Chicken & Poultry

Serving

Southern Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Name: Southern Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Chicken & Poultry
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (about 4 lbs), cut into 8 pieces; 2 cups buttermilk; 1 tablespoon hot sauce; 2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided; 2.5 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon paprika; 2 teaspoons garlic powder; 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 6 cups peanut or vegetable oil, for frying

Juicy buttermilk-brined chicken in a shatteringly crisp, well-seasoned crust that's the gold standard of comfort food.

90 minutes

Serves 6

Dinner

31 min prep

50 min cook

Contains common allergens

Dairy Peanut Wheat

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Good to know

Crispy

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes

Instructions

6 steps

1
Whisk the buttermilk, hot sauce, and 1 tablespoon of the salt in a large bowl, add the chicken, and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
2
In a wide dish, combine the flour, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, black pepper, and remaining salt.
3
Working one piece at a time, lift the chicken from the buttermilk letting excess drip off, then dredge thoroughly in the seasoned flour, pressing to build a craggy coating. Rest the coated pieces on a rack for 15 minutes so the crust sets.
4
Heat the oil in a heavy Dutch oven to 350F. Fry the chicken in batches without crowding, maintaining 300 to 325F, for 12 to 16 minutes, turning occasionally.
5
The chicken is done when deeply golden brown and the thickest part registers 165F for breasts and 175F for thighs and drumsticks.
6
Drain on a clean wire rack (not paper towels, which steam the crust) and season with a pinch of salt while hot. Rest 5 minutes before serving.

Southern Buttermilk Fried Chicken — plated and served — Serving moment. How Southern Buttermilk Fried Chicken looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

59/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 70

Kid-friendly 27

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 72

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 61

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

420

Calories

8 g

Protein

45 g

Carbs

23 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Southern fried chicken grew out of West African frying traditions and Scottish techniques colliding in the American South, with enslaved and later free Black cooks shaping the dish that became a regional cornerstone. The buttermilk soak is the defining touch, tenderizing the meat with its mild acidity while helping the seasoned flour grab on for a craggy, shattering crust. Done right, it is juicy inside with a deeply browned, well-seasoned coating that holds its crunch.

Listahan note

This version brines the chicken in seasoned buttermilk so the meat stays juicy and the crust has something to cling to. It treats oil temperature as the make-or-break variable, because too cool gives you greasy chicken and too hot burns the crust before the inside cooks.

Technique cues

Soak the chicken in seasoned buttermilk for at least a few hours so the acidity tenderizes the meat and seasons it from the surface in.
Let the dredged pieces rest on a rack for ten minutes before frying so the coating hydrates and sets, which keeps it from sliding off in the oil.
Fry in oil held around 325 to 350F and adjust the heat as pieces go in, since cold chicken drops the temperature and stalls the crust.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Set up the buttermilk bowl and the seasoned flour bowl side by side so dredging is a clean two-hand assembly line.
Make-ahead: Start the buttermilk soak the night before; an overnight brine deepens flavor and tenderness.
Leftover move: Cold fried chicken is a classic next-day lunch, or pull the meat for a chicken biscuit sandwich.
Cleanup rhythm: Let the frying oil cool fully, strain it back into a jar to reuse once, and wipe the pot while still slightly warm.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

bone-in chicken pieces

the main protein

Purpose: Bone-in pieces stay juicier through the long fry and deliver the classic mix of white and dark meat.

Handling: Pat dry, then submerge in the buttermilk brine.

Adaptation: Boneless thighs cook faster and more evenly for an easier weeknight version.

buttermilk

tenderizing brine

Purpose: Its mild acidity loosens the proteins for tender meat and its body helps the flour adhere.

Handling: Season it with salt and spices before adding the chicken to soak.

Adaptation: Regular milk soured with a spoon of lemon juice or vinegar stands in well.

all-purpose flour

crust

Purpose: Seasoned flour forms the craggy, crunchy coating that defines fried chicken.

Handling: Whisk in salt, pepper, and paprika, and drizzle in a little buttermilk to create craggy bits.

Adaptation: A cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend fries up nearly as crisp.

paprika

color and warmth

Purpose: Paprika deepens the crust color and adds a gentle sweet-savory note without sharp heat.

Handling: Blend it through the seasoned flour for even coverage.

Adaptation: Smoked paprika adds a barbecue-like depth, or cayenne for real heat.

neutral frying oil

cooking medium

Purpose: A high-smoke-point oil lets you hold the right temperature without burning or off-flavors.

Handling: Heat to about 350F and monitor with a thermometer throughout.

Adaptation: Peanut oil is traditional and very stable; canola or vegetable oil work just as well.

Technique notes

Fry in small batches so the oil temperature does not crash; crowding the pot is the top cause of greasy, pale chicken.
Rest the fried pieces on a wire rack, not paper towels, so steam escapes and the bottom stays crisp.
Pull each piece when an instant-read thermometer hits 165F at the bone rather than guessing by color alone.

Ingredient swaps

Gluten-free direction: Dredge in a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend or seasoned rice flour for a crust that still shatters.
Dairy-free option: Brine in unsweetened plant milk soured with lemon juice in place of buttermilk.
Weeknight shortcut: Use boneless thighs and a shorter thirty-minute soak so the whole thing fits a busy evening.

Serve alongside

Creamy coleslaw
Buttermilk mashed potatoes with gravy
Collard greens
Honey cornbread
Sweet iced tea
Cold lemonade
Crisp lager

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate up to four days; re-crisp in a 375F oven on a rack for fifteen minutes rather than microwaving, which softens the crust.
Freeze cooked, cooled chicken up to two months and reheat from frozen in a hot oven until the center reaches 165F.

Equipment

Heavy Dutch oven or deep skillet
Clip-on frying thermometer
Wire cooling rack
Spider or slotted spoon

Make this household-aware

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