Buttermilk Fried Chicken

8 hours 20 mins Prep Time

25 mins Cook Time

Written By

Nadia Boachie

Let's be real; there are very few things that beat a delicious piece of crispy spicy fried chicken finished off with a spicy and slightly sweet hot oil. Making fried chicken is so easy! Of course, the hardest part is dealing with the hot oil, but if you are careful, this recipe should be a piece of cake! This is a special treat for once in a while, so if you have been looking for a fried chicken recipe, check this out!

Ingredients

Buttermilk Marinade

3 pounds of chicken (thighs, drumsticks, wings), skin-on, bone-in
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
Neutral oil, for frying

Dredge

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons black pepper

Hot Oil (Optional)

4 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup oil (reserved from frying)

Directions

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

7 Steps

Step 1

Mix the buttermilk, herbs, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Place the chicken pieces in the buttermilk mixture and coat completely. Marinate overnight (at least 8 hours) in the fridge. When ready to fry, remove chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before frying to allow to warm up slightly.
Step 2

Heat neutral oil filled 1/2 of the way up in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or cast iron on medium-high heat until a pinch of flour starts to sizzle when dropped in the hot oil (but not so hot that the pan is smoking), about 350°F.
Step 3

Make the flour mixture my combining all ingredients (garlic powder, onion powder, flour, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne) into a bowl.
Step 4

Drizzle a bit of the buttermilk marinade into flour mixture. The flour mixture should be mainly dry with a few clumps from added moisture. Place chicken pieces into the flour mixture and pack the flour onto chicken until heavily coated. Really press on the flour even when it starts to clump up from dipping several pieces into the flour.
Step 5

Working in batches, add the chicken pieces to the hot oil in the pan and fry on one side for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown, and then use tongs to turn the pieces over and fry for another 10 minutes, again until golden brown.
Step 6

If you are worried about the doneness of your chicken and it is browning too fast you can reduce the temperature of the oil slightly or remove chicken from oil and place in an oven heated to 350°F until chicken's internal temperature reads 165°F.
Step 7

When done, serve hot and drizzle with spicy oil.

Hot Oil (Optional)

1 Steps

Step 1

In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together cayenne pepper, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder and salt. Pour in reserved hot frying oil, whisk to combine. Drizzle over chicken before serving.