this is a wet coating recipe! Try it with the classic dry coated recipe!
I just tried your recipe and it was delicious! I don’t know if it really tasted like Pioneer Chicken, because it has been decades since I last had ( or have even seen ) Pioneer. But your recipe was so good. Thank you very much. Have you ever considered trying to duplicate their Pioneer Sauce??
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I’ll have to add the sauce to my “to do” list. Thanks for the suggestion.
I tried the fried chicken recipe and I must say, it was delicious! The crust was light and airy and the crunch didn’t break your teeth. My daughter and I said that next time, we’re trying this on catfish. Almost like Captain D’s.
Sounds amazing!!
Hey, Sabrina, thank you for this recipe it tasted great! I am from Germany and I would like to try the chicken from Willie Mae’s either could you send me a copycat recipe of them?
Thank you!!
I don’t have a copycat recipe for that one. I’ll have to add it to my list of things to research. Thanks for the suggestion.
Hello,can I bak e thai chicken? Thanks
I’ve never tested it so I’m not sure. If you did, it wouldn’t be a copycat recipe anymore.
What is everybody talking about? The recipe says 1/4 cup flour and 1 cup cornstarch with 1/4 of it reserved. This doesn’t make a batter. How is everyone getting a batter from following this recipe???
Hi, just dropping by to say that I’ve made this recipe five times already. It’s by far the BEST fried chicken we’ve ever had. I literally daydream about this chicken when I’m at work!
Thanks for coming back to let me know, Rama! So glad you love it so much!!
You left out the toasted sesame oil in the fry oil. (got to be the toasted oil )
Trader Jo’s has it
Thats the secret flavor, try it you will see !
About a tsp to a bottle of oil .
Cheers
Thanks for the suggestion!
Delicious! Just as I remember from when I was a child. I miss Pioneer Chicken…
Happy to have brought back a bit of nostalgia for you.
This is social to find I worked as a cook at Pioneer Chicken in the 80’s before it’s demise. I miss the food so much and KFC could never live up to Pioneer chicken. Have you ever come across a recipe for the biscuits?
I wish I did but sadly, this is the only recipe I have.
Just found this and I grew up in Honolulu , Hi and then moved to Los Angeles in 1986. I lived in Hollywood Rossmore and Melrose which had a Pioneer Chicken. This was well Known Chain in Honolulu which I preferred over KFC and still do. I was trying to explain the difference to my wife and kids as my boys love Fried Chicken . I make good Buttermilk version but not the same as the batter. So I am happy that I found this sight going to attempt it for them and it seems faster and lots of great reviews. Thank you for the self discovery. Happy to have all the ingredients and not having to run to store or improvise. Stay tuned
Yay! I’m so happy you found it too. Can’t wait to hear what you think.
Does the recipe look the same?
Just made this, and it turned out Amazing! Usually our fried chicken is blah. Not this time. The kids kept picking at the crispy skin of the freshly made chicken. I couldn’t keep them out of the kitchen! Once the chicken is taken out of the oil, the pieces are nice and crunchy but after a few minutes they turn soggy. I wish there was a way for them to retain their crunchiness. Maybe a heat lamp or some-such? I thank you very much for sharing your recipe, it will be made a lot!
I’m so glad you love this recipe! Next time try placing the fried chicken on a wire cooking rack on a sheet pan in the oven to stay crispy. Thank you so much for the 5 star rating!
That’s normal and is caused by moisture coming to the surface. Look into the double-frying method, e.g., J. Kenji López-Alt.
Hi Trish, I’m about to make your recipe right now as you have listed above, with oil. My question is: We just bought a NuWave Brio air fryer. Will your recipe come out the same as if frying with oil? Thanks
I’ve never tested it so I’m not sure. If you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turns out, thanks!
Great and simple recipe! Delicious! Brought back childhood memories.
I LOVED Pioneer Chicken and grew up with one across the street! My all time fave was the spicy fried chicken. How would you modify this recipe to give it that spicy kick? Thank you for the memories and the recipe!
I totally wish I knew what to add to modify it! The flavor is so distinct but I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is. So sorry!
Ummm maybe a little cumin powder?
Omg omg omg,,,, this is the greatest day ever!!!!!!! Lol am so hungry for pioneer chicken . THE BEST CHICKEN IN THE WORLD. What a saint in the chicken world you are. Can’t wait to try it. Wait till my husband hears about this ????
Fantastic!!
First of all thank you for taking the time to copy down the recipe from the guy on youtube. As for the recipe itself, here are my comments.
I am not quite sure if it tastes exactly like Pioneer or not, as it has been more then 30 years since I’ve had that chicken. However, the coating was very crunchy like I remember. The first batch I made, I cooked in the deep fryer basket and it was a complete mess. The coating stuck to the fryer basket, so half of it came off when I removed the chicken. Also it tasted a little bit bland and oily.
The second batch I made I went ahead and marinated the chicken in pickle juice for a couple hours and I added cayenne pepper, a couple squirts of hot musturd, and twice the amount of regular pepper to make it spicier. I also thinned the mixture down a little bit with more water, which helped it from sticking as much.
Overall, I think this is a good base recipe for chicken or fish that you can tweak to make to your liking. It definitely has its roots in a tempura fish coating recipe, but tastes pretty good on chicken. I don’t recommend cooking it in a deep fryer with a basket though, as it will stick to the basket. I prefer the spicier chicken, that I made with the second batch, but I tend to like spicy chicken. My family did like the recipe, so I will make it again sometime. As far as fried chicken recipes go, this one is really crunchy and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a tempura puffy style crunchy chicken.
Thanks for all of your feedback!