Five Amish and Shaker Farmhouse Chicken Recipes (2024)

Published: · Updated: by Kevin Williams | 2 Comments

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Five Amish and Shaker Farmhouse Chicken Recipes (1)

Chicken is a staple on Amish menus and, for that matter, on the menus of almost all the Plain cultures: Amish, Mennonite, Brethren, Hutterite and Shakers (who are not religiously connected to the aforementioned groups, but do share some culinary and craftsmanship traits in common). Chicken is popular because it's plentiful, versatile, and sometimes perceived as healthier than ground beef or pork but, I think, the jury is still out on that. But these Amish Farmhouse Chicken recipes will make you happy!

Jump to:
  • 🍗 Shaker Grilled Chicken
  • 🍗 Shaker Fried Chicken
  • 🍗 Honey Fried Chicken
  • 🍗 Amish Fried Chicken w/ Gravy
  • 🍗 Molasses Baked Chicken

These are some wonderfully diverse, flavorful, and easy recipes for chicken from Amish and Shaker kitchens. The oven-fried chicken with gravy recipe comes to us from an Amish woman in Vanceburg, Kentucky and is quite intriguing. There are also a couple of recipes in this mix that come from the rich tradition of Shaker culinary culture. You'd have free-range, plump chickens cavorting around a typical Shaker colony and that would result in a succulent, juicy bird. So if you try to replicate these recipes at home, try to use the highest quality poultry. Frozen Tyson will work, but you won't get the full effect. Enjoy these Amish farmhouse chicken recipes!

Five Amish and Shaker Farmhouse Chicken Recipes (2)
Jump to:
  • 🍗 Shaker Grilled Chicken
  • 🍗 Shaker Fried Chicken
  • 🍗 Honey Fried Chicken
  • 🍗 Amish Fried Chicken w/ Gravy
  • 🍗 Molasses Baked Chicken

🍗 Shaker Grilled Chicken

Shaker Grilled Chicken

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Amish

Ingredients

  • 1 /2 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 /4 cup oil
  • 3 /4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 /4 cup shallot sub in a sweet onion if no shallots
  • 2 garlic cloves chopped
  • 2 lbs skinless chicken thighs trimmed of fat

Instructions

  • Whisk together vinegar, oil, and salt.

  • Stir in garlic and shallots

  • Place chicken pieces in a zip top bag and pour in marinade.

  • Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to 3 hours.

  • Preheat the grill. Place the chicken on the grill and cook 6-8 minutes per side or until done.

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I had the opportunity to visit the last remaining Shaker colony, Sabbathday Lake Maine. I spent some time with Brother Arnold, the youngest member of the colony. I would love to have had a chance to root through the recipes in their kitchen, probably passed down and perfected through generations. He didn’t let me do that. But many of the best Shaker recipes have survived in cookbooks and collections. This fried chicken recipe is one of them.

Shaker cooking has more elegance to it than Amish cooking, I think. But it is simple. Simple with delicious seasonings being the hallmark.

🍗 Shaker Fried Chicken

Five Amish and Shaker Farmhouse Chicken Recipes (4)

Shaker Fried Chicken

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Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 spring chickens quartered
  • 3 tablespoons soft butter
  • 1 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh marjoram ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
  • ¼ cup flour
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons lard
  • 1 cup light cream

Instructions

  • Wash chickens well and quarter.

  • Rub thoroughly with soft butter and sprinkle generously with parsley and marjoram.

  • Let stand at room temperature for one hour.

  • Then roll in flour to which salt and pepper have been added.

  • Heat heavy skillet, add butter and lard combined.

  • Cook chicken on all sides until golden brown.

  • Pour cream over it and let simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Serves 6.

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Honey is a go-to item for many Amish cooks. Often, honey and maple syrup are used interchangeably with sugar in recipes. And when it comes to frying chicken, honey gives it a nice color and a deep, rich, flavor. There are many Amish who are also beekeepers, so they can just go out to their hive and get a scoop of honey.

