Cast Iron Skillet Buttermilk Light Fried Chicken
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
8 hrs
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Cook Time
35 mins
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Total Time
8 hrs 35 mins
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Servings
4 servings
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Calories
413 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Cast Iron Skillet Buttermilk Light Fried Chicken
Description
The chicken is first soaked in buttermilk and Tabasco sauce for at least four hours, which helps tenderize the meat and infuse subtle heat. A coating made from a blend of all-purpose flour and finely ground saltine crackers is used to create a textured crust when fried.
Cooking begins with searing in a butter-melted skillet to develop a golden crust on the meat side. The bone side is sprayed lightly with canola oil to aid crisping in the oven. Baking at 425°F completes cooking evenly while crisping the less-exposed bone side. The end result is reduced-fat yet flavorful fried chicken with moist meat inside and a crunchy crust outside.
The use of a cast iron skillet helps retain and distribute heat through the cooking process. This method offers a less oily alternative to traditional deep frying while preserving desirable texture and flavor.
Pre-soaking the chicken and pressing it firmly into the coating mixture ensures good crust adhesion. Cooking times differ slightly for bone-in chicken halves but generally range from 30 to 35 minutes of baking after browning.
Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk low-fat
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- 4 chicken breast skinned, bone-in, halves
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup saltine crackers I have tried unsalted ones, trust me, use regular, ground
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 4 tablespoons butter
- canola oil spray
Instructions
- Add the buttermilk and tabasco sauce in a bowl or ziploc bag with the chicken and marinate for at least 4 hours (I marinate overnight but even if you toss it together before heading out to work it will be PERFECT when you get home at night).
- Preheat oven to 425º F.
- Combine flour and saltine crumbs in a shallow dish.
- Take chicken out of buttermilk mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper (mostly on the top side since there isn't much in the way of meat on the bone-y side.
- Dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess; set aside.
- Really press the top of the chicken into the mixture to get a nice crust on top.
- Melt butter in a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add chicken to pan, meat side down and cook 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Spray the bone-y side quickly with canola oil spray so that it can crisp up in the oven too once we turn it over.
- Turn chicken over, and bake at 425° for 30-35 minutes or until cooked through.
- You don't cook the bone-y side of the chicken on your stovetop, so don't worry about the butter all being gone by the time the top is cooked.
Notes
- Marinate chicken in buttermilk and Tabasco for at least 4 hours or overnight for best tenderness and flavor.
- Use regular salted saltine crackers ground finely for the coating to enhance crust flavor.
- Press chicken into flour and cracker mixture firmly to create a thick crust.
- Spray the bone side with canola oil before baking to crisp that side evenly.
- Finish cooking in a preheated 425°F oven for 30-35 minutes to ensure juiciness and crispness.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 413 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 413kcal | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 19g | 6% |
| Protein | 43g | 86% |
| Fat | 17g | 26% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Cholesterol | 148mg | 49% |
| Sodium | 895mg | 37% |
| Potassium | 786mg | 17% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 432IU | 9% |
| Vitamin C | 4mg | 4% |
| Calcium | 82mg | 8% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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