Backhendl
“Styrian fried chicken — chicken pieces buttermilk-marinated, then breaded in three stations (flour, egg, fresh breadcrumbs) and shallow-fried in clarified butter until shatteringly crispy and golden. Served warm with potato salad, leaf salad, and lemon wedges. The Habsburg-era predecessor to American Southern fried chicken — Austrian aristocrats brought this technique to Vienna in the 18th century.”
Where it comes from
Backhendl ('baked chicken' but actually fried) is one of Austria's most-historical dishes — documented in 18th-century Habsburg court cookbooks as 'Backhuhn' or 'Wienerische Suppenhuhn.' Styrian (southern Austrian) home cooks specialized in this technique using local chickens. The dish was so prestigious that the 18th-19th century Vienna upper class was called 'Backhendlzeit' (Backhendl era) for its love of the dish. The defining technique is the three-station breading and the use of CLARIFIED BUTTER for shallow-frying — vegetable oil produces inferior flavor. Austrian Backhendl predates American Southern fried chicken; some food historians argue Austrian immigrants to the American South in the 19th century influenced the development of Southern fried chicken.
On the plate
Backhendl is Habsburg-era fried chicken refined to perfection. First bite: a shattering thin crust gives way to juicy, buttermilk-tenderized chicken. The fresh breadcrumbs (not panko) create a fine, almost-crackly texture rather than a heavy crust. The marinade has worked its magic — chicken is moist all the way through, with delicate paprika-and-lemon notes. Squeeze lemon for brightness. Bite of Erdäpfelsalat — vinegary potato salad with pumpkin seed oil drizzle — adds tang. A sip of Styrian dry white wine. The dish that the 18th-century Austrian aristocracy loved enough to give an entire historical period its name.
How it works
Three technical principles: (1) Buttermilk marination — the buttermilk's mild lactic acid denatures the chicken's muscle proteins, tenderizing them; the buttermilk's fat coats the surface, helping the breading adhere. (2) Three-station breading — flour absorbs surface moisture; egg creates an adhesive layer; breadcrumbs make the crust. The dryness of the flour step is critical for perfect adhesion. (3) Clarified-butter frying at 170°C — butter has milk solids that would burn at frying temps, but clarified butter (just butterfat) has a high smoke point + the distinctive butter flavor. Austrian preference is for fresh soft breadcrumbs (not panko) — fresh breadcrumbs create a finer, less aggressive crust that doesn't compete with the chicken flavor.
Variations
Styrian canonical (with pumpkin-seed oil potato salad); Viennese version (more refined, lighter breading); 'Wiener Backhendl' is the Vienna name for the same dish; modern Salzburg version uses smaller breadcrumb size; gluten-free version uses almond flour + chickpea flour; the dish is closely related to American Southern fried chicken (which may have Austrian-immigrant origins); pre-modern technique called for whole young chickens (under 1kg) split in half — modern versions use pieces.
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
11 steps · Show ↓45 min active · 30 min waiting
How it's made
11 steps · Show ↓- 15 min
Cut 1 whole chicken (1.4kg) into 8 pieces (2 breasts halved, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, 2 wings).
- 2245 min
Marinate: in a large bowl combine 500ml buttermilk + 2 tsp salt + 1 tsp paprika + 1 tsp black pepper + 1/2 tsp white pepper + 1 tsp lemon zest + 4 garlic cloves (smashed). Add the chicken; submerge. Cover; refrigerate 4-12 hours (overnight is ideal).
- 34 min
Set up breading stations: (1) 200g all-purpose flour + 1 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp white pepper, (2) 3 large eggs beaten with 2 tbsp milk, (3) 300g fresh white breadcrumbs (Austrian preference for soft fresh breadcrumbs, NOT panko).
- 43 min
Remove chicken from marinade; let excess drip off (don't rinse). Pat surface lightly.
- 58 min
Bread each chicken piece: flour first (light coating, shake off excess), egg second (let drip), breadcrumbs third (press GENTLY to coat). Place on a tray.
- 64 min
Heat 3cm clarified butter in a wide heavy skillet (28cm minimum) to 170°C. Test with a breadcrumb — should sizzle immediately.
- 79 min
Place chicken pieces skin-side down in the hot fat. Don't crowd. Fry 8-10 min on one side until deep golden-brown.
- 87 min
Flip carefully with tongs. Fry another 6-8 min on the other side until golden, cooked through (internal temp 75°C).
- 95 min
Remove to a wire rack to drain (NOT paper towels). Let rest 5 min.
- 105 min
Optional finish: place fried chicken on a baking sheet; bake at 180°C 5 min to keep warm and ensure crisp.
- 113 min
Serve with: warm Austrian Erdäpfelsalat (vinegary potato salad with red onion and pumpkin-seed oil), Vogerlsalat (lamb's lettuce) with apple-cider-and-pumpkin-seed-oil vinaigrette, lemon wedges, and a glass of Styrian dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc from the Sausal region).
What you'll need
A heavy, single-piece cast iron pan, 25-30 cm across, weighing 1.5-2.5 kg. Once preheated, the thick mass holds 230°C+ even when a cold steak hits the surface — that's the secret to a deep crust. A well-seasoned skillet (multiple thin layers of polymerized oil baked into the iron) is essentially nonstick, gets better with use, and lasts a century. Lodge skillets from Tennessee have been in continuous production since 1896.
Flat rectangular metal pan (sheet pan, half-sheet, quarter-sheet), 33×23 cm to 45×33 cm, with a low rim. The flat surface gives even heat for cookies, biscuits, roasted vegetables, sheet-pan dinners. Heavy aluminum sheets conduct heat fastest; non-stick coatings make cleanup easier but can warp over 200°C; rimmed half-sheet is the modern American restaurant standard.
