My Sassy Southern Recipes — Good food. A little sass. A whole lotta Southern charm!

Southern

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

An overnight buttermilk soak seasons the chicken all the way through and keeps it juicy. The crust gets its crunch from a little buttermilk drizzled into the flour.

Prep
30 min
Cook
35 min
Total
1 hr 5 min
Makes
4 servings
Golden crispy buttermilk fried chicken on a white platter

My Sassy Southern Recipes

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Prep 30 min · Cook 35 min · Total 1 hr 5 min · Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

4 servings
  • 3 ½ lbchicken pieces (drumsticks, thighs, split breasts)
  • 2 cupsbuttermilk
  • 1 tbsphot sauce
  • 2 ½ tspkosher salt, divided
  • 2 cupsall-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsppaprika
  • 2 tspgarlic powder
  • 1 tsponion powder
  • 1 tspblack pepper
  • ½ tspcayenne pepper
  • peanut or vegetable oil, for frying (about 2 inches deep)

Instructions

  1. 1

    Whisk buttermilk, hot sauce and 1 ½ tsp salt. Add chicken, cover, and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

  2. 2

    In a wide dish, whisk flour, remaining salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and cayenne. Drizzle in 3 tbsp of the buttermilk marinade and rub with fingers to make shaggy bits.

  3. 3

    Lift chicken from buttermilk, letting excess drip off. Press firmly into the flour to coat. Rest on a rack 15 minutes.

  4. 4

    Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy pot or deep skillet to 325–335°F. Never leave hot oil unattended.

  5. 5

    Fry in batches without crowding, 12–15 minutes for dark meat and 10–13 for white meat, turning occasionally, until deep golden.

  6. 6

    Drain on a rack set over a sheet pan. Confirm each piece reaches 165°F.

Cooking notes

  • Keep oil temperature steady with a thermometer — too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks.
  • Hold finished batches in a 200°F oven on a rack.

Serving suggestions

Serve with mac and cheese, greens, biscuits and plenty of napkins.

Storage

Refrigerate within 2 hours, up to 3 days.

Reheating

Reheat on a rack in a 375°F oven 15–20 minutes until crisp and 165°F inside.

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