With over 100 5-star reviews, you can count on this Buttermilk Fried Chicken recipe to deliver deliciously marinated and seasoned chicken that’s fried to perfection! Only 15 minutes of prep is needed for this juicy, crispy, crunchy, finger-licking chicken!
Make it a meal your family will beg for by pairing this fried chicken with creamy Best Mashed Potatoes, trendy Corn RIbs, and delicious Crockpot Cheesy Corn!
The BEST Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe
This golden brown Buttermilk Fried Chicken is exactly what your dinner plates (and your family!) have been waiting for! It’s perfectly crispy and crunchy on the outside while remaining incredibly tender and juicy on the inside!
Bite into this chicken and be amazed at the layers of flavor! Not only is the breading wonderfully seasoned with spices such as garlic powder, paprika, and basil but the chicken itself also gets marinated in a combination of buttermilk and seasonings as well!
The double-layer flavor detail easily makes this buttermilk chicken recipe the best! Serve this up for a big extended family meal, on a Friday night when all the kids are home, or simply just when the craving hits.
And trust me, after making this recipe just once you’ll find the craving for it comes a lot more frequently!
Best fried chicken recipe ever. I use boneless and skinless chicken thighs and it makes a great sandwich in a bun.
Buttermilk Chicken Ingredients
For this Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe, you’ll need about three pounds of chicken that has the skin on. I find using thighs and drumsticks is best, but grab whatever you prefer!
The chicken then gets marinated in a mixture that’s made up of salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, dried mustard, paprika, dried sage, and buttermilk. Afterward, it gets coated in a flavorful breading mixture that fries up to crispy perfection!
To make the breading mixture you’ll need all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, paprika, dried basil, dried thyme, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
Lastly, you’ll just need vegetable oil to deep fry the coated chicken in!
How To Make Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- Combine the chicken, salt, pepper, garlic, dried mustard, paprika, and sage together in a large bowl. Stir together to coat the chicken evenly.
- Pour in the buttermilk over the seasoned chicken and stir again until well coated.
- Refrigerate the chicken mixture in the marinade.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, paprika, basil, thyme, onion powder, and cayenne pepper together in a shallow dish.
- Transfer each piece of chicken from the marinade into the shallow dish one at a time. Make sure the chicken is coated completely.
- Fry the coated chicken in hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook the chicken until it’s entirely golden brown on all sides.
- Remove the fried chicken from the vegetable oil and transfer it to a wire rack to allow any excess oil to drain off it.
How To Store Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Keep leftover Buttermilk Fried Chicken in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 to 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
How To Reheat Fried Chicken
This fried chicken is best reheated in the oven at 325 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until it’s heated all the way through. You could also try reheating it in the air fryer at 325 degrees F for about 5 minutes.
If you’re reheating from frozen you can place the frozen chicken in the oven for about 15 minutes at 450 degrees F.
Chicken in Buttermilk Recipe FAQs
How Do I Know If The Oil Temperature Is Right If I Don’t Have A Candy Thermometer?
Stand up a wooden spoon in the oil and if the oil bubbles around the hand at the bottom of the pot and floats up the oil is generally ready. The oil will bubble vigorously if it’s too hot and only a few bubbles will come up if the oil is not hot enough.
Why Does The Chicken Look Burnt On The Outside Yet Isn’t Cooked On The Inside?
I’d say the oil is too hot, try turning the heat down on the oil and trying again.
Can I Swap Out The Baking Powder For Baking Soda?
Unfortunately, that substitution wouldn’t work since those two ingredients are very different. If you don’t have baking powder then you can just leave it out.
Can I Use Skinless Chicken In This Recipe?
Absolutely, this recipe works really well with skinless chicken!
Can I Cook Buttermilk Chicken In The Oven?
I find that this Buttermilk Fried Chicken doesn’t work well in the oven. Instead, I think oven-fried chicken turns out better when it’s coated with panko or corn flakes to give it the crispy crust that deep-frying gives chicken.
Could I Air Fry This Fried Chicken?
Yes, you can. Just spray the floured chicken with oil and then bake it at 360 for about 15 minutes. Be sure to turn it over halfway through the cooking time.
What to Serve with Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Buttermilk Chicken is a deliciously welcome change to the dinner table, surrounded by all of our favorite sides!
More Chicken Recipes
You can easily change the way you normally serve up your chicken, too, just by snagging another tasty recipe to try!
- Potato Chip Chicken Tenders – Moist white meat covered in a potato chip breading and then served with a Maple Mustard Dipping Sauce.
- Spatchcock Grilled Chicken – Grilled marinated chicken is cooked using an easy technique that allows for a quicker cooking time!
- Garlic Chicken – Made with chicken, 40 cloves of garlic, olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper, requires only 15 minutes of hands-on prep time!
- Oven Fried Chicken – A healthier version of everyone’s favorite comfort food, ready to enjoy in only 40 minutes!
- Lemon Chicken Thighs – Slow-roasted chicken thighs that come out incredibly tender and bursting with delicious flavor!
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!
Don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there.
