Southern Fried Chicken – classic Southern chicken recipe that is crunchy and crusty on the outside and juicy and flavorful on the inside; infused with spices and seasonings and soaked in buttermilk to amp its flavor. A great addition to your chicken recipe collection!
When you think of Southern food, the recipes that always come up are cornbread, gumbo, grits and, of course, this king of all kings — fried chicken.
Well, as much as I’d push myself to consistently put greens on my table, I just can’t seem to easily get away with it especially when we’re talking about chicken. It has been part of the family’s diet ever since and as I grow older I developed the fondness of collecting various fried or baked chicken recipes.
You don’t believe me? Check this blog and you’ll see a parade of chicken recipes that are always on top of my most searched recipes. 😉
Some folks like to soak their chicken buttermilk , hours ahead or time others , just right coat it. Soaking chicken in buttermilk leaves it tender and moist on the inside and helps the coating stick to the chicken easily. I soak mine right before frying . Just personal preference.
Double dip or not? Do the double dip y’all. Double dipping your chicken in buttermilk after dredging them with flour makes the chicken super crispy. You’ll thank yourself later.
And when it comes to the flour mixture, I don’t sell it short with seasonings. You can keep it simple with flour and salt and pepper or go the extra mile for that ultra flavorful crust right on your first bite.
This Southern Fried Chicken will be your go-to chicken recipe as it is brimming with flavors plus a lovely texture. Indeed, a total crowd-pleaser. So don’t doubt yourself when it comes to your cooking skill. You don’t need to be as good as Grandma to whip up a flavorful batch of fried chicken.
And oh, don’t forget to pair this with another Southern staple, Buttermilk Biscuits. Yes, they do make a perfect combo. Now get ready and brace your jeans….wait…what?? Never mind. Just dig in happily! 😀
And who cares about your jeans size when this is what you have on your table. Enjoy!
Tips and Notes:
- After you flour coat and dip your chicken in buttermilk, let it rest first before frying it. This will allow your chicken to form a crust and warm to room temperature which will help it cook through evenly.
- When frying, make sure that your oil is at the right preheated temperature. If it’s too hot, the outside of your chicken will get burned, if it’s cold, the chicken will get soggy and greasy.
- Do not ever use extra virgin olive oil on fried chicken as it’ll result to a bitter-tasting meat. Go for a neutral-tasting oil like canola, vegetable or, most preferably, peanut oil.
- Do not over crowd your pan with chicken as this will lower down the oil’s temperature and hasten up the cooking time. Do it in small batches instead.
- Cast iron pan is a must for a perfectly cooked fried chicken as it holds the temperature well and heat evenly which also results to a perfectly cooked chicken.
- Rather than deep frying or submerging your chicken entirely into the pan or deep fryer, only 3/4 of the chicken should be covered in hot oil. The weight of the chicken will cause it to sit just almost above the surface of the oil which will create a crispy crust without burning.
- Don’t let anything fried sit on a paper towel too long as it’ll start to steam and make it soggy. Instead, drain your chicken using a wire rack over a baking sheet. They’ll cool crisp and dry off all at once easily.
Southern Fried Chicken – classic Southern chicken recipe that is crunchy and crusty on the outside and juicy and flavorful on the inside; infused with spices and seasonings and soaked in buttermilk to amp its flavor. A great addition to your chicken recipe collection!
- 1 whole chicken cut into 10 pieces
- 1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons salt adjust to preference
- ½ -1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 3-4 garlic crushed
- 2-3 teaspoons creole seasoning
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1- 1 1/2 tablespoon dried herbs Thyme, Oregano, Parsley
- 4 cups buttermilk
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Place chicken in a large bowl or Large ziploc. Then seasoned with salt followed by all the crushed garlic, hot sauce and creole seasoning.
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If desired, transfer the chicken to a gallon-sized zipper-lock freezer bag and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
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When ready to fry, pour buttermilk in the marinated chicken. Then set aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, herbs and white pepper.
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Remove marinated chicken from buttermilk and dredge in flour mixture, shaking any excess flour. You may use a Ziploc bag for this process, too.
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Double dip the chicken in the buttermilk, followed by the flour mixture - shake off any excess flour. Set aside for about 10-15 minutes while preparing oil. This will help the coating to stay on better.
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Heat oil in a deep fryer or cast iron skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Temperature will drop once you add chicken.
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Using a tong and carefully and slowly place the chicken in the hot oil. Work in batches. Do not overcrowd the skillet.
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Fry the chicken until golden brown, turning once every 10 to 20 minutes - depending on the size of the pieces. Chicken is done when it is no longer pink inside and its juices run clear. You may do a test by piercing the chicken with a fork.
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Drain the chicken on paper towels and then transfer them on a wire rack. (see notes)
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Repeat with remaining chicken pieces; let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Girrllll, this.looks so goood. I just love all your recipes
Aww, Thanks C.arol
wow, this is good, i love all your recipe, this is what i was looking for. thank you Imma
Your most welcome Esther!
Wow! I am finding it très difficile to wait 4 hours for marinating, let alone overnight!
Merci beaucoup for this recipe, Imma!!!
Par de quoi Gerry! I hear you. Patience my friend. And your tastebuds would thank you.
This recipe is so amazingly delicious. It has the perfect amount of seasoning and is so tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. The only thing I differently was marinade the chicken in the buttermilk. I also added a little buttermilk to the flour for crispier chicken instead of double-dipping (I got that from your Jamaican fried chicken recipe). I plan on cooking this for Thanksgiving…I’m sure it’ll be a hit!
Thank you for sharing your talents! I can’t wait to get your cookbook.
OH WOW!!! Thank you so much Keshia! So kind of you to take the time and share this with me. Wishing you and your family all the best!! Happy Holidays!!!
Quick question: How much white pepper?
1 teaspoon white pepper .
Because of the paprika and cayenne pepper, would you categorize this recipe as a spicy chicken recipe? The recipe looks great and maybe I can modify it by removing or lessening the amounts of these spices because I can not take a lot of spicy food
Yes, the cayenne pepper makes it spicy. You may leave it out and/or reduce the quantity of spices to make it less spicy.
Hi. For the dried herbs – is it 1/2 tbls of each or 1 1/2 tbls of each. Confused if total amount is suppose to be just 1 1/2 tbls.
Hi Margie ! The total amount of all the spices should be 1 1/2 Tablespoons.
Did it last night for dinner and it tasted amazing. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Wonderful! Thanks for taking the time out to let me know kimmoni.
What kind of buttermilk?
Any works fine . I used 2% milk fat buttermilk .
Is there a buttermilk substitute you can recommend?
A good buttermilk substitute is to mix 1 cup milk and 1 tablespoon vinegar lemon juice- let it rest for 5 minutes or more , until it thickens.
Hi Imma,
Made this yesterday and it was SOOOOOOOO good! The best part was that the chicken was so succulent and tasteful even if eaten without the coating, guess the marination time was super worth it!
Love all your recipes, have already tried the Caribbean Banana Nuts Cake and this chicken, and next on list is fluffy pancakes. Your measurments and recipes are jus PERFECT! Thank you for sharing your talent with the world, much love!
Can you do thus recipe with boneless/skinless breasts? How would the cooking time in oil vary?
Yes, you can use this recipe for boneless/skinless chicken breast. I’d say adjust the cooking time to 8-12 minutes (that’d vary depending on the size and thickness) and turn it occasionally so it browns evenly.
Hi, your recipes are awesome! I always love trying them out.Thanks so much for this.
You’re welcome. Thanks for stopping by!