🍗 Honey Fried Chicken

Five Amish and Shaker Farmhouse Chicken Recipes (6)

Honey Fried Chicken

Fried Chicken... Honey... Say no more

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Amish

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 4 pound whole chicken, cut into pieces
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 packet chicken bouillon granules•
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour•
  • 1 quart vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

  • Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then coat each seasoned chicken piece with honey.

  • In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together the garlic powder, chicken bouillon granules and flour.

  • Dredge honey coated chicken pieces in flour mixture, coating completely.

  • Fill a large, heavy skillet with oil to a depth of one inch. Heat over medium-high heat.

  • Fry chicken for at least 5 minutes per side, until no longer pink and juices run clear.

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The gravy is the star of this recipe. The pan drippings, some flour, and a few other seasonings are all you need to make a super supper.

🍗 Amish Fried Chicken w/ Gravy

Amish Oven-Fried Chicken w/ Gravy

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Amish

Ingredients

Chicken

  • cup vegetable oil
  • cup butter
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon marjoram dried
  • 8 - 9 chicken pieces - legs thighs, breasts

Cream Gravy

  • ¼ cup pan drippings
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ cups milk
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Place oil and butter in a shallow cooking pan (such as a jelly roll pan) and put in a 375 degree oven to melt.

  • Remove from oven

  • In a large paper sack or bowl combine flour and seasonings.

  • Roll a few pieces of chicken in oil and butter mixture, then shake them in sack to cover or roll in mixture in bowl.

  • Place chicken in pan with remaining oil butter mixture skin side down.

  • Bake for 45 minutes.

  • Turn it over and bake 5 - 10 minutes longer -until top crust begins to bubble.

For Gravy

  • Blend ¼ cup drippings from pan and flour in skillet over medium heat.

  • Gradually stir in milk and cook, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and thickened.

  • Stir in parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.

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Molasses, like honey and maple syrup, is another common item in an Amish kitchen. Molasses can also be used interchangeably with sugar in many recipes, but for this chicken the molasses gives a rich, dark color and the flavor is amazing.

🍗 Molasses Baked Chicken

Molasses Baked Chicken

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Amish

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken 3 ½ lbs. cut up
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • ¾ teaspoon of black pepper fresh ground makes a difference
  • 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons of dark molasses
  • 2 tablespoons of spicy brown mustard

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 400 degrees.

  • Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper.

  • Combine vinegar, molasses and mustard.

  • Coat chicken with this mixture rubbing into skin and meat.

  • Place chicken in large greased roasting pan.

  • Place on the lower shelf of the oven and roast 20 minutes.

  • Turn the chicken over and bake until the skin is golden

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More Amish Chicken Recipes

  • Delicious Corn Flake-Coated Baked Chicken Patties
  • Everything Bagel Chicken and Corn
  • Amish Chicken Skillet Stir Fry
  • Try These So-Good, Super Flavorful Chicken Roll-Ups!
Five Amish and Shaker Farmhouse Chicken Recipes (12)

About Kevin Williams

Hi, my name is Kevin Williams and I am owner of Oasis Newsfeatures and editor of The Amish Cook newspaper column.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Juls Owings

    We are lucky , Hubby does hauling for the Amish and most have told him if we need any meat to let them know.

    Reply

    • Kevin

      Excellent! Locally sourced and butchered beef is so much better anyway!

      Reply

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Five Amish and Shaker Farmhouse Chicken Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Amish chicken and regular chicken? ›

The name comes from how the chicken is raised and processed according to the Amish traditions. In comparison to other chicken, there are no added hormones and they are considered free range.

Is Amish chicken healthy? ›

Our Gerber Farm Division and our growers safeguard the health of our chickens by assuring that they have plenty of nutritious feed, water, comfortable housing and abundant care. Do Gerber's Amish Farm Chicken™ products contain GMOs? Gerber Amish Farm Chicken™ products are 100% GMO-free.

How are Amish chickens raised? ›

The Amish approach to raising chickens is rooted in the belief that farming should be a harmonious relationship between humans, animals, and the land. Chickens raised under Amish care are typically free-range, enjoying open spaces to roam and forage for natural foods.

