Add flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and cayenne pepper to a medium-sized bowl. Whisk well to fully incorporate the mixture.
Thoroughly dredge each piece of dried chicken in the flour mixture. Tap off any excess flour mixture and transfer chicken to a wire rack or a plate. Continue until all the chicken has been dredged and set aside. (See video.)
Discard any remaining flour mixture since the raw chicken has contaminated it.
Place the fat or oil into a frying pan on medium-low to medium heat. You want the fat or oil to be approximately 350°F.
Once the fat or oil comes up to temperature, fry three to four pieces of chicken at a time, starting with the skin side down. DO NOT overcrowd the pan.
When you place the chicken pieces into the frying pan, the temperature of the oil will begin to drop to 300°F-325°F. This the perfect temperature range to cook fried chicken. Do not raise the heat.
Wings can take approximately 3-4 minutes per side to cook. Legs can take approximately 5 minutes per side to cook. And breasts and thighs can take approximately 7 minutes per side to cook.
After the appropriate cooking time, turn over each piece of chicken over in the frying pan. Allow the chicken to finish cooking until the skin is a crispy golden brown and the chicken is cooked through so that when sliced into, the juices run clear.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean wire rack or plate to cool slightly before serving. DO NOT place the chicken on a paper towel. This will create steam and cause the skin to become soggy.