Buttermilk Fried Chicken

The smell of buttermilk fried chicken is powerful enough to spark a trip down memory lane. That greasy (and oh-so-good) scent might bring you back to family picnics or community potlucks. For me, it triggers memories of block parties where super-sized buckets of Kentucky Fried Chicken towered so high on the table that I had to get on my tippy toes to see inside! It wasn’t until much later that I learned how to deep-fry at home with confidence and recreate those crispy-fried memories.

There are many theories about what makes the best fried chicken recipe. And I’ve explored nearly all of them in my quest to create the juiciest, most flavorful chicken. My trial-and-error testing methods led me to two factors that ensure fried chicken success: tenderizing the meat and creating a crisp crust that locks moisture inside.

Why make fried chicken with buttermilk?

Buttermilk tenderizes chicken, helps meat hold onto moisture and adds tangy flavor. In short, it creates fried chicken that’s juicy and flavorful from the inside out. How does it work? Modern buttermilk is cultured with safe lactic acid bacteria. Those acids break down the meat’s proteins and muscle fibers to make it softer and capable of retaining more moisture. The process is similar to a saltwater brine, except buttermilk also adds a rich, tangy taste.

As a bonus, soaking chicken in buttermilk means you won’t have to mess with a traditional dredging station to make fried chicken. Normally, fried chicken is dipped in flour, then in egg wash and flour again. With buttermilk fried chicken, you can move the chicken directly from the buttermilk to the seasoned flour. The coating clings to the chicken, creating a solid crust that locks moisture inside as the chicken cooks.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Ingredients

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• Chicken: We cut up a whole chicken into two drumsticks, two thighs, four breast pieces and two wings. If you don’t want to do it yourself, ask a butcher to do the job (but ask for the backbone and wingtips to make chicken broth). You can also use packaged cut chicken, but make sure it still has the skin on. It protects the meat from drying out as the pieces cook.
• Buttermilk: Many recipes for fried chicken call for milk and eggs, but we found that buttermilk gives the chicken an irresistibly tangy flavor that really brightens up the dish. Also, buttermilk’s acidity helps tenderize the chicken. Tasty and tender, you say? Count us in.
• Seasoned flour: There’s nothing fancy about this fried chicken coating! It’s a simple combination of all-purpose flour and seasonings. The mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, ground sage and thyme tastes pretty spectacular, but you can modify the spices to your liking.
• Baking powder: Adding a pinch of baking powder to the seasoned flour helps dry out the chicken skin for a crispier coating. It also adds tiny pockets of air to make the breading taste lighter. Don’t substitute baking soda; just leave it out if you don’t have it.
• Oil for frying: The best oils for frying chicken depend on your goals. If you want to add flavor, use peanut oil or lard. If you want the tangy buttermilk and seasonings to shine, use a neutral-flavored oil like canola or safflower oil. Just make sure to choose an oil with a high smoke point, or the oil can break down (and even burn) when heated and add an off-flavor to the chicken.

Directions

Step 1: Marinate the chicken in buttermilk

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Pat the chicken pieces with paper towels and place them in a large flat dish.

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Pour buttermilk over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate them for at least one hour or overnight.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t let the chicken soak for longer than 24 hours. The acid in the buttermilk will turn the meat mushy!

Step 2: Mix the seasoned flour

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Combine the flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, sage, thyme and baking powder in a shallow dish.

Editor’s Tip: Plastic bags work wonders to reduce mess! Instead of using a dish, combine the ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag and shake to combine. Add the buttermilk-soaked chicken to the bag one piece at a time and shake the bag to coat.

Step 3: Coat the chicken

Add the chicken pieces, one at a time, and turn to coat them in seasoned flour.

Editor’s Tip: To ensure a crispy coating that stays put after frying, allow any excess buttermilk to drip off before coating the chicken in the flour mixture. I like to let that buttermilk drip into the flour. Mixing a little buttermilk into the flour is the secret to creating those craggly bits we all love so much! When you add the chicken, press each piece firmly into the flour to ensure every inch is well-dredged.

Step 4: Let it rest

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Lay the coated pieces on waxed paper for 15 minutes to allow the coating to dry, which helps it cling to the chicken during frying.

