Description
Crispy fried chicken is one of those dishes where you nail that perfect golden crust while keeping the meat juicy inside, and the trick comes down to how you season your flour and manage your oil temperature. Getting that satisfying crunch that stays crispy even after it cools takes a bit of attention, but once you master the technique, you can make restaurant-quality chicken at home whenever you crave it.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Cooking Fat:
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 1 tsp onion powder in a shallow bowl, mixing everything together thoroughly.
- Whisk 2 eggs together with 1 cup buttermilk in another bowl until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
- Take your chicken pieces and dip each one into the buttermilk mixture, making sure your pieces are fully coated.
- Transfer the buttermilk-coated chicken directly into your flour mixture, pressing gently so the coating adheres to all surfaces of your pieces.
- Pour vegetable oil into a deep pan or Dutch oven and heat it to 350°F, which takes about 5 to 8 minutes depending on your pan size.
- Once your oil reaches temperature, carefully place your coated chicken pieces into the hot oil in batches, avoiding overcrowding so your pieces cook evenly.
- Fry your chicken for 10 to 12 minutes at 350°F, turning the pieces halfway through cooking to ensure both sides become golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Remove your finished chicken from the oil using tongs or a slotted spoon and transfer it immediately onto paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
- Let your chicken rest on the paper towels for 2 to 3 minutes before serving it to your table.
Notes
- Double-dredging your chicken, coating it once, letting it sit for a few minutes, then dipping and coating again, gives you that extra-thick, satisfying crust that stays crispy even after it cools down.
- Keep your oil temperature steady at 350°F because if it drops too low, your chicken absorbs grease instead of frying, and if it gets too hot, the outside burns before the inside cooks through.
- Don’t skip the buttermilk soak since the acidity tenderizes the chicken from the inside while helping the flour coating stick better to each piece.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular flour for cornstarch mixed with rice flour in the same proportions, and your chicken will come out just as golden and crunchy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: More Fried Chicken
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg