Southern Fried Chicken is a true Southern classic with its delightfully golden and perfectly crispy crust and tender, juicy meat. Marinated in buttermilk and cooked to perfection, the first bite is nothing less than a flavor explosion in your mouth.
I grew up eating fried chicken at least once a week. And, I have to say to this day, it remains my favorite food! That is not to say I make it all the time. The truth is, as delicious as it is, it takes time, it’s messy, and it’s full of calories. But, every once in a while; I’ll pull out my trusty cast iron pan and fry up a batch. It never disappoints, and it is so worth it!
Like many other Southern dishes, there are probably as many recipes for fried chicken as there are cooks. My Mom just dumped some flour and seasoning in a brown bag, dropped the chicken in for a quick shake, and then fried it. A simple recipe but I can assure you it was delicious. Many cooks now, in addition to brining their chicken, also soak it in buttermilk. And then the chicken is double dipped in flour, which makes a thick almost impenetrable crust.
To double dip or not?
My recipe is somewhere in the middle, with a buttermilk chicken marinade which tenderizes and adds flavor to the meat, but no additional brining and no double dipping. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but to me, double dipping produces too much crust, which I think takes away from the chicken itself. Of course, if you prefer double dipped chicken, by all means, go for it!
If you have ever tried to fry chicken, you probably already know too well there are lots of things that can go wrong. But by following my foolproof method, you can make fried chicken that rivals the best Southern chefs!
What goes with Southern Fried Chicken?
My favorite sides to serve with fried chicken are mashed potatoes, white acre peas, and sliced fresh tomatoes. Of course, it would also be delicious with mac and cheese, twice baked potatoes, sweet creamed corn, corn salad or a cucumber and tomato salad. Fried chicken is tasty, whether it’s hot or cold. This makes it perfect for taking to the beach or a picnic. If you are serving it cold, you can’t go wrong with potato salad or broccoli salad.
How to make the Best Southern Fried Chicken
Combine the buttermilk, garlic, and hot sauce in a large bowl.
Add the chicken, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of four hours or up to 24 hours. The longer, the better.
About an hour before you are ready to fry the chicken, remove it from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Doing this will allow it to cook more evenly.
Add the flour, salt, and pepper to a large gallon size plastic storage bag.
Pull the pieces of chicken out of the buttermilk one at a time and allow any excess to drip off. Discard the buttermilk.
Place the chicken in the bag, one at a time with the flour mixture and shake so that the chicken is evenly coated.
Shake off any excess flour and place on a wire rack. Once all of the chicken has been coated with flour, allow it to sit on the rack for about 30 minutes to firm up the coating.
When ready to fry the chicken, pour the oil in a deep cast iron Dutch oven or cast iron skillet. You may need a little less or more oil depending on the size of your pan. The oil should be approximately 1 to 1-1/2 inches deep.
Be sure to monitor your oil temperature!
Place the pan over medium-high heat and heat the oil to 350 degrees F.
Carefully add a few pieces of chicken and be sure not to crowd the chicken. I usually cook three pieces at a time.
The oil temperature will come down once the chicken has been added. It is crucial to continually monitor it and I have found; 315 degrees F. is the perfect oil temperature for frying chicken. You will probably need to adjust the heat under the pan to keep it at 315 degrees. If the oil gets too hot, the crust will burn before the meat is done, and if it is too low, the chicken will be greasy.
Fry the chicken for a total of 10-20 minutes. Dark meat and larger pieces of chicken will take more time to cook. White meat and smaller pieces of chicken will take less time to cook. Try to cook the same size pieces at the same time.
Both white and dark meat are done when the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Use an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the meat not touching the bone to determine the temperature.
When the chicken is done, place it on a wire rack over some paper towels to allow it to cool slightly before serving. Do not put it directly on the paper towels or your crust will get soggy.
Repeat the steps above to fry the rest of the chicken.
Sharon’s Expert Tips:
- The temperature of the oil can make the difference between golden brown fried chicken and underdone chicken or chicken with a burned crust. It is imperative that you use a candy or deep-frying thermometer to monitor your oil temperature.
- Your chicken will cook more uniformly if you remove it from the refrigerator about an hour before you fry it.
- I prefer to fry chicken thighs. One because dark meat is much more forgiving and more flavorful, and two, because the same size chicken pieces will cook in approximately the same amount of time. If you prefer white meat and the breasts are large, I would cut them up into two or three pieces. For assorted chicken pieces, keep in mind they will each take a different amount of time to cook.
- If the crust on your chicken browns too quickly, before the meat is done, remove it from the oil. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and place the underdone chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Cook the chicken for 5-10 minutes or until it reaches the correct internal temperature.
- A regular cast-iron skillet is perfect for frying chicken. But a deep cast iron Dutch oven helps to minimize the chances of grease splatter.
- To reheat the fried chicken, place it on a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet in a 400-degree oven. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Start checking it at 10 minutes.
