Fried Chicken Recipe

A tray of crispy Fried Chicken pieces garnished with parsley, surrounded by bowls of green beans, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob on a white surface.

5 from 8 votes

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 Fried Chicken!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Marinate (2 hrs - overnight)2

Total Time2 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Carrie Barnard

Cost: $12.51 Recipe, $3.13 per Serving

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

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!

Video

Notes

You can easily use pre-cut bone-in chicken or you can get a whole chicken and cut it into pieces as well.

Peanut oil or canola oil can easily be used instead of vegetable oil for frying this chicken.

If you are frying in a stock pot make sure to monitor the oil temperature closely as oil that is too hot will cause the chicken breading to get too brown without the chicken cooking all the way through and oil that is not hot enough will cook the chicken and allow the batter to fall off the 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.

Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Nutrition