Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Crispy, golden fried chicken marinated in tangy buttermilk and seasoned flour. Ready in under 30 minutes with a cast iron skillet.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 42g
Ingredients
- 4 pieces chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, drumsticks)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- 1
Pat the chicken pieces dry on all sides with paper towels, removing surface moisture so the coating will stick better.
- 2
Place all 4 chicken pieces into a bowl or zip-top bag and pour in the 1 cup of buttermilk, coating each piece completely.
- 3
Let the chicken sit in buttermilk at room temperature for 10 minutes while you prepare the coating.
- 4
Pour the 1 cup of flour onto a large plate and stir in the 1.5 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper until evenly mixed.
- 5
Pour the 0.5 cup of vegetable oil into a 12-inch cast iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and a small piece of chicken sizzles immediately, about 2 minutes.
- 6
Remove one chicken piece from the buttermilk and lay it in the seasoned flour, pressing gently so the coating sticks to both sides.
- 7
Flip the chicken over and press the other side into the flour until fully coated, then gently shake off excess flour and place the piece on a clean plate.
- 8
Repeat steps 6 and 7 with the remaining three chicken pieces until all are coated and resting on the plate.
- 9
Carefully slide the first piece of coated chicken into the hot oil and listen for an immediate loud sizzle, indicating the oil is hot enough.
- 10
Add the remaining three pieces to the skillet, spacing them so they do not touch, and let them fry without moving for 5 minutes.
- 11
Flip each chicken piece over using tongs and fry for another 5 to 7 minutes until the second side turns the color of warm honey with darker edges.
- 12
Check for doneness by inserting the tip of a meat thermometer into the thickest part of a thigh (not touching bone); it should read 165°F, about 12 minutes total.
- 13
Lift each piece out of the oil with tongs and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil for 2 minutes.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch cast iron skillet
- meat thermometer
- tongs
- large plate
- bowl or zip-top bag
- paper towels
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