There’s nothing like having a good Southern fried chicken recipe in your collection. One bite of this chicken’s crunchy, spicy outer layer, followed by the tender, juicy meat inside, and you’ll understand why it’s a true-blue Southern classic. Infused with spices for intense flavor and marinated in buttermilk to make it juicy, it’s the perfect main course for your next picnic!
I’ll never forget that day my son was craving fried chicken, but I did NOT want to leave the house. I dug into my archives and realized I already had everything I needed. After devouring half a chicken, the love of my life declared that it was better than anything he had eaten in a restaurant.
Besides being pure deliciousness, this Southern fried chicken recipe is a must-have at any cookout. The secret to tender, juicy chicken is marinating it in buttermilk. The seasoned breading delivers a crispy outer coating for a dish that tastes like a million bucks but costs only a few dollars.
The Secret to Perfect Fried Chicken
Perfectly fried chicken is tender and juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. A few tricks will bring that about.
- Marinating it in buttermilk adds a tang and tenderizes the meat.
- Be generous with the seasonings, both in the marinade and the breading.
- Don’t forget the baking powder to create bubbles and encourage crispiness.
- Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes after breading it so it firms up and sticks better when you fry the chicken.
- Make sure the temperature of your oil doesn’t go below 350℉ (180℃). The temperature will drop slightly when you add the raw chicken, so heat it to 375℉ (190℃) before you start.
- Add a few slices of onion to the oil to check the temperature and infuse it with more flavor.
- Drain the chicken on a wire rack so it’s not sitting in oil or sticking to a paper towel.
How to Make Southern Fried Chicken
- Season the chicken with salt, crushed garlic, hot sauce, and Creole seasoning. Add the buttermilk and coat the chicken well. (Photos 1-3)
- Marinate it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (or overnight). (Photo 4)
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, herbs, cayenne pepper, white pepper, and salt in a large bowl. (Photo 5)
- Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, after letting the excess marinade drip off. Then double-coat it by dipping with the remaining buttermilk (add fresh buttermilk as needed) and flour mixture, shaking off the excess. (Photos 6-7)
- Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes while heating the oil. That will help the coating to stay on better. (Photo 8)
- Heat oil in a deep fryer or cast-iron skillet to 375℉ (190℃). The temperature will drop once you add chicken. Adding a few slices of onion will add flavor and is a great way to test the oil’s temperature. (Photo 9)
- Fry the chicken, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet, until golden brown, turning once every 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pieces. An instant-read thermometer will read 165℉ (75℃). (Photos 10-11)
- Drain the chicken on a rack and let it rest for about 10 minutes before digging in. (Photo 12)
Recipe Tips
- Use chicken breast tenderloins instead of a whole chicken to make fried chicken tenders instead of regular bone-in chicken. The kids love these, and they cook faster.
- Neutral-tasting oils with a high smoke point, like canola, vegetable, or peanut oil, are good choices for deep frying.
- This recipe works great in the air fryer. Spritz the breaded chicken with canola oil, crank up your air fryer to 400℉ (205℃), and fry away.
- While I used a whole chicken for this recipe, feel free to use thighs or leg quarters because dark meat stays juicier than the breast.
Storage and Leftover Makeovers
Store leftover fried chicken in airtight containers in the fridge for 3-5 days or the freezer for 2-3 months. Remove it from the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature, and bake it in a 400℉ (205℃) oven on a wire rack over a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes or until it’s heated through and gets its crunch back.
I make extra so we can repurpose the leftovers in a salad, cream of chicken soup, fried rice, quesadillas, and quick chicken sandwiches.
What Goes With Southern Fried Chicken
Um, just all of my favorite sides! For a classic Southern dinner, serve this chicken with collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and homemade butter biscuits.
Make sure you have some Southern drinks and desserts on hand, too. Sweet iced tea is a must. Finish off your meal with a healthy portion of apple cobbler or sweet potato pie, and don’t forget to scoop a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top.
More Classic Southern Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”ZoqhisJ9″ upload-date=”Tue Aug 07 2018 11:39:31 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”Southern Fried Chicken” description=”Southern Fried Chicken – classic Southern chicken recipe that is crunchy and crusty on the outside and juicy and flavorful on the inside; infused with spices and seasonings and soaked in buttermilk to amp its flavor. A great addition to your chicken recipe collection!”]
This blog post was originally published in September 2017 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Looking for more recipes? Follow on…
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Marinating Time: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 30 minutes
Southern
-
Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and season them with salt, crushed garlic, hot sauce, and Creole seasoning.
-
Pour some of the buttermilk over the seasoned chicken, transfer it to a large bowl or gallon-sized ziplock freezer bag, and marinate it covered in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (or overnight).
-
Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, herbs, cayenne pepper, white pepper, and salt in another large bowl.
-
Remove the marinated chicken from the buttermilk and let the excess buttermilk drain back into the bowl.
-
Then, dredge it in the flour mixture, shaking off excess flour. You could use a ziplock bag for this process, too.
-
Double-dip the chicken in the remaining buttermilk (add fresh buttermilk as needed), then repeat with the flour mixture, shaking off the excess. Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes while heating the oil. That will help the coating to stay on better.
-
Heat oil in a deep fryer or cast-iron skillet to 375℉ (190℃). The temperature will drop once you add chicken. Optionally, fry a few pieces of onion in the oil to test the temperature and infuse more flavor.
-
Slowly and carefully place the chicken in the hot oil using tongs. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet.
-
Fry the chicken until golden brown, turning once every 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pieces. Chicken is done when it is no longer pink inside, and its juices run clear, or your instant-read thermometer reads 165℉ (75℃). You could do a test by piercing the chicken with a fork.
-
Drain the chicken on a rack over a baking sheet, dab with paper towels to remove excess oil if necessary.
-
Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- A neutral-tasting, high smoke point oil, like canola, vegetable, or peanut oil, works well. Olive oil does not.
- Avoid overcrowding the pan because it will lower the oil’s temperature too quickly, resulting in greasy chicken.
- A cast-iron pan or deep fryer holds the temperature better and heats evenly.
- Rather than using enough oil to submerge the entire chicken, put enough to submerge ¾ of it. The weight of the chicken will cause it to sit just above the oil’s surface, creating a crispy crust without burning.
- If anything fried sits on a paper towel too long, it may stick to it. Instead, drain your chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet, and it will stay crispy and dry.
- Please note that the nutritional data is a rough estimate and can vary greatly depending on the ingredients used.
Serving: 1piece| Calories: 435kcal (22%)| Carbohydrates: 49g (16%)| Protein: 7g (14%)| Fat: 24g (37%)| Saturated Fat: 4g (25%)| Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g| Monounsaturated Fat: 5g| Trans Fat: 0.1g| Cholesterol: 5mg (2%)| Sodium: 417mg (18%)| Potassium: 254mg (7%)| Fiber: 4g (17%)| Sugar: 3g (3%)| Vitamin A: 1508IU (30%)| Vitamin C: 4mg (5%)| Calcium: 153mg (15%)| Iron: 5mg (28%)
Course: Main
Cuisine: Southern
