The absolute best Crispy Fried Chicken recipe with buttermilk! This classic Southern fried chicken is tender and juicy on the inside, and perfectly crisp and golden brown on the outside.
The absolute best Crispy Fried Chicken recipe with buttermilk! This classic Southern fried chicken is tender and juicy on the inside, and perfectly crisp and golden brown on the outside. Whip up a batch in a skillet at home whenever the craving strikes. This is one easy meal that everyone can agree on!
It seriously doesn’t get any better than a crispy fried chicken recipe that you can turn to again and again. File this one away, because the simple ingredients and easy technique will make this dish a staple in your home, too. It’s juicy, flavorful and finger-lickin’ good!
How to make a Crispy Fried Chicken Recipe from Scratch:
There’s something so satisfying about frying up your own batch of chicken at home. No need to swing through a drive-thru at Popeye’s or pay $20 for a chicken breast at a local trendy spot. Instead, this down-home skillet fried chicken is an easy and delicious way to satisfy that craving. Don’t be intimidated — this is really just 3 simple steps:
- Soak the Chicken in Buttermilk (to make it tender and juicy)
- Coat the Chicken in Flour and Seasoning
- Fry in a Skillet
Ingredients for a Crispy Fried Chicken Recipe:
- 1 large chicken cut into pieces, or about 4 lbs. of bone-in skin-on chicken pieces of your choice
- Buttermilk
- Flour
- Salt
- Cayenne pepper (optional)
- Oil for frying
- Butter
Let’s make a Buttermilk Fried Chicken recipe from scratch…
Step 1: Soak Chicken in Buttermilk
Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl with the buttermilk. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and let it sit for at least 8 hours (or overnight).
Step 2: Combine Flour and Seasoning
Place the flour, salt and cayenne in a large brown paper bag and gently shake it around to make sure that everything is combined.
Step 3: Coat Chicken in Flour
Remove the chicken from the buttermilk, and then place one damp piece of chicken at a time into the bag with the flour. Gently shake the bag until the chicken is completely coated. Then transfer the chicken to a wire rack and allow all of the pieces to dry for at least 30 minutes (or up to 1 hour).
Step 4: Fry Chicken in a Skillet or Dutch Oven
Fry the chicken in oil or shortening with butter in a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes, then turn the pieces over, cover again, and cook for about 10 more minutes. Drain the chicken on a wire rack and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
When to season fried chicken:
I prefer to add the seasoning (in this case, salt and cayenne) to the flour in order to season the chicken. Then, once the chicken is fried and still warm, you can season it with a little bit more salt and pepper, if you like.
What to serve with this Crispy Fried Chicken Recipe:
While fried chicken is a great dinner option, we normally serve it for lunch — especially picnics! Here are a few delicious sides that go well with the crispy buttermilk fried chicken to complete your meal:
- Buttermilk Biscuits
- Cowboy Baked Beans
- Crock Pot Mac and Cheese or Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Secret Ingredient Jiffy Cornbread, Skillet Cornbread, or Pumpkin Muffins
- Southern Macaroni Salad
- Coleslaw
- Southern Collard Greens
- Baked Potato Wedges
- Easy Potato Salad
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon
- Broccoli Salad
- Fried Apples
- Southern Succotash
The Best Oil for a Crispy Fried Chicken Recipe:
Use either peanut oil, vegetable oil or vegetable shortening to fry the chicken. I typically use peanut oil because it’s affordable, it has a high smoke point, and it will not flavor your meat.
So long as you don’t smoke the oil or use it to fry fish, it’s fine to strain the oil and reuse it. Just refrigerate the strained oil and reuse it up to 3 times.
What to do with leftover buttermilk:
We always keep a jug of buttermilk in the fridge because it’s a handy ingredient that you can use for so many different recipes. If you find that you have some extra buttermilk in your kitchen, try one of these great ways to finish off the bottle:
- Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
- Baked Buttermilk Pancakes
- Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits
- Buttermilk Salad Dressing
- Wedge Salad with Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- Irish Soda Bread
- Chi-Chi’s Famous White Texas Sheet Cake
- Old-Fashioned Blueberry Cobbler
Preparation and Storage Tips:
- Make sure that you allow plenty of time to soak the chicken in buttermilk. At least 8 hours (or overnight) is ideal; however, in a pinch you can shorten this time to a few hours. The buttermilk keeps the chicken tender and juicy, and also adds flavor to the meat. Because buttermilk is only slightly acidic, it tenderizes the chicken without toughening up the meat (like a stronger acid such as lemon juice or vinegar might). The enzymes in buttermilk also help to break down the protein in the chicken, resulting in tender, flavorful fried chicken.
- You don’t need a thermometer to fry the chicken. Instead, when the oil is hot (but not smoking), add a drop of water to the pan — if it sizzles, the oil is hot enough for the chicken. You want to maintain a fairly steady temperature as the chicken cooks, so don’t overcrowd the pan with too many pieces at once (which will bring down the temperature). If the oil is really flying and it seems to be too hot, you can turn down the temperature slightly.
