how to make buttermilk batter for fried chicken | Family Cuisine

This Buttermilk Fried Chicken recipe is packed with all the tips you need to make EXTRA crispy fried chicken. Once you give this a go, you won’t have it any other way!

Oh boy, is this post a long time coming. I’ve been testing out this fried chicken recipe for a loooooong time, and I’m super excited to finally share with you the tried, tested and perfected recipe! Follow me…

Extra Crispy Fried Chicken

I hope we’re all in agreement that the best fried chicken is mouthwateringly tender on the inside, tooth shatteringly crispy and flakey on the outside and bursting with flavour all over. This recipe will give you exactly that. I’ve packed this post with everything you need to know in getting perfect fried chicken, so let’s start right at the beginning.

What cut of chicken to use for fried chicken?

I always get a whole chicken and cut it up, just because I like the variety. From this, you’ll get 10-12 pieces of chicken (depending on if you split the wing in two or not, here I do).

Best chicken to use for deep frying?

If you opt not to use a whole chicken, just use a variety of different cuts i.e half thigh half drumstick. Just make sure you use bone in skin on chicken. This will result in the crispiest/juiciest fried chicken. I love drumsticks because they’re the easiest to eat, but thighs and wings are also a classic choices. If you’re doing breast as well just make sure you dice in half (keep on the bone) otherwise it’ll be too big to properly cook.

Buttermilk Chicken Marinade

The absolute KEY to getting tender and crispy fried chicken is using a buttermilk marinade. Marinating the chicken in (seasoned) buttermilk tenderises the chicken and injects a huge amount of flavour.

What does marinating chicken in buttermilk do?

Because of its slight acidity, buttermilk has the ability to tenderize the chicken, without it becoming tough and chewy. Using buttermilk also helps the chicken go nice and flaky when you dredge it through the dry mix. As such, buttermilk is great for fried chicken because it a) increases the chance your chicken will come out soft and juicy and b) increases the chances of your chicken coming out crispy.

How long to marinate chicken in buttermilk?

A minimum of 4 hours, a maximum of 24 hours. Personally I very rarely marinate the chicken for less than 12 hours. Some recipes suggest a minimum of 1 hour, but from experience you just don’t get the same results. Some recipes also suggest the marinade stops being effective after 4 hours, but again, from experience I tend to differ from this. Anyway, if you’re going to the trouble of making fried chicken why risk it and shorten the marinading time!?

Alongside the buttermilk you’ll want to add some pantry staple seasonings (all listed in the recipe card). This will be similar to the flour seasoning, just with a few adjustments. Mainly the inclusion of white pepper. This gives you that classic KFC style chicken taste, definitely don’t skip this!

How to marinate chicken in buttermilk (quick summary)

1. Pour your buttermilk in to a suitably sized bowl and add your seasoning.
2. Stir to combine.
3. Add your chicken and fully coat.
4. Pop over cling film and marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

How to prepare fried chicken

Once you’ve marinated the chicken, it’s time to coat it in seasoned flour.

The seasoning mix is similar to that of the buttermilk, with a few tweaks. The main one is the addition of baking powder. Using baking powder in fried chicken is another crucial ingredient in getting a crispy coating. When the baking powder hits the hot oil it creates lots of tiny air bubbles, which in turn creates an airy and crispy batter.

What is the best flour to use to fry chicken?

You’ll want to use plain/all purpose flour. Some recipes suggest the addition of cornflour, but I don’t think it’s needed here. Because you’ve got the baking powder, it works great with the flour to make a nice and crispy coating. Nothing else needed (apart from the seasoning – of course).

To dredge the chicken just shake off some of the marinade, then coat in the seasoned flour. Really make sure you rub the flour into every part of the chicken so absolutely none of the flesh is showing. It’s too often I see people roll the chicken in the dry rub a couple of times and be done with it. Really make sure you get in every crevice.

How to coat chicken in flour (quick summary)

1. Add seasoning to flour and mix. I find this easiest in a small tray, but you could also use a bowl.
2. Shake some of the buttermilk off the chicken and one by one coat in the dry seasoning. Really get as much flour in every part of the chicken.
3. Give the chicken a little shake.
4. Place on a tray ready to deep fry.

Deep Fried Chicken

Of course, to get truly crispy chicken, it’s got to be deep fried.

What oil to use for deep frying?

You want to use an oil with a high smoking point, which essentially means it can go to high temperatures without turning into smoke. You also want a neutral flavoured oil. We’ve already injected enough flavour into the chicken, so no need for a flavoured oil too. For this reason I use vegetable or sunflower oil.

What temperature to deep fry chicken?

You want to get the oil to about 350F/175C. When you drop in the chicken it will drop to about 320F/160C, and that’s fine. To maintain that heat a medium flame should be fine. If it becomes too hot simply pour in some oil to lower the temperature.

How long to deep fry chicken?

Anywhere between 10-15mins, depending on the cut of chicken. I.e wings will probably cook quicker than drumsticks. The crust should be deep golden and the inside white and piping hot. Work in batches of 3 (4 max) pieces at a time.

What is the safe internal temperature for chicken?

According to familycuisine.net the safe internal temp of cooked chicken is 165F/75C. Do take into consideration it continues cooking slightly when removed from the oil.

How do you tell if fried chicken is done without a thermometer?

The chicken is done when the batter is golden and the inside is white (no pink insight) with the juices running clear.

How to serve fried chicken

Once you’ve fried the chicken, place it on a wire rack to rest with paper towels underneath. I don’t recommend placing straight on to paper towels, this will cause the outside to steam and become soggy (not what you want after all the hard work!) From there, give the chicken a final sprinkle of salt to draw out the last bit of moisture from the batter for extra crispiness.

Sauce for fried chicken

• Buffalo Sauce
• Sriracha Mayo
• Garlic Aioli
• Blue Cheese Dip

Sides for fried chicken

• Crispy French Fries
• Beer Battered Onion Rings
• Baked Potato Wedges
• Creamy Potato Salad

If you’re looking for more fried chicken recipes then check these beauties out too:

Delicious Fried Chicken Recipes

• Popcorn Chicken
• Spicy Chicken Tenders
• Crispy Chicken Burger
• Crispy Chicken Wraps

How to make Buttermilk Fried Chicken (Full Recipe & Video)

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