Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe

This Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe gets a special boost from a special ingredient that sets it apart from all other fried chicken recipes. An insanely flavorfully buttermilk brined Fried Chicken that’s fried to golden brown perfection and then finished with a spiced honey glaze. 

Fried chicken is considered a delicacy filled with love in my family!  Growing up, I watched both my big mama and mama fry hundreds of chickens, and they do a darn good job if you ask me.

Old school methods consisted of just salt and pepper for seasoning, all-purpose flour for coating, lard for frying, and paper towels for draining.  

You would never know it by the flavor that these simple techniques and ingredients were truly the humblest and simplest.  Over the years, I have grabbed some of their techniques and picked up new ones.  

My methods have truly evolved to be quite honest but the taste remains the same, utterly addictive.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Unique and original recipe. What sets this recipe apart and makes it the BEST fried chicken recipe with buttermilk is the combination of spices and flavor-enhancing ingredients.

• You’ll learn all my secret tips. There are definitely some things I’ve discovered through the years when making fried chicken and I’m sharing them all with you.

• Makes a satisfying and comforting southern fried chicken dinner that’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

Let’s look at the ingredients that truly make this fried chicken recipe stand out above the rest. There may be a few surprises here but they’re all actually quite easy to find in most grocery stores.

• Smoked Paprika: The smoked paprika in this recipe is a key ingredient.  Choose, a Spanish smoked paprika, called Hot Pimenton, to make this chicken recipe.   It’s a crucial ingredient in Spanish recipes and is made from peppers dried very slowly over a wood-burning fire for several weeks to produce its signature hot smoky flavor.  Its unique flavor and spice really make a huge difference in the flavor of fried chicken.
• Garlic Cloves: Garlic is always a lovely flavor in buttermilk soaks.  It really lends a wonderful essence of scent and taste.
• Buttermilk: The slight acidity of buttermilk makes juicy, tender chicken.
• Cornstarch: I love using cornstarch whenever I fry chicken.  It adds a wonderful addition of crispy crunchy deliciousness whenever it is paired with the flour mixture.
• Optional glaze: Made with honey, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper, it’s a lovely addition to your fried chicken. It is of course optional but try it and see how delicious it is!!  You might just love it!

How to Make Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Let’s get cooking up this southern favorite. Check the recipe card for all the details.

1. Whisk together the honey, cayenne, spicy smoked paprika, and salt in a small bowl. Cover the bowl and set it aside at room temperature for up to one day. This will get drizzled on the fried chicken once it’s done… hoorah!

2. In another bowl whisk together the buttermilk, garlic, the remaining pimenton, and salt.
3. Place the chicken in a large resealable plastic bag and add the buttermilk mixture. Close the bag and turn it several times to coat the chicken. Refrigerate the chicken for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

4. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator a couple of hours before you’re ready to cook it so that it can come to room temperature.
5. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and one teaspoon of salt in a large baking dish.
6. Pour half the oil into a large heavy pot over medium heat and let the oil heat up.
7. Take the chicken out of the bag and place one piece of chicken at a time into the flour mixture. Make sure to allow the excess buttermilk to drip back into the bag. Turn the chicken around in the flour to cover each piece lightly on all sides. Place the piece on a plate and continue with all the other pieces of chicken.

8. When the oil is hot enough that it bubbles around the chicken when the edge of a piece is dripped into it, use tongs to gently and carefully place a few pieces in the oil.

PRO TIP: Don’t crowd the pieces in the pot. The number of pieces you can cook at one time will depend on the size of your pot.

9. Cook the chicken, turning the pieces every few minutes and adjusting the heat as needed. The fried chicken is ready when the skin is dark golden brown and the chicken is firm to the touch.
10. Transfer the cooked chicken to a paper towel-lined serving platter and continue frying the rest, adding more oil to the pot if necessary.
11. Serve immediately with the reserved honey mixture for drizzling and dipping. It’s also just as good at room temperature and even great cold.

How do you know when fried chicken is ready?

You can use some visual clues such as the color of the chicken but the most accurate is to use an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken. It should register 170F when it’s cooked and ready, this will take about 15 minutes for the wings and breast pieces and 18 to 20 minutes for the legs and thighs.

How to Store

Leftovers: Store leftover fried chicken in the fridge for up to five days or in the freezer for up to three months.

Reheat: The best method for reheating is the oven. Place the chicken pieces on a baking tray and in a 325°F oven for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. You can also skip the reheat because fried chicken tastes great cold too.

What To Serve with Buttermilk Brined Fried Chicken

Back in the South or growing up, here are some of the sides we served our fried chicken with that I know you will just adore!

• Mashed Potatoes
• Homemade Gravy
• Baked Macaroni and Cheese or Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
• Cornbread Dressing
• Hot Water Cornbread
• Collard Greens or Mustard Greens

Expert Tips

Here are some quick tips for making the best fried chicken with buttermilk in your very own home!

