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!

Southern fried chicken crisping up on a wire rack and ready to enjoy.

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.

Serving up freshly fried chicken with lemon wedges on the side.

The Secret to Perfect Southern 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 some when you add the raw chicken, so heat it to 375℉ (190℃) before you start.
  • Drain the chicken on a wire rack so it’s not sitting in oil or sticking to a paper towel.
The ingredient list.

How to Make Southern Fried Chicken

Marinate and double bread it with seasoned flour.

Prepare the Chicken

  1. Season – Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and season them with salt, crushed garlic, hot sauce, and Creole seasoning. (Photos 1-2)
  2. Marinate – Pour enough of the buttermilk over the seasoned chicken to cover, mix well, and transfer the chicken to a gallon-sized ziplock freezer bag. Marinate it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (or overnight). (Photos 3-5)
  3. Coating – Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, herbs, cayenne pepper, white pepper, and salt in a large bowl. (Photo 6)
Final dredge and coating, then into the hot oil to fry.
  1. Dredge – Remove the marinated chicken from the buttermilk and let the excess buttermilk drain back into the bag. Then, coat it in the flour mixture, shaking off excess flour. Using a ziplock bag for this process comes in handy. (Photo 7)
  2. Second Coating – 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. (Photo 8-10)
Frying chicken in a cast iron skillet.

Fry It

  1. Heat oil in a deep fryer or cast iron skillet to 375℉ (190℃). The temperature will drop once you add chicken.
  2. Fry – 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.
  3. Check – Chicken is done when it is no longer pink inside and its juices run clear, or your instant-read thermometer reads 165℉ (75℃). You may do a test by piercing the chicken with a fork.
  4. Drain the chicken on paper towels and then transfer them quickly to a wire rack.
  5. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

  • Use chicken breast tenderloins instead of a whole chicken to make fried chicken tenders instead of regular bone-in chicken. The kids love these.
  • 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.
Homemade biscuits with fried chicken.

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

\[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”ZoqhisJ9″ upload-date=”Tue Aug 07 2018 11:39:31 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”Southern Fried Chicken” description=”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!”]

This blog post was originally published in September 2017 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.

Southern Fried Chicken

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!
4.83 from 63 votes

Ingredients

Chicken Seasoning

  • 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)

Chicken Coating

  • 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, transfer the chicken to a gallon-sized ziplock freezer bag, and marinate it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (or overnight).
  • Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, herbs, cayenne pepper, white pepper, and salt in a large bowl.
  • Remove the marinated chicken from the buttermilk and let the excess buttermilk drain back into the bag. Then, dredge it in the flour mixture, shaking off excess flour. You could use a ziplock bag for this process, too.
  • 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.
  • 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 may do a test by piercing the chicken with a fork.
  • Drain the chicken on paper towels and then transfer them quickly to a wire rack.
  • Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Tips & Notes:

  • Olive oil is not suitable for frying because it has a low smoke point and will burn. Neutral-tasting, high smoke point oils like canola, vegetable, or peanut oil work much better.
  • Don’t overcrowd your pan with chicken because it will lower the oil’s temperature too quickly and slow the cooking time.
  • A cast-iron pan or deep fryer holds the temperature better and heats evenly, resulting in perfectly cooked chicken.
  • Rather than having enough oil to submerge your chicken, put enough to cover 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.
  • Don’t let anything fried sit on a paper towel too long because it may stick to the paper towel. Instead, drain your chicken using a wire rack over a baking sheet, and they’ll stay crispy and dry all at once easily.
  • Please note that the nutritional data is a rough estimate and can vary greatly depending on the ingredients used.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1piece| Calories: 435kcal (22%)| Carbohydrates: 49g (16%)| Protein: 7g (14%)| Fat: 24g (37%)| Saturated Fat: 4g (25%)| Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g| Monounsaturated Fat: 5g| Trans Fat: 0.1g| Cholesterol: 5mg (2%)| Sodium: 417mg (18%)| Potassium: 254mg (7%)| Fiber: 4g (17%)| Sugar: 3g (3%)| Vitamin A: 1508IU (30%)| Vitamin C: 4mg (5%)| Calcium: 153mg (15%)| Iron: 5mg (28%)

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171 Comments

  1. I had trouble cutting this recipe – I’m only cooking for two – so I left out the cornstarch (1 cup seems like way too much, even for 3 cups of flour!) and the baking powder. I too wound up with a hard shell-like crust. I’m new to using a cast-iron skillet (think I need an oil thermometer). I think I was cooking too hot. I do plan to try this recipe again. The pictures look so great & I did get the good flavor from the marinade overnight.

    1. Hi Lynn,
      I would divide all the ingredients by half. Also if your temperature is too high the exterior would cook up too fast and the chicken would not be fully cooked. Agreed use a thermometer.

