Southern Fried Chicken
There’s nothing like having a good Southern fried chicken recipe in your collection. One bite of this chicken’s crunchy, spicy outer layer, followed by the tender, juicy meat inside, and you’ll understand why it’s a true-blue Southern classic. Infused with spices for intense flavor and marinated in buttermilk to make it juicy, it’s the perfect main course for your next picnic!
I’ll never forget that day my son was craving fried chicken, but I did NOT want to leave the house. I dug into my archives and realized I already had everything I needed. After devouring half a chicken, the love of my life declared that it was better than anything he had eaten in a restaurant.
Besides being pure deliciousness, this Southern fried chicken recipe is a must-have at any cookout. The secret to tender, juicy chicken is marinating it in buttermilk. The seasoned breading delivers a crispy outer coating for a dish that tastes like a million bucks but costs only a few dollars.
The Secret to Perfect Fried Chicken
Perfectly fried chicken is tender and juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. A few tricks will bring that about.
- Marinating it in buttermilk adds a tang and tenderizes the meat.
- Be generous with the seasonings, both in the marinade and the breading.
- Don’t forget the baking powder to create bubbles and encourage crispiness.
- Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes after breading it so it firms up and sticks better when you fry the chicken.
- Make sure the temperature of your oil doesn’t go below 350℉ (180℃). The temperature will drop slightly when you add the raw chicken, so heat it to 375℉ (190℃) before you start.
- Add a few slices of onion to the oil to check the temperature and infuse it with more flavor.
- Drain the chicken on a wire rack so it’s not sitting in oil or sticking to a paper towel.
How to Make Southern Fried Chicken
- Season the chicken with salt, crushed garlic, hot sauce, and Creole seasoning. Add the buttermilk and coat the chicken well. (Photos 1-3)
- Marinate it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (or overnight). (Photo 4)
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, herbs, cayenne pepper, white pepper, and salt in a large bowl. (Photo 5)
- Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, after letting the excess marinade drip off. Then double-coat it by dipping with the remaining buttermilk (add fresh buttermilk as needed) and flour mixture, shaking off the excess. (Photos 6-7)
- Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes while heating the oil. That will help the coating to stay on better. (Photo 8)
- Heat oil in a deep fryer or cast-iron skillet to 375℉ (190℃). The temperature will drop once you add chicken. Adding a few slices of onion will add flavor and is a great way to test the oil’s temperature. (Photo 9)
- Fry the chicken, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet, until golden brown, turning once every 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pieces. An instant-read thermometer will read 165℉ (75℃). (Photos 10-11)
- Drain the chicken on a rack and let it rest for about 10 minutes before digging in. (Photo 12)
Recipe Tips
- Use chicken breast tenderloins instead of a whole chicken to make fried chicken tenders instead of regular bone-in chicken. The kids love these, and they cook faster.
- Neutral-tasting oils with a high smoke point, like canola, vegetable, or peanut oil, are good choices for deep frying.
- This recipe works great in the air fryer. Spritz the breaded chicken with canola oil, crank up your air fryer to 400℉ (205℃), and fry away.
- While I used a whole chicken for this recipe, feel free to use thighs or leg quarters because dark meat stays juicier than the breast.
Storage and Leftover Makeovers
Store leftover fried chicken in airtight containers in the fridge for 3-5 days or the freezer for 2-3 months. Remove it from the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature, and bake it in a 400℉ (205℃) oven on a wire rack over a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes or until it’s heated through and gets its crunch back.
I make extra so we can repurpose the leftovers in a salad, cream of chicken soup, fried rice, quesadillas, and quick chicken sandwiches.
What Goes With Southern Fried Chicken
Um, just all of my favorite sides! For a classic Southern dinner, serve this chicken with collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and homemade butter biscuits.
Make sure you have some Southern drinks and desserts on hand, too. Sweet iced tea is a must. Finish off your meal with a healthy portion of apple cobbler or sweet potato pie, and don’t forget to scoop a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top.
More Classic Southern Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in September 2017 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Southern Fried Chicken
Ingredients
The Chicken
- 1 whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces
- 1½-2 teaspoons (8-12g) salt (adjust to preference)
- ½-1 tablespoon (7-15g) hot sauce
- 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2-3 teaspoons (8-12g) Creole seasoning
- 4 cups (950ml) buttermilk (for both marinating and coating)
- ¼ cup cornstarch (optional)
Chicken Breading
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (128g) cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons (10g) baking powder
- 1 tablespoon (8-9g) paprika
- 2 tablespoons (30g) garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons (20g) onion powder
- 1-1½ tablespoons (5-8g) dried herbs (thyme, oregano, parsley, etc.)
