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Crispy Fried Chicken Recipe

The absolute best crispy fried chicken recipe with buttermilk brine is juicy on the inside and golden brown on the outside!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Additional Time
9 hrs
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 466 kcal
Course: Lunch , Dinner
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 large chicken (4 pounds), cut into pieces (or 3-4 lbs. of your favorite bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces)
  • 3 cups buttermilk
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
  • 2 cups peanut oil, vegetable oil, or vegetable shortening
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place chicken in a bowl with the buttermilk. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
  2. Place the flour, salt and cayenne in a large brown paper bag and gently shake to combine (if you don’t have a paper bag, you can use a large, sturdy plastic bag).
  3. Remove chicken from the buttermilk. Add one piece of the damp chicken to the paper bag. Hold the bag closed and shake it so that the chicken is thoroughly coated.
  4. Transfer the chicken to a wire rack; repeat with remaining pieces of chicken. Allow the chicken to dry for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
  5. Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven with the butter over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot (but not smoking), and a drop of water sprinkled into the pan sizzles, add the chicken, making sure you do not crowd the pan. Cover and cook until the chicken begins to turn brown, about 8-10 minutes (reduce the heat slightly, if necessary). Turn the pieces over, cover again, and cook for about 10 more minutes. Drain on a rack. Season warm chicken with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Repeat the process to cook the remaining chicken in batches. Serve warm, at room temperature, or even cold!

Notes

  • The nutrition information provided is merely an estimate, and does NOT include any butter, oil or buttermilk absorbed by the meat in the soaking and frying process.
  • If you have leftover buttermilk to enjoy after making this chicken, use it up in one of these other recipes with buttermilk (like chocolate cake, pancakes, mashed potatoes, or cucumber salad).

Nutrition Information

Serving 1/4 of the chicken Calories 466kcal (23%) Carbohydrates 12g (4%) Protein 37g (74%) Fat 29g (45%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Cholesterol 143mg (48%) Sodium 134mg (6%) Potassium 377mg (11%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 267IU (5%) Vitamin C 3mg (3%) Calcium 21mg (2%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 466

% Daily Value*

Serving 1/4 of the chicken
Calories 466kcal 23%
Carbohydrates 12g 4%
Protein 37g 74%
Fat 29g 45%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 143mg 48%
Sodium 134mg 6%
Potassium 377mg 8%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 267IU 5%
Vitamin C 3mg 3%
Calcium 21mg 2%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.