Southern Fried Chicken recipe– One bite of this chicken’s crunchy, spicy outer layer followed by the tender, juicy meat inside, and you’ll understand why this is a true-blue Southern classic. Infused with spices for intense flavor and soaked in buttermilk tender juiciness, this is the perfect addition to your collection of chicken recipes!
Honestly, this is one of those recipes that is just plain irresistible. I never have leftovers, and everyone always goes back for seconds. Give this fried chicken a try, and you’ll understand what all the fuss is about. 😋
Besides being pure temptation, this Southern-fried chick recipe is super affordable. Marinate simple chicken cuts in buttermilk, then coat them with seasoned flour, and voila! You’ve got a dish that tastes like a million bucks (but only costs a few dollars 🤑).
The Secret to Perfect Southern Fried Chicken
I think there are a few secrets, personally. Here’s my take on a perfectly Southern fried chicken recipe:
- Don’t skip the buttermilk,
- Be generous with the seasonings and, most importantly,
- Use good frying techniques
Don’t worry because I’ll cover all those points in more detail in this recipe so you can make fried chicken that will rival your grandma’s.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken – You can use any cut of chicken you like, but make it bone-in. I prefer buying one whole chicken and cutting it into 10 pieces for this recipe. It doesn’t take long to cut up the chicken, and it’s cheaper too! 🙌
- Coating – Flour is the base of the crunchy outer coating for our fried chicken. Regular ol’ all-purpose flour is perfect for this recipe. Cornstarch and baking powder increase the crispiness. Yum!
- Seasonings – To get a flavorful outer crust, you’ll need paprika, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, white pepper, and some dried herbs. Go all out with the spices because it really makes a difference.
- Buttermilk is one of the secrets to getting that lusciously juicy chicken meat inside that crispy shell. Store-bought or homemade buttermilk works, but don’t leave out this vital ingredient.
How to Make Southern Fried Chicken
Prepare the Chicken
- Season – Start by placing the chicken in a large bowl. Then, season it with salt, followed by crushed garlic, hot sauce, and Creole seasoning. (Photos 1-2)
- Marinate – Pour the buttermilk over the seasoned chicken and then transfer the chicken in its seasoned marinade to a gallon-sized zipper-lock freezer bag. Refrigerate it for at least 4 hours and up to overnight. (Photos 3-5)
- Make the Coating – Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, herbs, and white pepper in a large bowl. (Photo 6)
- Dredge – Remove the marinated chicken from the buttermilk. Then, dredge each piece in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess flour. You can use a ziplock bag for this process. (Photo 7)
- Double-dip the chicken in the remaining buttermilk, adding fresh buttermilk as needed, and dredge it again in the spiced flour mixture, shaking off the excess. Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes while heating the oil. That helps the coating to stay on better. (Photo 8-10)
Fry the Chicken
- Heat Oil in a deep fryer or a cast iron skillet to 375℉/190℃. Remember that the temperature will drop once you add chicken.
- Add Chicken – Use tongs to place the chicken carefully and slowly in the hot oil. Work in batches, and don’t overcrowd your skillet.
- Fry the chicken until it’s golden brown, turning once every 10-20 minutes – depending on the size of the pieces. The chicken is done when it’s no longer pink inside and the juices run clear when pierced. You can do a test by stabbing it with a fork.
- Drain the chicken on a paper-towel-lined plate and then transfer them to a wire rack.
- Repeat with remaining chicken pieces; let them cool for at least 10 minutes before serving your mouthwatering Southern fried chicken.
Recipe Variations
- Swap out your all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour for a gluten-free version of this recipe. I have yet to try it, so you may want to experiment with different flours until you get that classic, flavorsome crunch.
- Use chicken breast tenderloins instead of a whole chicken to make fried chicken tenders instead of regular bone-in chicken. The kids love these. 👧
- Air Fried Chicken. Feel free to avoid deep frying your chicken. Spray the coated chicken with canola oil, crank up your air fryer to 400℉ (205℃), and fry away.
