Ah yes—Fried Chicken 🍗—crispy, golden, juicy, and pure comfort food. Here’s a classic, foolproof recipe:
🍗 Classic Fried Chicken
Ingredients (serves 3–4)
- 4–6 chicken pieces (legs, thighs, breasts, or a mix)
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½–1 tsp cayenne (optional, for heat)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Marinate chicken
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Soak in buttermilk for at least 1 hour (or overnight in the fridge) for tenderness and flavor.
- Prep coating
- In a shallow bowl, mix flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and a pinch of salt & pepper.
- Coat chicken
- Remove chicken from buttermilk, letting excess drip off.
- Dredge thoroughly in seasoned flour, pressing gently to adhere.
- Heat oil
- Pour 2–3 inches of oil in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven.
- Heat to 350°F (175°C).
- Fry chicken
- Fry chicken in batches, avoiding crowding.
- Cook 12–15 min for smaller pieces, 15–20 min for larger, turning occasionally, until golden brown and internal temp reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Drain & rest
- Remove chicken, drain on paper towels, and let rest 5 minutes.
🔥 Tips & Variations
- Extra crispy: double dredge—dip in buttermilk, flour, then buttermilk + flour again.
- Spicy version: add cayenne or hot sauce to buttermilk marinade.
- Herbed flavor: mix dried thyme, oregano, or rosemary into flour.
- Oven-finish option: fry 5 min per side, then bake at 375°F for 10–15 min to finish cooking without extra oil.
If you want, I can give a restaurant-style southern fried chicken recipe with ultra-crispy, flavorful coating and juicy, perfectly cooked meat that’s basically legendary.
Do you want me to do that?