    2. so long as you use the proportions of 3 parts flour to one part cornstartch it will work. Use tablespoons instead if you prefer. You had a hard crust because you left out the baking powder; it makes the coating puff up slightly when fried and this is what goes crispy, without it your coating will be smooth and hard

  2. I don’t know what went wrong. Like earlier response chicken had hard shell and Bundt on outside before inside done. Stated with temperature at 375 . What do you mean about pre-heatedtemperature. Ron

    1. The oil is too hot. I would lower the temperature when the chicken starts to brown fairly quickly.Another great tip – is to fry the chicken until is brown, then pop them into the oven on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Bake until the chicken is cooked through. Hope this helps

  3. Just cooked it both ways, fried and oven , when I did it in the oven, I added chilli to the crumbs, just right for a bit more tang, great recipe..!

    1. Hi! I am trying this recipe out this evening. My hubby says I have the oil too hot so will have to finish in the oven. I used Johnny Seasoning Salt in place of creole seasoning because I didn’t have it to try. I didn’t use the cornstarch and only used 1 1/2 cup of flour because I only had 4 chicken thighs to cook. Of course my kitchen got smoky cause I didn’t lower the temp in time….need a thermometer for sure. Still I am glad I tried this and practice makes perfect. My hubby was a restaurant cook for many years. He says to put te chicken in the oven on 350°F for up to 30 minutes. Bon appetit. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    1. Hi Lee,
      Sorry haven’t tried it in an air fryer yet. If you do let me know how I works out for you. Thanks.

      1. I am going to let my chicken sit in buttermilk until tomorrow and I AM using an air fryer!

  4. 1 star
    Followed this recipe and instructions exactly, but didn’t get anywhere near the results others have posted about. The coating wasn’t flaky or tasty. Instead it was more like a hard shell around the pieces of chicken! I had the oil at the recommended temperature, did the buttermilk/spice marinade for approximately 20 hrs. and seasoned the dry ingredients by the exact measurements noted. I did do the double-breading as noted. Maybe that was the mistake. The chicken was moist, but lacked flavor. Very disappointed in the finished product.

    1. I can’t imagine what went wrong. I followed the instruction listed and my chicken was super crispy and flavorful.

    2. Typically, a tablespoon of salt is added, not a teaspoon. Salt brings out the flavors. You would be surprised how much salt restaurants use. In a similar recipe, I used a teaspoon of each ingredient in the flour. Also, use a tablespoon of Ole Bay seasoning in ther flour, too. And instead of double coating, try rinsing the chicken, do a dry coat of flour dashed with salt and pepper, dip in egg and milk, then dip in the seasoned flour mixture before frying. It may be alot of work, but the more love and effort you put into your food will show.

  5. Hi there, I am planing to make chicken and waffles for my sons birthday party (10 teenmonsters)…..do you have any tips for premaking it? Also, do you have a good idea for a healthy side (greens, fruits, veggies?) to calm my bad conscience ?

    1. Hi. Yes, you can. Place them in a cooling rack and lightly dab them to remove excess oil using some paper towels, then place your cooling rack on top of a baking sheet and into the oven. Set the oven to low to keep them warm.

  6. I am a well seasoned cook but I have not ever made fried chicken that came out crispier and tastier than this. I was very surprised as I rarely run across a recipe that is truly a keeper. The crust on this chicken is perfect. Folks in the next county will hear you eating this and they will be coming to get some if they ever get a taste!

    Well done – and thank you!

  7. “Fry the chicken until golden brown, turning once every 10 to 20 minutes”
    IS THIS RIGHT? THAT’S A PRETTY WIDE TIME RANGE: 20 TO 40 MINUTES??????

    1. The recipe does say “depending on the size of the pieces”, so that would be why the wide time range.

  8. 5 stars
    Oh my goodness…just made this. My whole family loved it and they are not easy to please. You are an angel from heaven. Thank you xxx

  9. So, I’m making chicken bites, so I got boneless breasts from the store, they are in in buttermilk right now, not cooking them till tomorrow afternoon, any suggestions for reheating. I’m cooking ahead of time for a christening

    1. Fried chicken is better served cold rather than reheated. If you have a convection oven the airflow may reduce sogginess. Good luck

  10. I am trying this tonight but have had to make a few adjustments to the recipe so fingers crossed. We don’t easily get buttermilk in the UK but we do get Kefir a sort of soured milk which is very popular as it is very healthy apparently it is very similar to buttermilk in structure and fat content according to another website. I have also added Carribean all purpose seasoning instead if some of the mixed spices you refer the recipe sounds amazing so I can’t wait

    1. You could easily add lemon juice or white vinegar to full fat milk and it will thicken into buttermilk in 30 minutes.

    2. 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.

  11. Great recipe, easy to make and really good with the chicken, can’t wait to try it:)). My entire family loved it, thanks for sharing.

4.83 from 63 votes (17 ratings without comment)

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