Southern Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Bone-in chicken brined overnight in buttermilk, dredged heavy, and shallow-fried in a cast-iron skillet until the crust cracks like glass.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min (plus overnight brine)
- Cook
- 35 min
- Written
Method
-
Whisk the buttermilk, hot sauce, and half the salt together, submerge the chicken pieces, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
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Whisk the flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, pepper, baking powder, and the remaining salt in a wide dish.
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Lift each piece from the buttermilk, letting the excess drip off, then press it firmly and repeatedly into the flour until heavily coated and craggy on every side.
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Set the floured chicken on a rack and let it sit 10 minutes so the crust sets and won’t slide off in the oil.
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Pour oil into a heavy pot or cast-iron skillet to a depth of 1½ inches and heat to 325°F.
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Fry the chicken skin-side down in batches, adjusting the heat to hold between 300°F and 325°F, until deep mahogany brown, 12 to 15 minutes, then flip and fry until a thermometer reads 165°F near the bone, another 12 to 15 minutes.
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Drain on a wire rack, not paper towels, and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
The overnight buttermilk soak is doing two jobs at once: tenderizing the meat and giving the flour something to grip. Press the chicken into the flour rather than just turning it over — those raised, craggy edges are what actually go shatter-crisp, and a smooth dredge fries up smooth and soft. Bone-in pieces need a real thermometer check near the bone, since the surface will look done well before the meat is.
Keep the oil temperature honest — it drops the moment cold chicken goes in, and if it doesn’t climb back toward 300°F within a minute or two, the crust will drink oil instead of crisping. A splatter screen and a spare pair of tongs make this a one-person job.