Tips and Tricks
- When frying, ensure your oil is at the right preheated temperature. If it’s too hot, the outside of your chicken will burn before the inside cooks. And if it’s too cold, the chicken skin will get soggy and greasy.
- Don’t use extra virgin olive oil to fry chicken because it has a low smoke temperature and will result in bitter-tasting chicken. Neutral-tasting oils with a high smoke point, like canola, vegetable, or, preferably, peanut oil, are a much better choice.
- 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. That way, they’ll cool crisp and won’t taste greasy. 👌
Make-Ahead Instructions
As with most fried foods, this recipe is best served fresh from the frying pan. I don’t personally recommend making it ahead of time. If you do, though, follow my reheating instructions below to get the crispiness back when you serve it.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve Southern fried chicken as soon as it’s had a chance to cool. Be sure to pair it with plenty of Southern sides.
Store leftover fried chicken in airtight containers in the fridge for 3-5 days. To reheat your fried chicken, take it out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature while preheating your oven to 400℉/205℃. Then place the chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet and bake it for 15-20 minutes until it’s heated through. That’s the best way to get your crunch back.
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. 🤤
Wine pairing: Did you know that champagne is perfect with fried chicken? Go figure!
More Classic Southern Recipes to Try
Conclusion
So get to fryin’! And don’t be intimidated because you are now equipped with everything you need to make the perfect Southern fried chicken. Already a fried chicken champ? I’d love to see your best tips in the comment section below!
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
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Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces
- 1½-2 teaspoons salt, adjust to preference
- ½ -1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2-3 teaspoons Creole seasoning
- 4 cups buttermilk (for both marinating and coating)
Chicken Coating
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1-1½ tablespoon dried herbs (thyme, oregano, parsley, etc.)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
Instructions
Prepping the Chicken and Coating
- Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl. Then season it with salt, crushed garlic, hot sauce, and Creole seasoning.
- Pour some of the buttermilk over the marinated chicken, transfer the chicken to a gallon-sized zipper-lock freezer bag, and refrigerate 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. Then dredge it in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess flour. You could use a Ziploc bag for this process, too.
- Double dip the chicken in the remaining buttermilk (add fresh buttermilk as needed), followed by the flour mixture – shake off any excess flour. Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes while preparing the oil. That will help the coating to stay on better.
Frying the Chicken
- 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 a tong. Work in batches, and don't overcrowd the skillet.
- Fry the chicken until golden brown, turning once every 10-15 minutes – depending on the size 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 to a wire rack.
- Repeat with remaining chicken pieces. Let them cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Tips & Notes:
- After you coat the chicken with the flour mixture and dip your chicken in buttermilk, let it rest first before frying it. That will allow your chicken to form a crust and warm to room temperature, which will help it cook evenly.
- When frying, ensure 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.
- Don’t ever use extra virgin olive oil on fried chicken because it’ll result in bitter-tasting meat. Go for a neutral-tasting oil like canola, vegetable, or, preferably, peanut oil.
- Don’t overcrowd your pan with chicken because it will lower the oil’s temperature and slow the cooking time (soggy chicken isn’t good). Do it in small batches instead.
- A cast-iron pan is a must for a perfectly cooked fried chicken because it holds the temperature better and heats evenly, resulting in perfectly cooked chicken.
- Rather than deep frying or submerging your chicken entirely into the pan or deep fryer, only ¾ of the chicken should be covered in hot oil. The weight of the chicken will cause it to sit just almost 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’ll start to steam. Then your chicken might get soggy and stick to the paper towel. Instead, drain your chicken using a wire rack over a baking sheet, and they’ll cool crispy and dry all at once easily.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Bree says
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
Chef Michael says
Fried chicken is better served cold rather than reheated. If you have a convection oven the airflow may reduce sogginess. Good luck
Caroline says
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
Lisa says
You could easily add lemon juice or white vinegar to full fat milk and it will thicken into buttermilk in 30 minutes.
