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This Crispy Fried Chicken might just be the best fried chicken you’ve ever had. Crispy and perfectly golden brown on the outside, but tender, juicy, and flavorful on the inside – you’ll never order out again. This recipe is super easy and beyond tasty!
Crispy Fried Chicken
Does anyone else just find themselves lost in thought occasionally, day dreaming about crispy, juicy, succulent fried chicken? This recipe results in perfectly crunchy golden brown fried chicken. Exactly the type of stuff dreams are made of.
Whether you’re using drumsticks, wings, or breast, I’ve got you covered with this buttermilk coating full of crunchy ripples that you’re just dying to sink your teeth in.
What’s The Deal With Buttermilk?
Buttermilk is the slightly acidic liquid left behind after heavy cream is churned into butter. This acidity creates and extra tender chicken and crispy breading. It will also give your chicken some extra tang which will really bring out the flavors in the breading!
Ingredients In Fried Chicken
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Batter
- Chicken – Any kind! Legs, wings, drumsticks, breasts, whatever!
- Buttermilk – As I said above, this ingredient is important for achieving the flavor and texture we’re looking for in our chicken.
- Hot sauce – Whatever brand you prefer, I like a little bit of heat to my crispy fried chicken and believe me you will too.
- Seasoning – Salt and pepper to taste.
Dredge
- Flour – All purpose is all we need for this recipe, it will be important to ensure all those spices really stick to our chicken and form great crispy skin.
- Spices and seasoning – salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Cornstarch – The key to achieving that crispy crunch, believe me you’ll never look back after adding this to your dredge.
- Vegetable oil – We want something light and neutral tasting that is good for frying, something like canola oil would work well!
How To Make Crispy Fried Chicken
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Marinate the chicken: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Add the chicken pieces. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
- Heat the oil: When ready to cook, pour the vegetable oil in a skillet until it is about 3/4 inch deep. Heat to 350 degrees.
- Prepare the dredge: Prepare the flour mixture by combining the flour, cornstarch, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, paprika in a large bowl or shallow dish. Mix it thoroughly.
- Dredge the chicken: Working with one piece of chicken at a time, remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk mixture. Shake it gently to remove any excess. Place it in the breading mix and coat thoroughly. Tap off the excess.
- Fry the chicken: Place the breaded chicken into the 350 degree oil. Fry only 3 or 4 pieces at a time, do not over crowd. The chicken will reduce the temperature of the oil so keep it as close to 350 degrees as possible. Fry for about 7 minutes, flip, then fry for 3-5 minutes on the other side until the chicken is fully cooked. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Rest the chicken: Transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towel and let the pieces rest for 10 minutes. Serve, and enjoy!
How Do I Know When My Fried Chicken Is Done?
If unsure if your chicken is cooked inside, always use an instant-read thermometer and inserted into the thickest part of the chicken, it should have an internal temperature of 165 F degrees.
The first side will take longer to cook, about 7 min, and the second side will cook faster, 3 to 5 minutes, so be patient and let the chicken cook properly.
Don’t Have Any Buttermilk?
If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own using 2 cups of regular milk, and 2 tbsp of either lemon juice or white vinegar. Let stand for about 15 minutes before incorporating into our dish.
What Kind Of Oil Should I Fry My Chicken In?
While I used vegetable oil, there are lots of great alternatives that you can use instead. We basically want a nice and light tasting oil that won’t overpower the flavor of the breading. This includes: peanut, corn, canola, sunflower, safflower, and soybean oils.
Can I Make Fried Chicken Gluten Free?
You can also use gluten-free flour for this recipe! We don’t need any gluten formation for the breading, no one is looking for chewy or soft fried chicken. We want crunchy all the way! GF flour will work perfectly and feel free to keep the cornstarch in this recipe – it’s gluten free too!
What Can I Serve With My Fried Chicken?
The question should be, what can’t I serve with fried chicken? Because the possibilities are endless! But if you’d like some traditionally American sides to this quintessential soul food main stay, then Jo’s got the answers.
- Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad
- Baked Mac And Cheese
- Garlic Herb Red Potato Salad
- Mashed Potatoes
- Chicken Ranch Pasta Salad
- Old Fashioned Green Beans
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Classic Potato Salad
What Tools Do I Need To Make Fried Chicken?
- A deep skillet or a Dutch oven for frying. The higher the sides of the frying skillet, the less splattering.
- Tongs to remove chicken from the hot oil. Always hold the fried chicken for about 10 seconds over the hot oil so excess oil can drip back.
- Always place your chicken on a plate lined with paper towels so the excess oil can be absorbed.
And that’s it! No really that’s all you need, literally anyone can make this dish. So get prepared to wow whoever is lucky enough to share this perfectly golden and delightfully crispy chicken with you.
How To Store Leftover Crispy Fried Chicken
Fried chicken will last 3-4 days in the fridge or 4 months in the freezer stored in an airtight container. After reheating, the chicken will not be quite as crisp as it was fresh. Follow these steps to get it as crispy as possible:
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. For refrigerated chicken, allow the pieces to sit at room temp for 30 minutes. For frozen chicken, allow the pieces to thaw in the fridge overnight, then let them sit at room temp for 30 minutes.
- Place the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet, then loosely cover the pieces with another piece of foil. Bake for 20 minutes. If you want it a bit crispier, remove the top piece of foil and bake for 5 additional minutes.
Craving More Delicious Chicken?
- Firecracker Chicken
- Baked Chicken Thighs
- Lemon Roasted Garlic Chicken Legs
- Baked Chicken Breast
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
- Pressure Cooker Whole Chicken
- Spatchcock Chicken
- Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Honey Garlic Chicken
Crispy Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken bone-in, with skin, drumsticks, thighs or wings (about 12 drumsticks)
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cup hot sauce
- 2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon pepper or to taste
Dredging Mixture
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Add the chicken pieces. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
- Heat the oil: When ready to cook, pour the vegetable oil in a skillet until it is about 3/4 inch deep. Heat to 350 degrees.
- Prepare the dredge: Prepare the flour mixture by combining the flour, cornstarch, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, paprika in a large bowl or shallow dish. Mix it thoroughly.
- Dredge the chicken: Working with one piece of chicken at a time, remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk mixture. Shake it gently to remove any excess. Place it in the breading mix and coat thoroughly. Tap off the excess.
- Fry the chicken: Place the breaded chicken into the 350 degree oil. Fry only 3 or 4 pieces at a time, do not over crowd. The chicken will reduce the temperature of the oil so keep it as close to 350 degrees as possible. Fry for about 7 minutes, flip, then fry for 3-5 minutes on the other side until the chicken is fully cooked. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Rest the chicken: Transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towel and let the pieces rest for 10 minutes. Serve, and enjoy!
Tips & Notes:
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. For refrigerated chicken, allow the pieces to sit at room temp for 30 minutes. For frozen chicken, allow the pieces to thaw in the fridge overnight, then let them sit at room temp for 30 minutes.
- Place the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet, then loosely cover the pieces with another piece of foil. Bake for 20 minutes. If you want it a bit crispier, remove the top piece of foil and bake for 5 additional minutes.