• Marinate the chicken in buttermilk for AT LEAST 4 hours!  BEST if overnight! This makes sure you get the best flavor from the very beginning so this step is very crucial.  Don’t do this for less than 4 hours or you won’t have the incredible benefits of flavor you will crave!
• Bring your chicken back to room temperature before frying! Adding seriously cold chicken to hot oil may cook the chicken unevenly or it could take a super long time resulting in a burnt outside and raw chicken on the inside.  It will also bring the temperature of your oil way down which can make soggy chicken.
• Let the chicken sit in the flour and let it set for at least 15 minutes.  This is my personal tip but I like doing this because it prevents the breading from slipping off your fried chicken.
• Invest in the hot pimenton or spicy smoked paprika! It adds a lovely smoked spicy touch that partners well with the honey glaze. I promise you won’t regret it.

FAQs

Fried Chicken recipes to try

If you have checked out this site, you know we love and specialize in Southern recipes which includes a lot of frying. It’s just part of how to the South rolls. Fried chicken is necessary, and it must be done right. Here are a few more fried chicken recipes to give a try after you master this one.

• Big Mama’s Classic Fried Chicken – the ultimate classic. An ode to how my Big mama would make it!
• Sweet Tea Fried Chicken – I love this one because the sweet marries perfectly with the savory flavors.
• Fried Chicken Gizzards – a true Southern fave in a bite sized package.
• Fried Chicken Biscuits – KFC and Popeyes can hang it up after you try these!
• Chicken Fried Chicken – Now that I live in Texas, this is a must! That gravy is everything!
• Oven Fried Chicken Tenders– If you want to keep the oil down and make fried chicken a bit more health conscious, this is what you make!

More Southern Fried Recipes

• This fried green tomatoes recipe is the best one on the web!
• Fried okra is the very best the south can offer! 
• I’m seriously in love with this hot honey chicken!  It is one of my most popular recipes.
• This fried shrimp recipe is the best!
• This oven fried catfish will blow your mind.
• And for a side dish?  These fried onion rings are incredible!
• Also did you know you could actually fry chitterlings?

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Buttermilk Fried Chicken

This insanely flavorfully brined buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe is fried to golden brown perfection then finished with a spiced honey glaze. 

4.64 from 19 votes

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Prep Time 5 hours hrs

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 5 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

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Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams

Course: Main Course

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ ¼ cup honey
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢ 4 teaspoons hot pimenton Spanish smoked paprika
• ▢ Kosher salt
• ▢ 1 cup buttermilk or 3/4 cup whole milk mixed with 1/4 cup plain yogurt 
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 3 ½ pound chicken cut into 10 pieces (w wings, 2 legs, 2 thighs, and 2 breasts cut in half across the bone)
• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ▢ Neutral oil such as canola, grapeseed, or safflower, for frying

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, cayenne, 1 teaspoon of the pimenton, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover the bowl and set it aside at room temperature for up to 1 day. This will get drizzled on the fried chicken once it’s done… hoorah!
• In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, garlic, remaining 3 teaspoons pimenton, and 2 tablespoons salt. Pour into a large resealable plastic bag and add the chicken. Close the bag and turn to coat the chicken. Refrigerate the chicken for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
• Take the chicken out of the refrigerator 1 to 2 hours before you’re ready to cook it so that it can come to room temperature.
• In a large baking dish, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Pour 1/2 in oil into a large heavy pot over medium heat and let the oil heat up.
• Meanwhile, take the chicken out of the bag, working with one piece at a time, and allow the excess buttermilk to drip back into the bag. Place the chicken into the flour mixture. Dredge each piece lightly on all sides and transfer to a plate. Discard the excess buttermilk and flour mixtures.
• When the oil is hot enough that it bubbles around the chicken when the edge of a piece is dripped into it, use tongs to gently and carefully place a few pieces in the oil – don’t crowd them (the number of pieces will depend on the size of your pot).
• Cook the chicken, turning the pieces every few minutes and adjusting the heat as needed, until the skin is dark golden brown and the chicken is firm to the touch. An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken should register 170F, this will take about 15 minutes for the wings and breast pieces and 18 to 20 minutes for the legs and thighs. Transfer the cooked chicken to a paper towel-lined serving platter and continue frying the rest, adding more oil to the pot if necessary.
• Serve immediately with the reserved honey mixture for drizzling and dipping. It’s also just as good at room temperature and even great cold.

Notes

• Marinate the chicken in buttermilk for AT LEAST 4 hours!  BEST if overnight! This makes sure you get the best flavor from the very beginning so this step is very crucial.  Don’t do this for less than 4 hours or you won’t have the incredible benefits of flavor you will crave!
• Bring your chicken back to room temperature before frying! Adding seriously cold chicken to hot oil, may cook the chicken unevenly or it could take a super long time resulting in a burnt outside and raw chicken on the inside.  It will also bring the temperature of your oil way down which can make soggy chicken.
• Let the chicken sit in the flour and let it set for at least 15 minutes.  This is my personal tip but I like doing this because it prevents the breading slipping off your fried chicken.
• Invest in the hot pimenton or spicy smoked paprika! I promise you won’t regret it.

Nutrition

Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 1190IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 2mg

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This buttermilk fried chicken recipe was originally published November 2016. It has been updated with new images and content.

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