- 1 teaspoon (2-3g) cayenne pepper (adjust to preference)
- 1 teaspoon (2-3g) white pepper
- 1 teaspoon (6g) salt (adjust to taste)
- frying oil
Instructions
- Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and season them with salt, crushed garlic, hot sauce, and Creole seasoning.
- Pour some of the buttermilk over the seasoned chicken (add optional cornstarch), transfer it to a large bowl or gallon-sized ziplock freezer bag, and marinate it covered in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (or overnight).
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, herbs, cayenne pepper, white pepper, and salt in another large bowl.
- Remove the marinated chicken from the buttermilk and let the excess buttermilk drain back into the bowl.
- Then, dredge it in the flour mixture, shaking off excess flour. You could use a ziplock bag for this process, too.
- Optional step: Double-dip the chicken in the remaining buttermilk (add fresh buttermilk as needed), then repeat with the flour mixture, shaking off the excess. Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes while heating the oil. That will help the coating to stay on better.
- Heat oil in a deep fryer or cast-iron skillet to 375℉ (190℃). The temperature will drop once you add chicken. Optionally, fry a few pieces of onion in the oil to test the temperature and infuse more flavor.
- Slowly and carefully place the chicken in the hot oil using tongs. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet.
- Fry the chicken until golden brown, turning once every 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pieces. Chicken is done when it is no longer pink inside, and its juices run clear, or your instant-read thermometer reads 165℉ (75℃). You could do a test by piercing the chicken with a fork.
- Drain the chicken on a rack over a baking sheet, dab with paper towels to remove excess oil if necessary.
- Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Tips & Notes:
- Sometimes I add cornstarch to the marinade, and sometimes I don’t. Try it both ways, and see which one you like best.
- If you want thicker, crispier breading, double-dip it in the buttermilk and flour. If you prefer a thinner breading, just drain off excess marinade and coat it well in the breading once.
- A neutral-tasting, high smoke point oil, like canola, vegetable, or peanut oil, works well. Olive oil does not.
- Avoid overcrowding the pan because it will lower the oil’s temperature too quickly, resulting in greasy chicken.
- A cast-iron pan or deep fryer holds the temperature better and heats evenly.
- Rather than using enough oil to submerge the entire chicken, put enough to submerge ¾ of it. The weight of the chicken will cause it to sit just above the oil’s surface, creating a crispy crust without burning.
- If anything fried sits on a paper towel too long, it may stick to it. Instead, drain your chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet, and it will stay crispy and dry.
- Please note that the nutritional data is a rough estimate and can vary greatly depending on the ingredients used.
Hi, quick question. Is the buttermilk you used to dip before frying the same buttermilk you marinated with? Or should we make a fresh batch?
Hi Jysika, it’s the same. You may add more, if desired
chicken
I’m going to make this to take camping. How can I store it overnight so it will stay crispy
Fried chicken looses it’s crispness the next day. You will have to bake it in order to gain it back .Cover a baking sheet with foil and arrange chicken on it. Then place another sheet of foil on top to insulate the chicken. Bake for 20- 25 minutes. Do not overtake. Hope this helps
Hi,
Thanks for posting this Fried Chicken recipe.
I plan to make this tonight. I will check back for your other recipe.
I can tell you cook with Love.
Best Wishes,
Charles
Hope it turned out great for you, Charles! And yes, I do cook with all the LOVE! 😉 Enjoy!
Thanks for the recipe! My kids and hubby loved it. We live in Ecuador so made my own buttermilk and substituted cilantro for parsley.
Yaaay! Glad your family loved it. Hope to visit Ecuador someday!
Made this today for Fathers Day, I think I heard weeping it was so good!
Thank you for dropping by, Loanne! This sure is a keeper.
Thank you for a brilliant Southern fried chicken recipe. Tried it tonight, It was lovely. Thank you so much.
Glad you love it, Sarah! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Hi, your recipes are awesome! I always love trying them out.Thanks so much for this.
You’re welcome. Thanks for stopping by!
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.
Just did it with boneless skinless breasts. I sliced them in half to make fingers, and cooking time was right around 10 minutes. Very tender and the herb/spice mix is delicious!
Thank you for sharing some insights for this recipe, Dwight. Have a good one!
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!
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.
What kind of buttermilk?
Any works fine . I used 2% milk fat buttermilk .
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.
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.
Buttermilk replacement may be made by adding 1 Tbsp white vinegar to 1 cup of milk, let it sit for about 10 mins. At room temperature. Sorry, I don’t convert readily. I use conversion scales found online. God save Her. Please enjoy our President when he arrives. Feel free to keep him. Pay no attention to. His crown of thorns at the state banquet.
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.
Quick question: How much white pepper?
1 teaspoon white pepper .
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!!!
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.
wow, this is good, i love all your recipe, this is what i was looking for. thank you Imma
Your most welcome Esther!
Girrllll, this.looks so goood. I just love all your recipes
Aww, Thanks C.arol