My fried chicken is the ultimate comfort food that is fried with a crispy texture and juicy center. Simple steps and ingredients makes this the best recipe!
Fried chicken is a staple Sunday night meal at my home. This recipe is bursting with flavor and is a family favorite. All you need is buttermilk and simple spices to create a simple fried chicken recipe that your entire family will love.
If you have made Fried Chicken Breasts, Air Fryer Southern Fried Chicken Recipe, Oven Fried Chicken, Chicken Cutlets and Texas Roadhouse Country Fried Chicken Recipe then you are going to love this easy to make recipe. You may even like this Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich.
What's in this post: Fried Chicken
Why We Love This Recipe
Bone-in chicken thighs, wings, and legs make the best recipe. The chicken cooks golden brown in hot oil for a meal that will bring everyone to the table.
Serve it with your favorite side dishes, hot sauce, Chick-Fil-A sauce recipe, Raising Cane’s sauce recipe, and sauces for chicken. We love the way the chicken cooks with a crispy coating while still being juicy on the inside.
Ingredients
- Bone-In Chicken – My kids love when I fry drumsticks and wings
- Buttermilk – This helps to make the flour mixture stick to the chicken
- Vegetable Oil – Peanut oil or canola oil can easily be used instead of vegetable oil for frying this chicken.
- Flaked Salt – Feel free to use regular salt or kosher salt
- All Purpose Flour – This helps to create a crispy crust
- Cornstarch – The combination of the flour and cornstarch helps with the crispy texture
- Paprika – If you are out, see Best Paprika Substitute
- Garlic Powder – See The Best Garlic Powder Substitute if you are out
- Onion Powder – If you are out, see Best Onion Powder Substitutes
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.
Variations Ideas
Fried Chicken can be seasoned with a variety of spices. Add ½ teaspoon or more to taste. These are some of our suggestions.
- Cayenne Pepper
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Italian Seasoning
- Ginger
How to Make Fried Chicken
Follow along with my instructions below to see how to make fried chicken in your own kitchen.
Step 1 – Place the chicken in a large bowl to brine. Pour the buttermilk on top. Cover it with plastic wrap and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (but you can allow it to marinade overnight if you prefer).
Step 2 – In a large shallow bowl or baking sheet blend together the batter ingredients until well combined.
Step 3 – While the chicken is preheating, remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk mixture and allow the excess buttermilk to drip off from the chicken. Coat the chicken in the flour mixture and make sure that the chicken is well coated with the mixture. Shake off any excessive mixture.
Step 4 – Carefully place the coated chicken in the oil in the dutch oven. Add 3-4 pieces of chicken at a time in the oil based on the size of your pan. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. You may need to cook in batches.
- Step 5 – Deep fry for 12-15 minutes, flipping every 2-3 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken.
- Step 6 – Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the oil and place a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up the excess oil or a wire rack. Top immediately with the flaked salt.
- Step 7 – Continue this process until all the chicken is fried and then it’s ready to serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Type of Chicken – You can easily use pre-cut bone-in chicken or you can get a whole chicken and cut it into pieces as well.
- Oil Temperature – If you are frying in a stock pot make sure to monitor the oil temperature closely with a thermometers. If the oil gets too hot it could cause the chicken breading to get too brown without the chicken cooking all the way through. Oil that is not hot enough will cook the chicken and allow the batter to fall off the chicken.
- Cooking Chicken – The frying time listed in this recipe is based on dark meat and generally white meat takes less time (8-10 minutes). Watch white meat closely while it’s frying so that it does not get dried out.
- Marinating Chicken – Let the chicken sit for a few minutes with the coating on until it starts to look pasty.
Can I Substitute the Buttermilk?
We recommend using the buttermilk for the best flavor and crispy texture. We have also used whole milk but the buttermilk is the most ideal choice when making fried chicken.
Servings Suggestions
Fried chicken is great with many different side dish recipes. These are some of our favorites.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a number of techniques to make the best fried chicken. Make sure you start with a combination of spices and a buttermilk mixture to dredge the chicken in for the crispy texture. It is also important to keep the oil the right temperature while frying the chicken.
We dip our chicken into the buttermilk mixture first then place in a baking dish to marinate in the flour and seasoning mixture. But if you dip into the flour mixture first your chicken will still result in a crispy texture.
There are many pan options to fry chicken in. You can fry in a cast iron skillet, deep fryer or a large stock pot to ensure that the chicken is coated in the oil.
Storage and Reheating Tips
- Storing – Store the any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator after the fried chicken has cooled to room temperature. For the leftovers, see Leftover Fried Chicken Recipes or make Chicken and Waffles.
- Freezer – After the chicken has cooled to room temperature, place in a freezer safe container or a freezer zip lock bag. The fried chicken will stay fresh for up to 3-4 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to serve.
- Reheating – To achieve the the crispy texture when reheating, we recommend to reheat in the oven in a baking dish at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. You can also reheat in the air fryer at 370 degrees for about 3-4 minutes.
More Easy Fried Recipes
We love to hear from you. If you make this recipe, please leave us a comment or a star review.
Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 pieces Bone-In Chicken
- 2 cups Buttermilk
- Vegetable Oil for frying
- Flaked Salt for Serving
For the Batter:
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
- 2 teaspoons Paprika
- 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 2 teaspoons Onion Powder
- 2 teaspoons Black Pepper
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Place 8 pieces bone-in chicken in a large bowl.
- Pour 2 cups buttermilk over the chicken, making sure all the pieces are coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- In a large shallow bowl or baking dish, whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup cornstarch, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 2 teaspoons paprika, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, and 2 teaspoons black pepper until well combined.
- Fill a deep fryer or large stock pot with enough vegetable oil to come approximately 3 inches up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil to 300–325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk and allow the excess buttermilk to drip off.
- Coat each chicken piece thoroughly in the flour mixture.
- Let the coated chicken rest for a few minutes until the coating becomes slightly pasty.
- Carefully place 3–4 pieces of chicken into the hot oil at a time, making sure not to overcrowd the pan.
- Fry the chicken for 12–15 minutes, turning every 2–3 minutes, until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the cooked chicken from the oil and place it on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- Immediately sprinkle the chicken with flaked salt.
- Repeat the frying process with the remaining chicken pieces, then serve and enjoy!
Enjoyed this recipe
We love this Fried Chicken recipe! Easy to make and make sides even easier with some bob evans mashed potatoes and green beans.
Such a fun yummy recipe!!
I make this atleast once a month. Kids love it
Loved this recipe!
I loved this recipe!
Delicious and I was surprised how easy it was to make!
I was wondering if I can do this with chicken tenders. I noticed in the instructions on number four it says chicken is heating. I know you meant oil is heating. I will be anxious to hear from you
This fried chicken turned out so crispy with amazing flavor!