Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe
With over 100 5-star reviews, you can count on this Buttermilk Fried Chicken recipe to deliver deliciously marinated and seasoned chicken that’s fried to perfection! Only 15 minutes of prep is needed for this juicy, crispy, crunchy, finger-licking chicken!
The BEST Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe
This golden brown Buttermilk Fried Chicken is exactly what your dinner plates (and your family!) have been waiting for! It’s perfectly crispy and crunchy on the outside while remaining incredibly tender and juicy on the inside!
Bite into this chicken and be amazed at the layers of flavor! Not only is the breading wonderfully seasoned with spices such as garlic powder, paprika, and basil but the chicken itself also gets marinated in a combination of buttermilk and seasonings as well!
The double-layer flavor detail easily makes this buttermilk chicken recipe the best! Serve this up for a big extended family meal, on a Friday night when all the kids are home, or simply just when the craving hits.
And trust me, after making this recipe just once, you’ll find the craving for it comes a lot more frequently!
Best fried chicken recipe ever. I use boneless and skinless chicken thighs and it makes a great sandwich in a bun.
Buttermilk Chicken Ingredients
For this Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe, you’ll need about three pounds of chicken that has the skin on. I find using thighs and drumsticks is best, but grab whatever you prefer!
The chicken then gets marinated in a mixture that’s made up of salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, dried mustard, paprika, dried sage, and buttermilk. Afterward, it gets coated in a flavorful breading mixture that fries up to crispy perfection!
To make the breading mixture you’ll need all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, paprika, dried basil, dried thyme, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
Lastly, you’ll just need vegetable oil to deep fry the coated chicken in!
How To Make Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- Combine the chicken, salt, pepper, garlic, dried mustard, paprika, and sage together in a large bowl. Stir together to coat the chicken evenly.
- Pour in the buttermilk over the seasoned chicken and stir again until well coated.
- Refrigerate the chicken mixture in the marinade.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, paprika, basil, thyme, onion powder, and cayenne pepper together in a shallow dish.
- Transfer each piece of chicken from the marinade into the shallow dish one at a time. Make sure the chicken is coated completely.
- Fry the coated chicken in hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook the chicken until it’s entirely golden brown on all sides.
- Remove the fried chicken from the vegetable oil and transfer it to a wire rack to allow any excess oil to drain off it.
What to Serve with Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Buttermilk Chicken is a deliciously welcome change to the dinner table, surrounded by all of our favorite sides!
Rebecca’s Tips
- It is best to cook this chicken in oil. I find that this Buttermilk Fried Chicken doesn’t work well in the oven. Instead, I think oven-fried chicken turns out better when it’s coated with panko or corn flakes to give it the crispy crust that deep-frying gives chicken.
- You can air fry the chicken if you’d like. To do so, just spray the floured chicken with oil and then bake it at 360 for about 15 minutes. Be sure to turn it over halfway through the cooking time.
- If the chicken looks burnt on the outside yet isn’t cooked on the inside, it’s possible the oil is too hot. Try turning the heat down on the oil and try again.
- If you’d like, you can use skinless chicken in this recipe.
How To Store Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Keep leftover Buttermilk Fried Chicken in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 to 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
How To Reheat Fried Chicken
This fried chicken is best reheated in the oven at 325 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until it’s heated all the way through. You could also try reheating it in the air fryer at 325 degrees F for about 5 minutes.
If you’re reheating from frozen, you can place the frozen chicken in the oven for about 15 minutes at 450 degrees F.
More Mouthwatering Chicken Recipes To Devour!
- Potato Chip Chicken Tenders – Moist white meat covered in a potato chip breading!
- Spatchcock Grilled Chicken – Grilled marinated chicken cooked using an easy technique!
- Garlic Chicken – Made with chicken, 40 cloves of garlic, olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper!
- Oven Fried Chicken – A healthier version of everyone’s favorite comfort food!
- Lemon Chicken Thighs – Slow-roasted chicken thighs that come out incredibly tender!
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Buttermilk Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- Meat thermometer
- Candy Thermometer
- Deep frying pan
Ingredients
Buttermilk Marinade
- 8 pieces chicken skin on, thighs and drumsticks are best (approximately 3 pounds)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried mustard
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- 2 cups buttermilk 480mL
Flour Dredge
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 260g
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoons paprika
- 1½ teaspoons dried basil
- 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 1½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- vegetable oil to be 1- 2 inches deep in a deep frying pan
Instructions
- Place the 8 pieces chicken in a large bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried mustard, ½ teaspoon paprika, and ½ teaspoon dried sage. Stir to coat the chicken evenly. Pour 2 cups buttermilk over the seasoned chicken. Stir well to coat the chicken.
- Refrigerate this mixture for at least 1 hour; the longer you marinate, the more tender it will become. It can also be left overnight.
