American · Main · Medium
Southern Fried Chicken
Rome's most famous pasta. Silky egg and Pecorino sauce clinging to every strand, studded with crisp guanciale. No cream, ever.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Southern Fried Chicken, in 5 ideas
- 325F is the sweet spot. Hotter burns the crust before the inside cooks. Cooler makes it greasy. Use a thermometer, do not guess.
- The double dredge is what makes it craggy. Those nooks and crannies are where the crunch lives. Do not skip the second coating.
- Rest the dredged chicken before frying. Fifteen minutes lets the flour hydrate and bond to the chicken so it does not fall off in the oil.
- Do not crowd the pan. Too many pieces drops the oil temperature and you get soggy instead of crispy. Fry in batches.
- Peanut oil is traditional for a reason. High smoke point, neutral flavor. If you cannot use peanut, vegetable or canola work fine.
What you need
Ingredients
- 3 lbs bone-in chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks, breasts)
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 tbsp hot sauce
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 4 cups peanut oil, for frying
How to make it
Directions
- The night before, submerge the chicken in the buttermilk mixed with hot sauce. Cover and refrigerate 8 to 24 hours. The acid tenderizes and the salt seasons deep.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
- Pull the chicken from the buttermilk, letting the excess drip off. Dredge each piece in the seasoned flour, pressing firmly so it adheres.
- For an extra-craggy crust, dip the floured chicken back in the buttermilk briefly, then dredge a second time. Let the coated pieces rest 15 minutes so the crust sets.
- Heat the peanut oil in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven to 325F. The oil should be about 1 inch deep.
- Fry in batches without crowding, 6 to 8 minutes per side, until deep golden brown. Dark meat needs about 14 minutes total, white meat about 12.
- Check that the thickest pieces reach 165F internally. Transfer to a wire rack set over a sheet pan (never paper towels, which steam the crust).
- Rest 10 minutes. Season with a pinch more salt while hot.
A wire rack beats paper towels every time. Paper traps steam and softens the crust you worked so hard for. The rack keeps air circulating underneath.