Boneless skinless chicken breasts are easy to cook and a lean source of protein. But are they delicious? Not always. You see, meat loses moisture as it cooks. And without fat and connective tissue to protect them, chicken breast recipes can quickly become dry and tough. But making juicy, tender fried chicken breasts is possible—with a little preparation.
An overnight marinade in buttermilk and hot pepper sauce is key to making the best fried chicken breast. The acidity in buttermilk tenderizes the meat by breaking down proteins and muscle fibers. This marinade also doubles as a flavorful coating, giving the seasoned flour something to adhere to.
Slicing the chicken in half to make chicken cutlets is another important step to creating crispy-on-the-outside, juicy-on-the-inside chicken. These thinner cutlets cook more quickly and evenly, so each bite has a gorgeous golden-brown crust and perfectly moist interior.
Ingredients for Fried Chicken Breasts
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: If you’re uncomfortable butterflying chicken (cutting it in half to create two thin cutlets), feel free to flatten the chicken breasts with a meat mallet.
- Buttermilk marinade: Hot pepper sauce adds a zippy character to this buttermilk marinade. If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk as a buttermilk substitute.
- Eggs: Eggs add richness to the buttermilk marinade and help the flour coating stick to the chicken.
- Seasoned flour: We season all-purpose flour with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper to make a flavorful coating for fried chicken breasts.
- Canola oil: Canola oil is one of the best oils for frying because it can withstand hot temperatures and doesn’t add flavor to fried chicken. Feel free to substitute a more flavorful oil with a similar smoke point, like avocado or peanut oil.
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the chicken breasts
Cut each chicken breast horizontally in half, and place the halves in a large bowl.
Step 2: Marinate the chicken breasts
Add the buttermilk and hot sauce, and toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, for eight hours or overnight.
Step 3: Prepare the seasoned flour
Stir the eggs into the chicken mixture. In a shallow dish, whisk the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, pepper and salt.
Step 4: Dredge the chicken breasts
Remove the chicken from the buttermilk mixture. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, firmly patting to help the coating adhere. Repeat the process, dipping the chicken again in the buttermilk mixture and then dredging it in the flour mixture.
Place the chicken on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Editor’s Tip: Letting the chicken rest is a crucial step! Without it, the breading might not stick to the chicken.
Step 5: Fry the chicken breasts
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Fry the chicken in batches, cooking until they’re golden brown and their juices run clear, five to seven minutes per side.
Editor’s Tip: If you’re using a meat thermometer, aim for 165°F as the internal temperature of cooked chicken.
Recipe Variations
- Substitute bone-in chicken: You can use any cut of bone-in chicken for this recipe, from bone-in chicken breasts to wings, thighs or drumsticks. Bone-in chicken takes slightly longer than boneless chicken, so check out our fried chicken recipe for more details.
- Keep the skin on: The skin adds flavor and texture to fried chicken, so you can feel free to keep it on if you’d rather use bone-in chicken with the skin.
- Use the air fryer: You can easily make fried chicken breasts in an air fryer. Use our recipe for air-fryer chicken cutlets as a guide (or our recipe for air-fryer fried chicken if you’re using bone-in chicken).
- Make them in the oven: For oven-fried chicken breasts, bake the chicken in a 425° oven for about 15 minutes. Then, flip the chicken and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Whip up a country gravy: Use the cooking oil to make a flavorful country gravy. After cooking the chicken, combine a few tablespoons of the cooking oil with flour and milk to create a thick, creamy gravy. (Check out this chicken-fried steak recipe for more detailed instructions and ingredient quantities.)
How to Store Fried Chicken Breasts
Store leftover fried chicken breasts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Let the chicken cool completely before covering the container so the steam doesn’t get trapped inside. (This will prevent the breading from getting too soggy.)
You can reheat fried chicken in a 350° air fryer, flipping every three minutes until the chicken is heated through. Or reheat the chicken in a 350° oven for about 15 minutes. Then, increase the oven temperature to 400° to crisp the breading, and continue cooking until the chicken is warmed through. Either way, the target internal temperature is 165°.
Fried Chicken Breast Tips
What’s the best oil for frying chicken?
We use canola oil for frying chicken, but you can use any oil with a smoke point above 400°. You’ll want to heat the oil to between 350° and 375°. If the fryer oil is too cold, the breading will become soggy, not crisp. Without a thermometer, you can tell if the oil is ready by looking at its surface in the skillet. It should shimmer but not smoke, and the chicken should immediately start to sizzle when added to the pan.
For more deep-frying tips, check out these southern fried chicken tips.
How do you make sure the coating sticks on fried chicken breasts?
After dredging the chicken, let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This short rest gives the flour time to hydrate so the breading can set, ensuring it will stick to the chicken as it cooks. Be careful when flipping the chicken; using a heavy hand—or flipping the chicken too early—can disturb the coating. Wait until the chicken is golden brown to flip it, and be gentle so the coating doesn’t fall off.
How do you keep fried chicken breast moist?
An overnight marinade in buttermilk helps lean chicken breasts stay moist. You can marinate chicken for as little as eight hours or as long as overnight. You shouldn’t marinate it much longer—48 hours, tops—or the meat can develop a mushy texture.
How do you serve fried chicken breast?
Fried boneless skinless chicken breasts can be served so many ways that it’s hard to choose! Serve fried chicken breast as an entree with side dishes for fried chicken like buttermilk biscuits, mac and cheese, buttery corn on the cob, green beans, or mashed potatoes and gravy (which is an excellent option if you want to drizzle the gravy over the fried chicken, too).
You can also use fried chicken breast in any recipe that calls for pan-seared or grilled chicken breasts. Use it as a crunchy addition to salad recipes or spaghetti recipes, roll it up in a tortilla for a fun twist on chicken burritos or slap it between two buns to make fried chicken sandwiches or chicken parm sliders.
