americandinner🔥 Trending

Crispy Southern Fried Chicken Recipe

Name: Crispy Southern Fried Chicken Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 1.5 kg chicken pieces (bone-in thighs and drumsticks); 500 ml buttermilk; 2 tsp hot sauce (Frank's or Tabasco); 300 g plain flour; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 2 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp cayenne pepper; 1.5 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 litre vegetable oil (for frying)

Authentic crispy Southern fried chicken with a seasoned buttermilk marinade and crunchy golden crust. This easy Southern fried chicken recipe uses a double-dredge technique for maximum crunch and juicy, flavourful meat every time.

Prep

20 min

Cook

35 min

Servings

Difficulty

Medium

★★★★★

4.8(7,650 ratings)

#fried chicken#southern fried chicken#crispy fried chicken#american#buttermilk chicken#comfort food#soul food

Share:Pinterest X WhatsApp Facebook

About This Recipe

Great Southern fried chicken is a combination of three things: a tangy buttermilk marinade that tenderises the meat, a well-seasoned flour coating, and the right frying temperature. Marinating overnight in buttermilk with hot sauce is the essential step — the acid breaks down the muscle fibres and the coating sticks far better. Double-dredging creates extra cragginess in the crust.

Ingredients

Serves 4

1.5 kgchicken pieces(bone-in thighs and drumsticks)
500 mlbuttermilk
2 tsphot sauce(Frank's or Tabasco)
300 gplain flour
2 tspsmoked paprika
2 tspgarlic powder
1 tsponion powder
1 tspcayenne pepper
1.5 tspsalt
1 tspblack pepper
1 tspdried oregano
1 litrevegetable oil(for frying)

Instructions

1
Marinate overnight
Mix buttermilk and hot sauce. Add chicken pieces, ensuring all are submerged. Cover and refrigerate 8–24 hours. This is non-negotiable for juicy, flavourful chicken.
Even 4 hours works in a pinch, but overnight is dramatically better.
2
Make the seasoned flour
Combine flour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, pepper and oregano in a large bowl.
3
Double-dredge
Remove chicken from buttermilk (let excess drip off). Coat in seasoned flour, pressing firmly. Dip back into the buttermilk, then dredge in flour again. This double coat creates maximum craggy crust. Set on a rack.
4
Heat the oil
Heat oil to 175°C / 345°F in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven. Use a thermometer — temperature control is critical.
5
Fry in batches
Fry chicken in batches without crowding, 12–15 minutes per batch (turning once), until deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 75°C / 165°F. Drain on a wire rack, not paper — a rack keeps the bottom crispy.

Pro Tips

→
A wire rack — not paper towels — keeps fried chicken crispy. Paper traps steam and soggifies the crust.
→
Don't move the chicken for the first 5 minutes of frying — let the crust set.
→
If the oil temperature drops when you add chicken, turn up the heat briefly.
→
Season the buttermilk marinade as well as the flour — double seasoning means flavour in every layer.

Variations

•
Nashville hot chicken: after frying, brush with a fiery lard and cayenne paste and serve on white bread with pickles.
•
Oven-fried chicken: after dredging, spray with oil and bake at 220°C / 425°F for 45 minutes on a wire rack — significantly less oil.

Storage

Store fried chicken in the fridge for up to 4 days. To re-crisp, place on a wire rack at 200°C / 400°F for 10–15 minutes. It also works cold — cold fried chicken is a Southern institution.

History & Origin

Southern fried chicken developed in the American South, blending West African frying techniques (brought by enslaved people) with Scottish immigrant traditions of frying chicken in fat. By the 19th century it was a staple of African-American cuisine and Sunday cooking throughout the South.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do you soak fried chicken in buttermilk?

Buttermilk tenderises the meat through its mild acidity and helps the flour coating adhere better, resulting in juicier meat and a crispier crust.

What oil temperature is best for frying chicken?

175°C / 345°F is ideal. Too hot and the coating burns before the meat cooks through; too cool and the chicken absorbs too much oil and turns greasy.

How do I keep fried chicken crispy?

Drain on a wire rack (not paper towels), don't cover it while hot (steam softens the crust), and re-crisp in a hot oven if needed.

How long should I fry chicken pieces?

Bone-in thighs and drumsticks take 12–15 minutes at 175°C; breasts take 10–12 minutes. Always verify with a meat thermometer — 75°C / 165°F internal temperature.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (400g / 14.1 oz) · 4 servings total

Calories580kcal

Protein44g

Carbohydrates38g

Fat27g

Fiber2g

Protein44g

Carbs38g

Fat27g

Time Summary

Prep time20 min

Cook time35 min

Total time55 min

Have Questions?

Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.

Chat with AI Chef →

More American Recipes

🍔

Perfect Smash Burgers

25 min · Easy

🧀

Ultimate Creamy Mac and Cheese

35 min · Easy

🥩

Slow-Smoked BBQ Baby Back Ribs

380 min · Hard

🍰

New York Cheesecake – Dense, Creamy Classic with Graham Cracker Crust

120 min · Medium

Community

Join the conversation

About This Recipe

Instructions

Marinate overnight

Mix buttermilk and hot sauce. Add chicken pieces, ensuring all are submerged. Cover and refrigerate 8–24 hours. This is non-negotiable for juicy, flavourful chicken.

Even 4 hours works in a pinch, but overnight is dramatically better.

Make the seasoned flour

Combine flour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, pepper and oregano in a large bowl.

Double-dredge

Remove chicken from buttermilk (let excess drip off). Coat in seasoned flour, pressing firmly. Dip back into the buttermilk, then dredge in flour again. This double coat creates maximum craggy crust. Set on a rack.

Heat the oil

Heat oil to 175°C / 345°F in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven. Use a thermometer — temperature control is critical.

Fry in batches

Fry chicken in batches without crowding, 12–15 minutes per batch (turning once), until deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 75°C / 165°F. Drain on a wire rack, not paper — a rack keeps the bottom crispy.