Last updated on November 26th, 2018 at 10:29 pm
This is the BEST EVER Buttermilk Fried Chicken! Super juicy and tender on the inside yet crispy on the outside and bursting with flavor! Perfect for lunch or dinner and served with a side salad.
Everybody loves fried chicken! We’re talking crispy, juicy fried chicken. Whether you’re using drumsticks, wings, or breast, you’ve got it covered in this buttermilk coating full of crunchy ripples that you’re just dying to sink your teeth in. And that first bite is what gets you and keeps you wanting more.
Fried chicken is one of those first things that I learned to make because of its simplicity. My mom’s recipe, however, is a bit different, there is no buttermilk or hot sauce in hers. What I love the most about frying chicken is the smell, the entire house smells like fried chicken and your mouth starts watering.
Although it’s simple, most cooks are afraid of making fried chicken at home because of the coating and the frying. With my simple buttermilk coating, you can’t fail and will end up with delicious fried chicken every single time.
HOW TO MAKE BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN
First you’ll need chicken. While you can use a whole chicken which you can cut into pieces, I recommend buying chicken pieces such as drumsticks, thighs or wings to save time. If using breasts, make sure you cook longer.
Season the buttermilk coating generously. I love to use paprika and hot sauce in mine, but don’t be afraid to add herbs to it such as thyme, basil or oregano! Don’t skip the eggs in the buttermilk mixture, because the eggs help the flour coating stick to the chicken.
To make things easier, prepare all your chicken first by dredging them through flour, buttermilk mixture and flour again. Place the battered chicken pieces on a shallow plate or a rack. You can also do this while your oil is heating.
Use a deep skillet or a Dutch oven for frying. The higher the sides of the frying skillet, the less splattering.Use tongs to remove chicken from the hot oil and always hold the fried chicken for about 10 seconds over the hot oil so excess oil can drip back. I like to place my fried chicken on a plate lined with paper towels so the paper towels can soak up more of the fat.
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE CHICKEN IS COOKED INSIDE
If unsure if your chicken is cooked inside, always use a probe thermometer and inserted into the thickest part of the chicken, it should have an internal temperature of 165 F degrees.
The first side will take longer to cook maybe about 7 min, and the second side will cook faster, 3 to 5 minutes, so be patient and let the chicken cook properly.
Originally shared Feb 2012. Updated with video and pictures, recipe unchanged.
CRAVING MORE CHICKEN? TRY THESE:
- Bang Bang Chicken
- Chipotle Popcorn Chicken
- Coconut Chicken
- Chicken Poppers
- Cuban Chicharrones de Pollo
- Shanghai Chicken
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken wings chicken legs, thighs or chicken breast
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 tsp pepper or to taste
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Wash the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels.
- Prepare the buttermilk mixture and flour: To a large bowl add the buttermilk, eggs, paprika, hot sauce, salt, pepper and whisk until combined. Whisk in the baking powder and baking soda. In a shallow dish add the flour.
- Dredge the chicken: First dredge the chicken in the flour on all sides, then dip into the buttermilk mixture and make sure it's coated well all around. Dredge the chicken in flour one more time, then place the chicken on a plate or rack, and repeat with all chicken pieces. If your flour gets too dirty just throw it out and start with fresh flour.
- Set up frying station: Add enough oil to a deep skillet or Dutch oven, at least an inch deep and heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 F degrees. It should take about 15 minutes.
- Fry the chicken: Place a few pieces of chicken in the skillet but make sure they do not touch, you want about 1 inch space in between them. For 1 lb of chicken you will have to do this in a 2 batches. Fry on the first side for about 7 minutes or until golden brown, then flip the chicken and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes on the second side. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F degrees, or a total of 12 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up some of the oil. Cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Store leftover chicken in an airtight container on paper towels in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition
My chicken pieces were large thighs and I didn’t cook them long enough so I put them in the oven after I was done. Chicken was awesome and will adjust it accordingly next time.
That recipe was dynomite and thanks for sharing it the chicken was Finger Licking Good thanks and keep up the good work sincerely artist Hugh miles
Glad you liked it! 🙂
I made this chicken it came out great best chicken ive ever ate
That’s so great to hear! We’re glad you love the recipe.
I noticed the recipe calls for some hot sauce. I didn’t see the amount, but I can’t eat any real “hot” sauces. My tongue swells up and, of course, my whole mouth burns. It does look like a yummy recipe, and I would like to try it. I can just reduce the hot sauce to just a “little” bit. Do you think that would be okay? I know, I’m a pain in the butt!….Thanks!…..Janice
It says 1 tsp of hot sauce but you can definitely skip it, it won’t make much of a difference.
Recipe rating 5 stars it was delicious!
Just wondering what kind of hot sauce could I use for it?
Thinking about making it tomorrow for dinner!
Any hot sauce you love best will work! My personal faves are sriracha, cholula, and #1 is Valentina.
Do u remove skin from chicken before coating in flour, sauce and flower? Will it still be juicy without the skin?
Keep the skin on! It helps to create that nice and crispy exterior. If you really don’t like the skin, it’s no problem to take it off.
That Fried Chicken looks Delicious !!!😎😎😎😊
I love fried chicken. This looks so good and easy. I could go for it right now
Worked out just fine, chicken was delish, but I would suggest placing cooked chicken on a cooling rack with P-towels underneath to get rid of excess grease. Placing chicken on paper towels immed. after cooking makes skin soggy and stops crisping. Just MY experience! I never use P-towels for grease absorbian, nor do I wash the chicken because it can spread nasty stuff all over your sink and counter.
Hey Jo could you adapt this to an air fryer? Sounds like a perfect recipe to try.
We don’t have an air frier here so we aren’t familiar with how a batter like this would turn out. You’re free to give it a try!
I loved this buttermilk fried chicken recipe, quick and easy! I used legs and thighs, chicken was very crispy and moist inside 😋
So glad you liked this, it’s one of my favorites.
Hi…My name is Chanida Matthews I..I love all this Chicken recipes..and I can’t wait to try it…Thank you…I know I am going to enjoys cooking ..and I would love to have more recipes in other diferent crusine..would be so nice..I cook alot of thai food myself..which is where I came from Thailand..Thank you..Have a nice day ..Chanida..
Can this recipe work with a airfryer
Good question. Don’t own an airfryer though, so I’m not sure.