Here’s a classic Southern-style fried chicken recipe 🍗✨ — crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside.
🍗 Southern-Style Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces (or 2–3 lb chicken pieces)
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- Optional: cayenne for spice
For dredging
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder (optional, for extra crunch)
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
For frying
- Vegetable or peanut oil
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken
- Place chicken in a bowl with buttermilk, salt, pepper, and spices.
- Cover and refrigerate 2–12 hours (overnight is best).
- Prepare dredge
- Mix flour, baking powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish.
- Coat chicken
- Remove chicken from buttermilk, let excess drip off.
- Dredge in flour mixture, pressing to coat evenly.
- Optional: double-dip for extra crust (dip back in buttermilk then flour again).
- Heat oil
- Heat oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven to 325–350°F (165–175°C).
- Fry chicken
- Fry in batches 12–15 minutes per piece, turning occasionally, until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Drain on a wire rack.
- Rest and serve
- Let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving for maximum juiciness.
Tips for Perfect Fried Chicken
- High heat + steady oil temperature = crisp, not greasy.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan; fry in batches.
- Use a meat thermometer for perfectly cooked chicken.
Variations
- Spicy fried chicken: Add cayenne, hot paprika, or hot sauce to marinade.
- Extra crispy: Replace ½ cup of flour with cornstarch.
- Oven finish: Bake at 350°F for 15–20 minutes if larger pieces brown too fast.
- Korean-style: Double fry and glaze with sweet-spicy sauce.
I can also give a quick air-fryer fried chicken version that’s lighter but still crispy, ready in 30 minutes.
Do you want me to do that?
