Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Total Time Prep: 30 min. + marinating Cook: 40 min.
Yield 6 servings
Test Kitchen Approved
Making buttermilk fried chicken from scratch is easy! Brining the chicken with buttermilk ensures it stays juicy and tender, and letting the chicken rest in the seasoned flour creates a crispy coating that actually sticks to the meat.

Ingredients

  • 1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 pounds), cut up
  • 3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk
  • COATING:
  • 1-1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
  • 1/4 cayenne pepper, optional
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • Oil for frying

Directions

  1. Pat chicken pieces with paper towels; place in large flat dish. Pour buttermilk over chicken; cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
  2. Combine coating ingredients in a shallow dish. Add chicken pieces, 1 at a time, and turn to coat. Lay coated pieces on waxed paper for 15 minutes to allow coating to dry (this will help coating cling during frying).
  3. In a Dutch oven or deep skillet, heat 1/2 in. oil over medium heat to 350°. Fry chicken in batches, uncovered, turning occasionally, until coating is dark golden brown and meat is no longer pink, 7-8 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels; if desired, sprinkle with additional salt and pepper.

Nutrition Facts

5 ounces cooked chicken: 623 calories, 40g fat (7g saturated fat), 106mg cholesterol, 748mg sodium, 26g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 1g fiber), 38g protein.

For our family, it's not a picnic unless we have fried chicken! Chicken, deviled eggs and potato salad are all musts for a picnic as far as my husband is concerned. This is a golden oldie recipe for me—I've used it any number of times. —Edna Hoffman, Hebron, Indiana
Recipe Creator

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