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fried chicken thigh on plate with potatoes and corn
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5 from 9 votes

Classic Buttermilk Fried Chicken

This Classic Buttermilk Fried Chicken recipe is incredibly flavorful and juicy, from a hot sauce/buttermilk marinade and a seasoned flour dredge.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: crispy chicken, fried chicken recipe
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 2063kcal
Author: The Chunky Chef

Ingredients

  • 1 quart vegetable, canola, or peanut oil for frying

BUTTERMILK MARINADE

  • 3 cups buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup hot sauce (optional but recommended)
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 10 pieces raw bone-in, skin-on chicken (I prefer to use thighs and drumsticks)

SEASONED FLOUR

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 2 Tbsp paprika
  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp dry mustard
  • 1 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp onion powder
  • 1/2 Tbsp seasoned salt
  • 1/2 Tbsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp celery seed
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano

Instructions

MAKE BUTTERMILK MARINADE

  • To a very large mixing bowl, add buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, and pepper, and whisk to combine.  Add chicken and turn to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours (or up to overnight).

PREPARE FOR FRYING

  • After chicken has marinated, add oil to heavy bottomed skillet or dutch oven until it’s about 1-2 inches deep.  Heat oil to 350°F.
  • Line a plate with wax paper and set aside.  Line a baking sheet with paper towels and top with a wire cooling rack.  Set aside.

MAKE SEASONED FLOUR AND DREDGE

  • Combine all seasoned flour ingredients in a large shallow bowl (or gallon sized resealable bag/paper bag), and whisk to combine it well.
  • Remove chicken piece from buttermilk marinade, shaking to remove excess marinade.  Add to seasoned flour mixture, coating well.  Shake gently to remove excess flour.
  • Add breaded chicken piece to a wax paper lined plate and continue with 2-3 more pieces of chicken.  

FRY CHICKEN

  • Fry chicken, 3-4 pieces at a time, in 350°F oil.  Keep in mind, adding the chicken will drop the oil temperature, so you’ll need to adjust the stovetop temperature to keep the oil as close to 350°F as you can.
  • Fry chicken 14-16 minutes, turning chicken over ever few minutes.  Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 F degrees.
  • Remove chicken pieces from oil and place on the prepared wire rack/baking sheet.  Let chicken rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  1. Cooking time does not include marinating time, as this will vary from individual to individual.
  2. Cooking time also does not include the time to fry additional batches of chicken.

Nutrition

Calories: 2063kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 196g | Saturated Fat: 157g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 3268mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1597IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 211mg | Iron: 5mg