Fried chicken is a Southern specialty. It should be crunchy on the outside, with plenty of seasonings, and be moist on the inside. Quickly shallow fried in vegetable oil, the chicken is then finished in a high heat oven. This chicken yielded a delicious crunchy coating. Best of all, there wasn’t a lot of leftover oil to deal with. Served with buttermilk biscuits, you’ll be whistling Dixie with this recipe.
The buttermilk brine is seasoned with garlic powder, hot sauce, paprika, cayenne and pepper. I did this early in the morning, but can also be done overnight.
If I’m going to eat fried chicken, I want a crunchy, golden coating. Once again, Cook’s Illustrated has come up with a brilliant recipe. The flour is seasoned with the same spices as the buttermilk brine, and baking powder is added to the flour.
That’s because as the chicken fries, the baking powder releases carbon dioxide gas, leavening the crust and increasing its surface area, keeping it light and crisp. 1/4 cup of reserved buttermilk is added to the dredging flour to create an ultra-crisp coating. Use a 12″ Cast-Iron skillet, bringing the oil to 375F. This is when you want to have a trustworthy digital thermometer.
Place the chicken on a wired rack set and onto a baking sheet. (I have three sets of these, and use them all the time.) They are indispensable, in my kitchen!) Bake the chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of the chicken registers 160 degrees for breasts and 175 for legs and thighs, 15 to 20 minutes. (Smaller pieces may cook faster than larger pieces. Remove pieces from oven as they reach -correct temperature.) Let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.
TASTING NOTES: At the time I made this recipe, the cost of this chicken was about $15.00 for four servings. The coating was, indeed, crunchy and delicious. I usually don’t eat chicken skin, but this time, I enjoyed every bite. The chicken, itself, was moist. Yes, I would make this chicken recipe again, and again. I’m whistling Dixie over this recipe. It’s truly easy, and Cook’s Illustrated hits this one right out of the ballpark! Wow!
Easy Southern Style Buttermilk Fried Chicken (With a lot less oil)
Equipment
- Baking Sheet and Wire Baking Rack
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken parts (breasts, thighs, and drumsticks, or a mix, with breasts cut in half), trimmed of excess fat
For the chicken coating:
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk divided
- Table salt
- dash hot sauce
- 3 teaspoons ground black pepper divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder divided
- 1 teaspoon paprika divided
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper divided
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
For the skillet:
- 1 3/4 cups vegetable oil
Instructions
For the brine:
- Whisk 1 cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon salt, hot sauce, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon paprika, and pinch of cayenne together in large bowl.
- Add chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
For the chicken:
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining 2 teaspoons black pepper, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon paprika, and remaining cayenne together in large bowl.
- Add remaining ¼ cup buttermilk to flour mixture and mix with fingers until combined and small clumps form.
- Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture, pressing mixture onto pieces to form thick, even coating. Place dredged chicken on large plate, skin side up.
- Heat oil in 11-inch straight-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Carefully place chicken pieces in pan, skin side down, and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Carefully flip and continue to cook until golden brown on second side, 2 to 4 minutes longer.
- Transfer chicken to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake chicken until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees for breasts and 175 for legs and thighs, 15 to 20 minutes.
- (Smaller pieces may cook faster than larger pieces. Remove pieces from oven as they reach -correct temperature.)
- Let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
These days I absolutely REFUSE to pay exorbitant prices for food i can make, probably better, at home. Good for you for conquering this classic dish!
$36 for a chicken dinner!? Yikes! I'm sure your chicken was just as good… it sure looks good and crispy.
Fried chicken has become way too upscale these days.
I love the stuff, although I don't dare make it on my current eating regimen (you're killing me here Deb!) 😀 I made attempts to fry it the whole way through in the past and always ended up with the chicken cooking unevenly. Thank goodness for post-baking.
It's trendy to do a saltwater brine these days, but I prefer a buttermilk brine too! I like mine in buttermilk and sriracha!
That second picture made me want to grab the screen and take a bit of that drumstick! Yum!
Looks like you've gotten southern fried chicken down to a science Debby. It's perfect, just like when I was growing up down south.
Sam
I'm a huge sucker for buttermilk fried chicken. Living in the South, there are so many wonderful home style fried chicken restaurants. But there's nothing like homemade! Your chicken is just beautifully tempting Debby!
You just gave me my dinner idea for tonight! I have a similar recipe for fried chicken that's partially baked in the oven but I can't resist trying a Cooks Ill. recipe!! Thank YOU!!!
What beautiful fried chicken! It is one of my husband's favorite idshes. I have never tried the Cook's Illustrated recipe, although I always soak mine in buttermilk prior to frying. Thanks for the opush to make it again. I will have to try the Cook's Illustrated Method. I am sure my husband will thank you also!
I made the fried chicken lastnight and it was fantastic! This will be the recipe I use from now on! Putting the buttermilk in the flour is genius, the crunch coating and the seasoning were PERFECT!!
Bunny, thank you so much for letting me know! How can one go wrong with Cook's Ilustrated?
I have never really made fried chicken either Debby but you do make it look easy!!
Your chicken is perfect…I would guess that you had been making it for years by the looks of it.
You've inspired this southern boy to post a fried chicken recipe. After all, it is the quintessential southern food, right? This recipe looks delicious! Cooks Illustrated always has good tips. I love the idea of baking powder and finishing the chicken in the oven. Thanks for a great post!!
Buttermilk is ESSENTIAL to fried chicken! XOGREG
I recently went to a dinner party and was served fried chicken. Yum I thought to myself. It was golden and crackly and GORGEOUS. So I took one big bite of a leg, and it was raw inside. I ate anyway, but man I could see the hostess cringing. I bet hers was raw too. GREG