Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe

Fried chicken in a silver tray lined with parchment paper.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe

Fried chicken can be so easy to buy these days, but it doesn't hold a candle to honest to goodness, mouthwatering, homemade fried chicken. If you’ve never made it yourself, then it might be time to scratch it off your bucket list and get frying. This classic recipe is the real deal with a golden, crunchy buttermilk batter that tastes great hot or cold.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings servings (2 pieces each)

Calories 796kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

Oil for frying
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups buttermilk (see note 1)
1 (4- to 5-pound) whole chicken cut into 8 pieces and giblets removed and discarded (see note 2)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large pot, Dutch oven, or deep fryer, bring 2 inches of oil to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, 2 tablespoons salt, and 2 tablespoons pepper until combined.
In a second large bowl, add buttermilk. Set next to bowl with flour mixture.
Starting with chicken breast and working with one piece of chicken at a time, dredge in flour mixture. Dip in buttermilk, tap on the side of the bowl lightly to remove excess, and return to flour mixture.
Firmly and thoroughly press and pinch flour mixture on to chicken (the chicken must be well-coated for the best possible crunch). Place in hot oil.
Repeat with remaining chicken pieces and place in hot oil in this order: breast, thighs, legs, wings. There should be 8 pieces of chicken in hot oil.
Set a timer for 15 minutes. When the timer expires, use an internal thermometer to check the temperature of the breast (it should be 165 degrees or higher).
Remove chicken from oil and drain on paper towels. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

Buttermilk: To make your own buttermilk, in a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons lemon juice into 2 cups of milk. Let stand until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
Chicken: This recipe uses a whole raw chicken (cut apart into breasts, thighs, legs, and wings). Or, substitute 8 pieces of bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces of your choice.

Nutrition