Description
This Southern Buttermilk Fried Chicken recipe delivers crispy, flavorful, and juicy chicken pieces soaked in a spiced buttermilk mixture, dredged in a seasoned flour blend, and perfectly deep-fried for a classic Southern comfort dish. Marinated overnight to maximize tenderness and spice infusion, it's ideal for a satisfying main course that serves 4-6 people.
Ingredients
Scale
Buttermilk Soak
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs, legs, and/or whole wings)
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons Creole Cajun seasoning
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard (French’s recommended)
Seasoned Flour Dredge & Frying
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Creole Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- Peanut oil, for deep frying (corn or canola oil as substitute)
Instructions
- Prep & soak the chicken: Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Place them in a large resealable bag or container. Add buttermilk, Creole Cajun seasoning, egg, egg yolk, and yellow mustard. Toss well using hands or gloves until chicken is fully coated. Seal the bag or cover container, then refrigerate to marinate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- Take out the chicken: Remove chicken from refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature while preparing the flour dredge and heating oil, allowing it to lose some chill.
- Prep the flour dredge: In a large shallow dish, whisk together self-rising flour, cornstarch, Creole Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon pepper seasoning until evenly combined.
- Heat the oil: In a heavy-bottomed dutch oven or cast-iron pot, pour enough peanut oil to allow chicken to float. Heat over medium heat to 330-335°F, using a deep-fry thermometer for precision. Prepare a baking sheet with a wire rack for draining fried chicken.
- Dredge the chicken & rest: Remove one piece of chicken from the marinade, shake off excess liquid, then coat thoroughly with seasoned flour mixture, filling crevices. Shake off excess flour and place coated chicken on the baking sheet, side by side without touching. Repeat for all pieces.
- Fry the chicken: Once oil is at temperature, fry chicken in batches of four pieces to avoid overcrowding. Fry until golden brown and internal temperature reaches at least 165°F, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer fried chicken to prepared wire rack to drain. Maintain oil temperature between batches. Allow fried chicken to rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Marinate chicken overnight for best flavor and tenderness.
- Use a deep-fry thermometer to maintain consistent oil temperature for crispiness.
- Do not overcrowd the pot; fry in batches to avoid lowering oil temperature.
- Peanut oil is preferred for its high smoke point, but corn or canola oil are good substitutes.
- Resting the fried chicken on a wire rack prevents sogginess by allowing excess oil to drain.
- For extra crispiness, double dredge by dipping chicken back into buttermilk and flour again before frying (optional).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken piece
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