Is Amish chicken organic? ›

Only a portion of chicken farmers claiming that they sell Amish chickens are actually Amish, and even the Amish don't all raise their chickens organically. It mostly refers to the area that the chickens were raised in, such as Pennsylvania, but the birds are treated just the same as your standard grocery store chicken.

What is special about Amish chicken? ›

Amish chickens are raised and harvested in the traditional farming methods practiced as part of the Amish way of life. Chickens enjoy an active life with free range of the farm and are often tended to by Amish children as part of their daily chores.

Why is Amish chicken better? ›

Gerber's Amish Farm Chicken® tastes better because our family has taken the time to perfect our feeding formula and the way we raise our chickens. WHAT'S IN OUR FEED? THAT'S SIMPLE, TOO. Corn and soybeans are used to make our specialized, antibiotic free vegetable-based, all natural feed.

What is the most unhealthy meat in the world? ›

Least healthy meats

Processed Meats: Notably, there are over 200 types of cold cuts and processed meats. These include hot dogs, bologna, and Vienna sausages. Processed meat is often made of less healthy organs like the stomach, lips, and heart.

What are the cons of eating rotisserie chicken? ›

Again, this is because most rotisserie chickens contain an “injection solution” of sugars, sodium, and other processed ingredients. Because they are injected into the meat, these additives, salts, and sugars are distributed throughout the chicken—so you can't avoid them by not eating the skin.

Who owns the Amish brand chicken? ›

Now, three generations later, Gerber's Poultry is a thriving business committed to providing customers with high quality, great tasting chicken. Learn more about Gerber's! Gerber's is utilizing the Where Food Comes From Source Verified® program to authentically tell the story behind Gerber's Amish Farm Chicken.

Do Amish eat fried chicken? ›

"When I visited Amish country in Penn. I fell in love with the Fried Chicken they made. Here is one of their recipes. Very tasty!"

What is Gerber Amish chicken? ›

Gerber's Poultry is located in the heart of the Ohio's Amish Country. Their chickens are raised on Amish family farms and have plenty of room to roam. At Gerber's it's all about raising and feeding our chickens the right way, the natural way. Chickens are fed an all vegetarian diet with: NO antibiotics ever.

Why is it called Amish chicken? ›

Right - It means raised by Amish people. You don't go to any other "farmers" who happen to be in Amish country and call their chicken Amish. Poultry exemption. Polyface slaughters their own chickens and sells to restaurants, retails.

How do Amish slaughter chicken? ›

The old-fashioned method involves dipping the chickens (after they have been killed) into hot water with baking soda, which allows the feathers to be picked off easily. Next, a small torch was used to singe off the last bits of feathers. After gutting the chickens, they were ready to be cut up and cooled.

Is Gerber Amish chicken free-range? ›

From the time the chickens arrive to Gerber's Amish family farms from the Orville Hatchery, they are provided with fresh water and Gerber's own special blend of vegetarian, additive-free feed and are free to roam and explore their surroundings.

Do Amish farmers use chemicals? ›

Many Amish also avoid using pesticides. Instead, many Amish famers use manure to fertilize the land. They also use crop rotation to keep the soil healthy. The Amish work to combine their knowledge of science, technology and experience to maintain their traditional way of farming.

What is Amish chicken made of? ›

In a wide mouthed bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, white pepper, salt and paprika. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture, knocking off excess and place in baking dish, skin side up. Stir together cream and water and pour evenly over chicken.

What is the meaning of Amish chicken? ›

Right - It means raised by Amish people. You don't go to any other "farmers" who happen to be in Amish country and call their chicken Amish.

What is Amish poultry? ›

Gerber's Poultry is located in the heart of the Ohio's Amish Country. Their chickens are raised on Amish family farms and have plenty of room to roam. At Gerber's it's all about raising and feeding our chickens the right way, the natural way. Chickens are fed an all vegetarian diet with: NO antibiotics ever.

What are the 3 types of chicken? ›

Chickens. Many different breeds of chickens have been developed for different purposes. For simplicity, you can place them into three general categories: Laying, meat-producing and dual-purpose breeds.

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