Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Buttermilk Fried Chicken is the ultimate comfort food! Bone in, skin on chicken is soaked in a buttermilk brine, coated, and fried until golden and crispy!
Servings: 8 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken whole pieces, bone in, skin on (I used breasts and drumsticks)
For the soak:
- 2 teaspoons black pepper freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups buttermilk alternatively, you can use 2 cups milk + 2 tbsp lemon juice
For the seasoned coating:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For frying:
- 4 cups oil high heat tolerant for frying
Instructions
- Combine 3 pounds chicken pieces with 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon dried sage, 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper in a large bowl or resealable plastic bag to coat.
- Add 2 cups buttermilk to fully coat chicken. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
- Combine 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon white pepper, and 1 teaspoon onion powder in a large resealable plastic bag or shallow dish.
- Remove chicken from the buttermilk and and shake to remove any excess. Dredge each piece in the seasoned flour. Shake off any excess and transfer to a plate.
- Heat cooking 4 cups oil in a large Dutch oven to 350°F. Add the white meat pieces of chicken to the pan and cook for 16-18 minutes, turning halfway through. Remove chicken from the oil and transfer to a cooling rack set over a paper towel lined baking sheet. To keep warm, set on baking dish, tent with foil, and keep warm in 200°F oven.
- Allow oil to once again heat to 350°F. Add the dark meat pieces of chicken to the pan and cook for 18-25 minutes, turning halfway through. Remove chicken from the oil and transfer to a cooling rack set over a paper towel lined baking sheet.
Notes
The oil should be at 350 degrees F to start, but when the chicken goes in it will drop to about 300 degrees. It should rise back to 305-310 degrees F and the heat should continually be monitored and adjusted so that the temperature is held steady at these values.
Internal temperature of cooked chicken should be about 165 degrees F. The white meat should take less time to cook than the dark meat.
Since most of the buttermilk and a great amount of the oil is discarded, the nutritional information was based on consuming 1/4 cup buttermilk and 1/2 cup cooking oil, divided amongst the 8 servings.
Nutrition
Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 702mg | Potassium: 374mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 700IU | Vitamin C: 2.7mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 2.9mg