- In a shallow dish, whisk together the 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1½ teaspoons salt, 1½ teaspoons garlic powder, 1½ teaspoons paprika, 1½ teaspoons dried basil, 1½ teaspoons dried thyme, 1½ teaspoons onion powder, and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
- Heat the vegetable oil to about 340°F. You want to be able to fry the outside to a crisp, golden brown without burning while still cooking the chicken all the way through!
- Remove each piece of chicken from the marinade, and place it into the dish with the flour mixture, then toss. Ensure the entire surface of each piece of chicken is thoroughly coated.
- Place the chicken pieces into the oil. You may cook 4 or 5 pieces at a time, but don’t crowd the chicken. Turn as necessary and fry until golden brown. It will take about 15 minutes for each piece to cook. Ensure each piece is fully cooked; the internal temperature should reach 170°F. I recommend keeping a candy thermometer in the oil as you cook. The temperature may drop slightly as you add the cold chicken, so you will need to adjust the heat accordingly to maintain a temperature of around 340°F.
- Allow the chicken to drain on a wire rack to help the chicken stay crispy.
Video
Notes
- It may take some test pieces to find the temp that cooks the chicken golden on the outside and fully cooked on the inside.
- Storage Instructions: Buttermilk fried chicken will keep for 3 to 5 days in the fridge. It is best reheated in the oven (325°F for 10 minutes or until heated through) or the air fryer (325°F for about 5 minutes). It may be frozen for up to 3 months. Then, to reheat, bake from frozen for about 15 minutes at 450 degrees.
- I don’t have a candy thermometer – how will I know that the oil is at the right temperature? If you stand a wooden spoon in the oil, the oil should bubble around the handle at the bottom of the pot and float up. If the oil is too hot, the oil will bubble vigorously. If the oil is not hot enough, there will just be a few bubbles coming up.
- I don’t have any buttermilk – what can I substitute? Place 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice into a measuring cup. Then fill the cup up to the 2-cup measurement with milk. Allow this to sit for 10 minutes, and then use it in the recipe.
- I find that the chicken is looking burnt on the outside, but is not cooked inside – what can I do? Turn down the heat on your oil – it is too hot.
- I don’t have baking powder – can I substitute baking soda? No, these are very different. If you don’t have baking powder, then just leave that out.
- Can I substitute skinless chicken? Yes! This recipe works really well with skinless chicken!
- Can I make this chicken in the oven? I find that this recipe doesn’t work as well in the oven. Oven-fried chicken is better with panko or cornflakes to give it the crispy crust that deep frying gives this chicken. However, you can bake it in an air fryer if you like. Just spray the floured chicken with some oil and bake it at 360°F for about 15 minutes (turn it over halfway through the cooking time).
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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The flavor of the coating is terrific. The cooking instructions were too hot. I went 265 – 280 degrees for a little longer on the second batch and they were golden instead of brown, and were fully cooked.
I’ve made this recipe several times and it is always a hit. I’ve only made it with separated chicken wings. (Flaps used later for chicken broth.) This is the perfect amount of marinade and flour mixture for 14 wings, (or 28 pieces). Making another batch for the Super Bowl tomorrow!
We love the flavor but what is the secret to keeping the batter from falling off when you remove it from the pan?
It looked so promising, all the coating fell off, when cooking and flipping, next time I’ll remove it
Made it, LOVED IT!!! So delicious 😋
Absolutely amazing! Best fried chicken I’ve made! Will make again!
I made this for myself and my neighbors. One said it taste just like how her mom used to make it. I couldn’t ask for a higher compliment. Great recipe!!
This did not work out for me. When trying to fry all of the batter came off the chicken.
I modified to gluten free and OH MY GOODNESS this is phenomenal!!
Love it thank you for sharing. My son smashed it
Absolutely delicious
Delicious recipe! Substituted smoked paprika for the paprika and loved the results. Thanks for a recipe that my family loves. Even used the buttermilk mix and flour mixture to make fried jalapeños! Those were a hit as well.
Oh, fried jalapenos sound delightful! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
buss’n respectfully no cap bruh, no kizi, SHEEEEEESH. Hands down GOATED👏👏👏
I have no idea what John just said above…….
This recipe was absolutely delicious!! The Chicken came out juicy and seasoned perfectly! Thank you for this!
Also, here’s a quick translation to the comment left above 🙂 “This is really good, respectfully, no lying or exaggeration, very seriously, I’m impressed and amazed. Hands down the greatest of all time”
Excellent recipe!
This was so delicious and flavorful. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs and everyone in my house loved it. Definitely in the dinner rotation list!
great interactive page and info is readily available
This is my go to recipe for fried chicken. Everyone that I serve the chicken loves it. Thank you for the recipe.
Yay, so glad your family loves it!
Thought I would give this recipe a try. WOW!!! Very pleased with the taste. You can bet I will be making this again.
So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this last night. Marinated overnight. Followed the recipe exactly except I doubled it. Overall it was good. Kinda bland. Doubling the flour was not necessary. It was waaay too much! I’ll make it again but spice it up somehow.