Hi, I’m Emily!
And yes, before you ask – my last name isn’t actually Chicken. But after years of being the go-to person whenever someone needed a chicken recipe, the nickname just stuck.
I’m a Tennessee girl, born and raised. My mama could fry chicken that would make you weep, and every Sunday our little farmhouse kitchen smelled like heaven. I didn’t know it then, but those afternoons standing on a step stool next to her, watching her season and flour each piece with the patience of a saint, were shaping everything I’d become in the kitchen.
The Short Version
I’m a wife to James (firefighter, professional food critic, refuses to sugarcoat anything) and mama to Sophie (7) and Noah (5), who would genuinely eat chicken nuggets for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I let them.
I started this blog because I was tired of scrolling through recipes that called for seventeen ingredients I couldn’t pronounce and techniques that required a culinary degree. I just wanted good chicken. The kind that makes your family ask for seconds. The kind that doesn’t require a trip to three different stores.
Why Only Chicken?
People ask me this all the time.
Here’s the truth: I got really, really good at cooking chicken out of pure necessity. When you’re feeding a husband who works 24-hour shifts and two kids with the attention span of goldfish, you figure out what works. Chicken works.
It’s affordable. It’s versatile. My picky eaters actually eat it. And honestly? There’s something beautiful about mastering one thing instead of being mediocre at everything.
On this site, you’ll find:
- Weeknight dinners that don’t require a PhD
- Comfort food classics my mama would approve of
- Healthier versions that still taste like the real thing
- Recipes tested on the toughest critics I know – my own family
My Promise
Every single recipe here has been made in my actual kitchen, eaten by my actual family, and often remade three or four times until it was right. I don’t do “close enough.” If my husband raises an eyebrow, back to the drawing board I go.
I use regular ingredients from regular grocery stores. No truffle oil. No high-fructose-sounding syrups. Just real food that real people can actually make on a Tuesday night when everyone’s hungry and homework isn’t done yet.
A Little More About Me
When I’m not elbow-deep in chicken, you can find me:
- Convincing my kids that vegetables won’t actually hurt them
- Drinking way too much coffee
- Pretending I’m going to start that garden I’ve been talking about for three years
- Sneaking bites of whatever I’m cooking before it hits the table
I studied nutrition in college, which is probably why I can’t fully commit to deep-frying everything (even though I want to). I worked in restaurant management for a few years before Sophie came along, which taught me that feeding people is equal parts love and logistics.
Let’s Be Friends
I genuinely love hearing from you. Tell me what you’re cooking. Tell me what you’re struggling with. Tell me your mama’s secret fried chicken trick – I promise I can keep a secret.
📧 Email: emily@emilychicken.com
📌 Pinterest: @emilychickenrecipes
📸 Instagram: @emilychickenrecipes
And if you make one of my recipes? Please, please tag me. Nothing makes my day like seeing my food on your table.
Now go preheat that oven. We’ve got chicken to make.
– Emily