Buttermilk Fried Chicken

4.49 from 93 votes

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

This Buttermilk Fried Chicken uses a double dredge, flour then buttermilk then flour again, to build a craggy golden crust that shatters when you bite it. Baking soda in the buttermilk keeps the coating light, and there's no overnight soak required. Ready in under an hour.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: buttermilk fried chicken, chicken recipes, fried chicken

Servings:

Calories: 610kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Equipment

12-inch Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken wings chicken legs, thighs or chicken breast
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon pepper or to taste
2 teaspoon baking powder
1½ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
vegetable oil for frying

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pat the 2 pounds chicken pieces completely dry with paper towels. Don't rinse them first. A dry surface is what lets the flour grip.
In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 cups buttermilk, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper until smooth. Whisk in the 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1½ teaspoons baking soda. It'll foam up, and that's what you want. Add the 2 cups all purpose flour to a shallow dish and set it beside the buttermilk bowl.
Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour on all sides, dip it into the buttermilk mixture until fully coated, then dredge it in the flour a second time. Press the flour on so it grabs hold. Set each piece on a wire rack as you go. If the flour gets clumpy partway through, throw it out and start with fresh. Let the dredged chicken rest on the rack for 10 to 15 minutes. This lets the coating settle so it doesn't slide off in the oil.
Add enough vegetable oil to a deep skillet or Dutch oven to come at least 1 inch up the sides. Heat over medium high until it reaches 350°F, about 15 minutes.
Fry the chicken in batches, leaving about 1 inch of space between the pieces. Don't crowd the pan. Fry the first side for about 7 minutes until deeply golden, then flip and cook another 3 to 5 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Total time is roughly 12 to 15 minutes per batch. Let the oil come back up to 350°F between batches.
Transfer the chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet, not to paper towels. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

Pat the chicken dry: don't rinse it first. A dry surface is what lets the first layer of flour grip instead of turning to paste.
The double dredge: flour, then buttermilk mixture, then flour again. Those craggy ridges are where the crunch comes from.
Rest before frying: 10 to 15 minutes on a rack after dredging. The coating settles and it's far less likely to slide off in the oil.
Oil temperature: 350°F, and use a thermometer if you have one. Too hot burns the crust, too cool gives you greasy chicken.
Fry in batches: about 1 inch of space between pieces. Crowding drops the oil temperature.
Rest on a rack, not paper towels: paper traps steam and softens the bottom of the crust.
Fresh flour: if the dredging flour goes clumpy partway through, throw it out and start fresh.
Reheating: oven or air fryer at 375°F on a rack. Not the microwave.

Nutrition