Editor’s Tip: What’s the secret to making a coating that actually sticks to fried chicken? Patience. Letting the chicken rest allows the moisture from the buttermilk to distribute evenly, helping the flour form a firm crust.

Step 5: Deep-fry the chicken

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In a Dutch oven or deep skillet, heat 1/2 inch of oil over medium heat to 350°F. Fry the chicken in batches, uncovered, turning occasionally, until the coating is dark golden brown and the meat is no longer pink, seven to eight minutes per side. Drain the chicken on paper towels.

Editor’s Tip: Only cooking two to three pieces at a time is the key to crispy fried chicken. If you add too many pieces at once, the temperature of the oil will drop quickly, making the coating soggy. After frying the first batch, wait until the oil temperature returns to 350° before adding the next batch.

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Recipe Variations

• Experiment with herbs and spices: You can add almost any seasoning from the spice rack to the flour dredge. Try using the blend from copycat KFC fried chicken or kick up the heat with cayenne to make spicy fried chicken. We also love adding Cajun seasoning to make Cajun fried chicken.
• Use another cut of chicken: Instead of frying a whole chicken, choose a single cut for deep-fried chicken legs or oven-fried chicken thighs. Or go boneless if you prefer fried chicken breasts, fried chicken cutlets or fried chicken tenders.
• Make it in the air fryer: To make air-fryer fried chicken, cook the chicken in batches in a preheated 375° air fryer. Spritz the dredged chicken pieces with cooking spray and cook them for 10 minutes, then turn and spritz the chicken again. Cook until the chicken is golden brown and the juices run clear, 10 to 20 minutes longer.
• Spice up the buttermilk: Give the chicken a little zing by adding a few dashes of cayenne pepper or your favorite hot sauce to the buttermilk marinade.

How to Store Buttermilk Fried Chicken

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After frying the chicken, store it on a wire rack to keep the fried chicken crunchy. Allowing airflow around the chicken ensures there won’t be any soggy bottoms! When you’re finished eating, store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The chicken will last up to four days.

How do you reheat buttermilk fried chicken?

It’s best to reheat fried chicken in an oven or air fryer. Reheating it in a microwave will soften the coating. Heat the chicken on a baking sheet in a 350° oven for about 15 minutes, then increase the oven temperature to 400°. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°. If you prefer to use an air fryer, spray the chicken on each side with cooking spray. Air-fry them at 350°, flipping the pieces every three minutes until each piece reaches an internal temperature of 165°.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tips

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What is a good substitute for buttermilk in fried chicken recipes?

Acidic buttermilk tenderizes the chicken, but plain yogurt will also work. You can also make a buttermilk substitute by mixing together 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar (or lemon juice) with enough milk to measure 1 cup.

What’s the easiest way to coat chicken in flour for buttermilk fried chicken?

The secret to fried chicken’s crispy crust is to use a healthy amount of coating, and we love to use a resealable plastic bag to make it happen. Dredging chicken on a plate can get messy (read: flour in all the wrong places!). Save yourself some cleanup by putting the coating in a resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken one piece at a time and shake the bag to coat them. Your spotless counters will thank you.

What do you do if fried chicken browns before the meat cooks?

Fried chicken can brown before the meat cooks through if the deep-frying temperature is off. We recommend frying chicken at 350° so the chicken cooks evenly inside and out. If the breading still browns before the meat is cooked, don’t panic. You can remove the chicken to a baking sheet lined with an oven-safe rack. Bake the chicken in a 350° oven until it reaches the safe internal temperature of cooked chicken (165° for white meat chicken and 175° for dark meat chicken).

How do you make sure buttermilk fried chicken turns out juicy?

If you brine the chicken in buttermilk, let it rest in the flour coating and fry it at 350°, this buttermilk fried chicken recipe should turn out plenty juicy! You may want to wait a minute before digging in, though. Resting the cooked chicken helps the chicken’s moisture redistribute throughout the meat. Resting also allows the outer coating to become crispier as the excess oil drains.

What is the best pan for making deep-fried chicken?

We recommend cooking with cast iron when you need something to get hot and stay hot (like deep-fryer oil). The material retains heat well, ensuring that the frying oil climbs to the proper temperature and stays there. You can fry chicken in a cast-iron skillet, but we like to use a high-sided pot like a Dutch oven. It helps keep spitting oil inside the pot and prevents a mess on the countertop.