- If you prefer to use a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oil, you want the oil to stay at about 350 degrees F.
- Fried chicken is best when it is fresh and the skin is still crispy. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days; however, the skin will not be as crispy when reheated.
- How to reheat fried chicken: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Meanwhile, place the chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet and allow the chicken to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes (this ensures that it reheats evenly). Next, reheat the chicken until the skin feels hot and very crispy, about 15 minutes.
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:
- A brown paper bag is the classic way to shake and coat fried chicken. They’re a little bit harder to come across these days (which is why I always save mine when I get them), so if you don’t have a paper bag, you can use a sturdy plastic bag instead.
- Never cover your warm fried chicken with foil. This traps steam and moisture, which will make your chicken soggy.
- If you’re using a meat thermometer to know when the chicken is done, white meat will be best at 165 degrees F, while dark meat can be cooked to 170-175 degrees F for the best texture.
- For even more flavor, you can add garlic, herbs, shallots or onion to your buttermilk. The flavors will infuse the meat and add unique taste to your crispy fried chicken.
- Use any chicken pieces that you prefer. For instance, instead of cooking the parts from a whole chicken, you can just fry chicken breasts or just fry the drumsticks. You’ll want about 4 lbs. of chicken pieces in total.
- How to make sure that the breading doesn’t fall off of the fried chicken: Allowing the chicken time to dry on the wire rack after dredging ensures that the flour adheres to the meat. Don’t skip that step! Also, flip your chicken only once when frying — the more that you mess around with it, the more likely the breading will fall off.
More easy chicken recipes that you might enjoy:
- Cornflake Chicken {a healthier oven-fried chicken recipe!}
- Oven BBQ Chicken Breast
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Goldfish Chicken Nuggets
- Parmesan Ranch Chicken Tenders
Crispy Fried Chicken Recipe
The absolute best Crispy Fried Chicken recipe with buttermilk! This classic Southern fried chicken is tender and juicy on the inside, and perfectly crisp and golden brown on the outside.
Ingredients
- 1 large chicken (4 pounds), cut into pieces (or 3-4 lbs. of your favorite bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces)
- 3 cups buttermilk
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 2 cups peanut oil, vegetable oil or vegetable shortening
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
Instructions
-
Place chicken in a bowl with the buttermilk. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
-
Place the flour, salt and cayenne in a large brown paper bag and gently shake to combine (if you don’t have a paper bag, you can use a large, sturdy plastic bag).
-
Remove chicken from the buttermilk. Add one piece of the damp chicken to the paper bag. Hold the bag closed and shake it so that the chicken is thoroughly coated. Transfer the chicken to a wire rack; repeat with remaining pieces of chicken. Allow the chicken to dry for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
-
Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven with the butter over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot (but not smoking), and a drop of water sprinkled into the pan sizzles, add the chicken, making sure you do not crowd the pan. Cover and cook until the chicken begins to turn brown, about 8-10 minutes (reduce the heat slightly, if necessary). Turn the pieces over, cover again, and cook for about 10 more minutes. Drain on a rack. Season warm chicken with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
-
Repeat the process to cook the remaining chicken in batches. Serve warm, at room temperature, or even cold!
Recipe Notes
The nutrition information provided is merely an estimate, and does NOT include any butter, oil or buttermilk absorbed by the meat in the soaking and frying process.
- If you prefer to use a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oil, you want the oil to stay at about 350 degrees F.
- Fried chicken is best when it is fresh and the skin is still crispy. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days; however, the skin will not be as crispy when reheated.
- How to reheat fried chicken: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Meanwhile, place the chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet and allow the chicken to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes (this ensures that it reheats evenly). Next, reheat the chicken until the skin feels hot and very crispy, about 15 minutes.
- A brown paper bag is the classic way to shake and coat fried chicken. They’re a little bit harder to come across these days (which is why I always save mine when I get them), so if you don’t have a paper bag, you can use a sturdy plastic bag instead.
- Never cover your warm fried chicken with foil. This traps steam and moisture, which will make your chicken soggy.
- If you’re using a meat thermometer to know when the chicken is done, white meat will be best at 165 degrees F, while dark meat can be cooked to 170-175 degrees F for the best texture.
- For even more flavor, you can add garlic, herbs, shallots or onion to your buttermilk. The flavors will infuse the meat and add unique taste to your crispy fried chicken.
I have tried to fry chicken a few times over the years but my results have not been that great. But your tutorial has inspired me to give it another try. My only question is the stick of butter. It is listed in the ingredients and instructions at the end of the post, but not mentioned anywhere in the tutorial portion. Do I add it to the oil or not?
Hi, Barbara! Yes, in Step 4 of the recipe it says to heat the butter with the oil in the skillet. I’ll add that note to the step-by-step photos so that there’s no confusion. Hope you love it!
yummy and perfect I love your recipes, thanks for sharing <3
Thank you, Sara!❤️
Wonderful flavor. My husband and I both loved it.
Thank you, Tricia! I’m so glad that it worked well for you!