Buttermilk Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- Meat thermometer
- Candy Thermometer
- Deep frying pan
Ingredients
Buttermilk Marinade
- 8 pieces chicken skin on, thighs and drumsticks are best (approximately 3 pounds)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried mustard
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- 2 cups buttermilk
Flour Dredge
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoon paprika
- 1½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Vegetable oil to be 1- 2 inches deep in a deep frying pan
Instructions
- Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl. Add salt, pepper, garlic, dried mustard, paprika, and sage. Stir to coat the chicken evenly. Pour the buttermilk over the seasoned chicken. Stir well to coat the chicken.8 pieces chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried mustard, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon dried sage, 2 cups buttermilk
- Refrigerate this mixture for at least 1 hour, but the longer you marinate, the more tender it will be. It may be left overnight as well.
- In a shallow dish, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, paprika, basil, thyme, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, 1½ teaspoon salt, 1½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1½ teaspoon paprika, 1½ teaspoon dried basil, 1½ teaspoon dried thyme, 1½ teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Heat the oil to about 340°F. You want to be able to fry the outside to a crisp golden brown without burning while still cooking the chicken all the way through!Vegetable oil
- Remove each piece of chicken from the marinade, put it into the shallow dish with the flour mixture and toss. Make sure the whole surface of each piece of chicken is coated very well.
- Place the chicken pieces into the oil. You may cook 4 or 5 pieces at a time, but don’t crowd the chicken. Turn as necessary and fry until golden brown. It will take about 15 minutes for each piece to cook. Make sure each piece is fully cooked – the internal temperature should be 170°F. I recommend keeping a candy thermometer in the oil as you cook, the temperature might crop some as you place in the cold chicken so you will need to adjust the heat according to stay around 340°F.
- Allow the chicken to drain on a wire rack to help the chicken stay crispy.
Video
Notes
- It may take some test pieces to find the temp that cooks the chicken golden on the outside and fully cooked on the inside.
- Storage Instructions: Buttermilk fried chicken will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge. It is best reheated in the oven (325 for 10 minutes or until heated through) or the air fryer (325 for about 5 minutes). It may be frozen for up to 3 months. Then, to reheat, bake from frozen for about 15 minutes at 450 degrees.
- I don’t have a candy thermometer – how will I know that the oil is at right temperature? If you stand a wooden spoon in the oil, the oil should bubble around the handle at the bottom of the pot and float up. If the oil is too hot, the oil will bubble vigorously. If the oil is not hot enough, there will just be a few bubbles coming up.
- I don’t have any buttermilk – what can I substitute? Place 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice into a measuring cup. Then fill the cup up to the 2-cup measurement with milk. Allow this to sit for 10 minutes, and then use it in the recipe.
- I find that the chicken is looking burnt on the outside, but is not cooked inside – what can I do? Turn down the heat on your oil – it is too hot.
- I don’t have baking powder – can I substitute baking soda? No, these are very different. If you don’t have baking powder, then just leave that out.
- Can I substitute skinless chicken? Yes! This recipe works really well with skinless chicken!
- Can I make this chicken in the oven? I find that this recipe doesn’t work as well in the oven. Oven-fried chicken is better with panko or corn flakes to give it the crispy crust that the deep frying gives this chicken. However, you can bake it in an air fryer if you like. Just spray the floured chicken with some oil and bake it at 360 for about 15 minutes (turn it over halfway through the cooking time).
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
Don’t forget to share it with me on Instagram @sugarandsoulco and follow on Tiktok @sugarandsoulco and Pinterest @sugarandsoulco for more!
Comments & Reviews
Daniel says
I made this for myself and my neighbors. One said it taste just like how her mom used to make it. I couldn’t ask for a higher compliment. Great recipe!!
Sofi says
This did not work out for me. When trying to fry all of the batter came off the chicken.
Phoebe says
I modified to gluten free and OH MY GOODNESS this is phenomenal!!
Alice says
Love it thank you for sharing. My son smashed it
Terry Colussi says
Absolutely delicious
Kristin Etter says
Delicious recipe! Substituted smoked paprika for the paprika and loved the results. Thanks for a recipe that my family loves. Even used the buttermilk mix and flour mixture to make fried jalapeños! Those were a hit as well.
Rebecca Hubbell says
Oh, fried jalapenos sound delightful! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
john paulo says
buss’n respectfully no cap bruh, no kizi, SHEEEEEESH. Hands down GOATED👏👏👏
Maureen says
Excellent recipe!
Brittany says
This was so delicious and flavorful. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs and everyone in my house loved it. Definitely in the dinner rotation list!
colin says
great interactive page and info is readily available
Sandy says
This is my go to recipe for fried chicken. Everyone that I serve the chicken loves it. Thank you for the recipe.
Rebecca Hubbell says
Yay, so glad your family loves it!
Melody says
Thought I would give this recipe a try. WOW!!! Very pleased with the taste. You can bet I will be making this again.
Rebecca Hubbell says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Karen says
I made this last night. Marinated overnight. Followed the recipe exactly except I doubled it. Overall it was good. Kinda bland. Doubling the flour was not necessary. It was waaay too much! I’ll make it again but spice it up somehow.