- In this recipe, I only used six chicken thighs because they were large and it’s just my husband and me. However, if you are feeding a crowd there is more than enough buttermilk marinade, flour mixture, and oil to cook up to a dozen or so pieces.
The Best Southern Fried Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 quart buttermilk
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1/3 cup hot sauce I use Frank's Red Hot Cayenne Pepper Sauce; you can also use Tabasco Sauce
- 6 chicken thighs with skin and bones, or six assorted chicken pieces.
- 1 quart peanut oil
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the buttermilk, garlic, and hot sauce in a large bowl.
- Add the chicken, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of four hours or up to 24 hours. The longer, the better.
- About an hour before you are ready to fry the chicken, remove it from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Doing this will allow it to cook more evenly.
- Add the flour, salt, and pepper to a large gallon size plastic storage bag.
- Pull the pieces of chicken out of the buttermilk one at a time and allow any excess to drip off. Discard the buttermilk.
- Place the chicken in the bag, one at a time with the flour mixture and shake so that the chicken is evenly coated. Shake off any excess flour and place on a wire rack. Once all of the chicken has been coated with flour, allow it to sit on the rack for about 30 minutes to firm up the coating.
- When ready to fry the chicken, pour the oil in a deep cast iron Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet. You may need a little less or more oil depending on the size of your pan. The oil should be approximately 1 to 1-1/2 inches deep.
- Place the pan over medium-high heat and heat the oil to 350 degrees F.
- Carefully add a few pieces of chicken and be sure not to crowd the chicken. I usually cook three pieces at a time.
- The oil temperature will come down once the chicken has been added. It is crucial to continually monitor it and I have found; 315 degrees F. is the perfect oil temperature for frying chicken. You will probably need to adjust the heat under the pan to keep it at 315 degrees. If the oil gets too hot, the crust will burn before the meat is done, and if it is too low, the chicken will be greasy.
- Fry the chicken for a total of 10-20 minutes. Dark meat and larger pieces of chicken will take more time to cook. White meat and smaller pieces of chicken will take less time to cook. Try to cook the same size pieces at the same time.
- Both white and dark meat are done when the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Use an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the meat not touching the bone to determine the temperature.
- When the chicken is done, place it on a wire rack over some paper towels to allow it to cool slightly before serving. Do not put it directly on the paper towels or your crust will get soggy.
- Repeat the steps above to fry the rest of the chicken.
Notes
- The temperature of the oil can make the difference between golden brown fried chicken and underdone chicken or chicken with a burned crust. It is imperative that you use a candy or deep-frying thermometer to monitor the oil temperature.
- Your chicken will cook more uniformly if you remove it from the refrigerator about an hour before you fry it to allow it to come to room temperature.
- I prefer to fry chicken thighs. One because dark meat is much more forgiving and more flavorful, and two, because the same size chicken pieces will cook in approximately the same amount of time.
- If you prefer white meat and the breasts are large, I would cut them up into two or three pieces. For assorted chicken pieces, keep in mind they will each take a different amount of time to cook.
- If the crust on your chicken browns too quickly, before the meat is done, remove it from the oil. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and place the underdone chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Cook the chicken for 5-10 minutes or until it reaches the correct internal temperature.
- While a regular cast-iron skillet is perfect for frying chicken, a deep cast iron Dutch oven helps to minimize the chances of grease splatter.
- To reheat the fried chicken, place it on a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet in a 400-degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Start checking it at 10 minutes.
- In this recipe, I only used six chicken thighs because they were large and it's just my husband and me. However, if you are feeding a crowd there is more than enough buttermilk marinade, flour mixture, and oil to cook up to a dozen or so pieces.
This sounds very good, but is the recipe correct that you only use six chicken thighs? A quart of buttermilk and a quart of floured sounds like way too much for that small amount of chicken. The recipe says it serves six…..that would barely feed the two guys in my family!
Hi Vicki,
Yes, I only used 6 thighs in this recipe, because it’s just my husband and me, and the thighs I had were really large. However, there is more than enough of the flour mixture and oil to cook at least 12 or more pieces, maybe more depending on the size of the pieces. Thanks so much for leaving me this comment, I thought of adding a note about it last night, but totally forgot to include it.
All my best,
Sharon
I never fry chicken anymore but after reading your blog post I am now craving some.
YUM! Gotta make this! I grew up on fried chicken too (I’m from NC), and this looks so delish! I’ve not actually successfully made it for myself though (yet), but your tips and tricks have me inspired to try it real soon! Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks so much for leaving a comment Sally I hope you will try it soon and please do let me know how you like it!
All my best,
Sharon
I, too, grew up eating fried chicken … at least once a week around my house. It is such a comfort food! I love all your tips for this recipe, especially the one where you let the battered chicken rest before frying. I have never heard that before. So interesting. Your photos make this chicken look so tempting. I will have to try fried chicken again soon and will definitely use your tips. Thanks so much Sharon for sharing!