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It’s hard to beat the finger-licking goodness of crunchy fried chicken. Making it at home may seem out of reach, but this easy fried chicken recipe will have you changing your mind. Pieces of bone-in chicken are dredged in seasoned buttermilk and seasoned flour, then deep-fried to crispy perfection. As crisp as the chicken is on the outside, it will be tender and juicy on the inside.
Everyone loves crispy buttermilk fried chicken. It’s comforting, nostalgic and incredibly flavorful. Whether you’re looking to change up your weeknight meals or prepare something special for Sunday afternoon, this extra crispy fried chicken will hit the mark. This restaurant-quality chicken is sure to be an instant favorite.
Got leftover buttermilk? Try my Buttermilk Pancakes, Double Chocolate Chip Muffins or my Classic Chocolate Chip Pancakes for breakfast in the morning.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Fried Chicken Recipe
- It’s restaurant quality. This incredible yet easy recipe puts KFC and your favorite restaurant to shame. Now you can enjoy restaurant-quality chicken at a fraction of the cost.
- It’s outrageously crispy. Dredging in flour, then buttermilk, then flour again makes this extra crispy fried chicken so crunchy that you won’t believe it’s homemade.
- It’s so comforting. There is just something so comforting about crispy buttermilk fried chicken. It’s warm, golden and the meat is incredibly juicy.
Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken: this recipe is for bone-in pieces of chicken. Use 2 chicken drumsticks, 2 chicken thighs, and 2 chicken breasts.
- Seasoned Flour: flour is combined with baking powder and baking soda and seasoned with smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, ground black pepper, and salt to taste.
- Buttermilk Mixture: combine buttermilk, egg, hot sauce, salt and pepper to dip the chicken.
- Oil: to deep fry.
How To Make Crunchy Fried Chicken
- Prepare the chicken pieces. Pat dry the chicken pieces with a paper towel and keep them aside.
- Prepare the flour and buttermilk mixtures. In a shallow bowl, combine together flour, baking powder, baking soda, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, black pepper and salt. Whisk together buttermilk, egg, hot sauce, salt and pepper in another bowl.
- Dredge the chicken. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture first, then dip into the buttermilk mixture and then back into the flour mixture until the chicken is evenly coated with flour. Remove the excess flour and keep it on parchment paper. Repeat the same with the remaining chicken.
- Fry the chicken. Heat oil to deep fry the chicken. Once the oil is heated, gently add the chicken to the oil. Fry the chicken for 5-6 minutes by flipping in between until golden and crispy.
- Drain the chicken. Once done, transfer the chicken to a cooling rack lined with a paper towel to remove the excess oil.
- Garnish and serve. Sprinkle some parsley on top and serve the crispy fried chicken with ketchup and ranch on the sides.
Tips To Make Extra Crispy Fried Chicken
- You can buy a whole chicken and cut it up if desired. You could also make this recipe with all thighs, all drumsticks, etc.
- You can use chicken with or without skin.
- When coating the chicken, shake off the excess buttermilk and excess flour.
- You can increase the spiciness of the chicken by adding cayenne pepper to the flour or by adding more hot sauce to the buttermilk.
- Use a thermometer to ensure a consistent oil temperature.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches if necessary.
- Leave the chicken alone. You only need to flip it once, halfway through the suggested cooking time.
- Keep chicken warm by placing it on a wire rack on a baking sheet in a 180 degrees F oven.
- Always cook chicken to 165 degrees F when a meat thermometer is inserted into the thickest part.
Frequently Asked Questions
Canola oil has a high smoke point and is a favorite for frying chicken. Peanut oil, coconut oil or lard can also be used to make this crunchy fried chicken recipe.
The best way to keep chicken crispy is to place the cooked pieces on a wire rack and serve as soon as possible. If you need to cook the chicken in batches, place the rack in a warm oven until you are ready to serve.
Buttermilk is slightly acidic and works to tenderize the meat. Coating or soaking chicken in buttermilk makes it tender and juicy and gives it lots of flavor.
If the coating on your fried chicken is greasy, it’s likely due to your cooking oil temperature. The best oil temperature for cooking fried chicken is 350 degrees F, and the temperature should remain consistent. A low cooking temperature can cause the coating to hold a lot of oil, while a high cooking temperature causes the coating to burn before the chicken is cooked through.
Crunchy fried chicken is best enjoyed while hot for maximum crispiness. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350 degrees F oven for 15-20 minutes. Reheated chicken will not get as crunchy.
Yes. Cool the chicken pieces completely and wrap them in plastic wrap before placing them in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a 350 degrees F oven for 15-20 minutes. Reheated chicken will not get as crunchy.
Fried chicken can be served with so many delicious sides. Crispy Air Fryer French Fries and Easy Homemade Mashed Potatoes are classic favorites. You can also try Easy Macaroni Salad, Easy Baked Mac and Cheese, Potato Cobb Salad, or Brussels Sprouts Salad.
More Fried Chicken Recipes
- Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
- Fried Chicken Sandwich
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders
- Crispy Chicken Bites
I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this delicious Easy Fried Chicken recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it, and share it with your friends and family!
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Crunchy Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 pieces chicken, 2 chicken drumsticks, 2 chicken thighs, 2 chicken breasts
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ tsp salt to taste
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 whole egg
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- Salt & pepper
- Oil, to deep fry
Instructions
- Pat dry the chicken pieces with a paper towel and keep it aside.
- In a shallow bowl, combine together flour, baking powder, baking soda, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, black pepper and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, hot sauce, salt and pepper.
- Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture first, then dip into the buttermilk mixture and then back into the flour mixture until the chicken is evenly coated with flour. Remove the excess flour and keep it on parchment paper. Repeat the same with the remaining chicken.
- Heat oil to deep fry the chicken. Once the oil is heated, gently add the chicken to the oil. Fry the chicken for 5-6 minutes by flipping in between until golden and crispy.
- Once done, transfer the chicken to a cooling rack lined with a paper towel to remove the excess oil.
- Sprinkle some parsley on top and serve the crispy fried chicken with ketchup and ranch on the sides.
Notes
- You can buy a whole chicken and cut it up if desired. You could also make this recipe with all thighs, all drumsticks, etc.
- You can use chicken with or without skin.
- When coating the chicken, shake off the excess buttermilk and excess flour.
- You can increase the spiciness of the chicken by adding cayenne pepper to the flour or by adding more hot sauce to the buttermilk.
- Use a thermometer to ensure a consistent oil temperature.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches if necessary.
- Leave the chicken alone. You only need to flip it once, halfway through the suggested cooking time.
- Keep chicken warm by placing it on a wire rack on a baking sheet in a 180 degrees F oven.
- Cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when a meat thermometer is inserted in the thickest part.
Can i leave out at he cayenne pepper and hot sauce out of this recipe? My kids don’t do spicy!
Yes ofcorse!
Is the 53 carbs in the nutrition facts for the whole recipe or per piece of chicken?
What flour to use ? Is it corn flour , wheat flour or flour used for coating chicken?
Thanks ,
Best regards ..
Hey there! It’s all purpose flour. I have edited the recipe card.