S Gorgosz says
Try any Polish shop for buttermilk, popular there
Kat says
Any ASDA has buttermilk. You will find it next to the cream.
Chef Michael says
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.
Ankita das says
Tried it out… soo delicious recipe
Geetanjali Singh says
Thanks a lot…your instructions helped me in making perfect fried chicken.
Monica from Bestconsumerreports.guide says
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.
Simone says
I do not do milk and is looking for a substitute for the buttermilk….any suggestions
Erik says
Pickle brine! I usually make a small batch and combine it with whatever liquid is leftover from the jar of pickles in my refrigerator. The vinegars and salt denature the proteins pretty efficiently so ideal brining time would be 3-5 hours otherwise it may be broken down too much (. I first tried it this way after learning Chik-Fil-A uses the same process haha, it is pretty good in my opinion. Hope that helped!
Samantha says
Hello, I found your site this morning, and was wondering about the pickle brine method. You brine the chicken in pickle juice 3-5 hours, and when brine is done, do you double dip back into the pickle brine? Please explain, thank you. My daughter has a milk allergy, so this sounds like a great twist.
Pawel Kierkowicz says
Does she have allergy for cheese too?If she’s allergic only to raw or pasteurised milk she won’t b allergic to buttermilk which is used only to marinate the meet and for creating the crust and then subsequently fried.Frying in this temperature breaks down all possible enzymes that make her allergic.
DB Greene says
Greek yoghurt would work wonderfully
Mike says
Thank you for such a great recipe. Fried chicken has been one of my favorites since I was little but I have never been brave enough to try to make it myself. Tried it last night, toned down the spice for the kids, and everyone loved it. First time I’ve ever seen them lick their fingers. The skin was darker than my wife prefers so I’ll try with a lower temp next time. Thank you so much for helping me realize a life long dream of making amazing fried chicken.
Pam says
Hello, I’m going to try your recipe this weekend. It looks good. I have one question. Could I just get the legs and thighs chicken pack or does it have to be a whole chicken?
imma africanbites says
Yes, you can get the packaged meat parts. That’d be fine.
Darren Stevens says
OK, yes, this is probably the best fried chicken recipe you will find. The taste is incomparable and the texture of the meat is moist, flavorful and utterly addictive. There is only one issue with the recipe as written: The oil should be at 375° when the chicken pieces are immersed in the hot oil, however once the oil cools to around 325° it needs to be kept there so that the coating won’t darken while the meat cooks. I use an electronically-controlled deep fat fryer that I kept at the higher temp so my first batch was dark. While I didn’t care for coating of the darker batch, subsequent batches were perfect. This is my go-to recipe for chicken and I will love having it 2-3x/year with a toast to you, ImmactulateBites…cheers madam, and thank you for sharing this.
imma africanbites says
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Darren. Glad you love this recipe. It’s one of my fave, too. Happy weekend! 🙂
Lewi says
The real question is, do you have a husband?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes, I do Lewi. Happy New year!!!
Kathryn says
Hi,
I made this tonight for our evening meal. It was absolutely delicious. Thank you. We’ll definitely be having it again.
Samara says
Delicious! The fried chicken turned out perfectly crispy and very tasty. Thank You for sharing this.
imma africanbites says
You’re welcome, Samara. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
andrya says
Oh my gosh, just amazing recipe, Im from Italy and some ingredients are difficult to find, but the result was really awasome. Thank YOU very much
imma africanbites says
Amazing! Thank you for trying it out and going all in. I appreciate it. =)
Ann says
Made this for dinner. Oh my. So darn delicious. This is best fried chicken recipe.
imma africanbites says
Virtual high five, Ann!! Glad you like it.
MATKA says
I tried it it’s very good tasty and amazing
Thanks
imma africanbites says
Thank you,Matka!