Classic Fried Chicken
You really can make Classic Deep Fried Chicken like Gramma used to make. Check out our tips for making it without a ton of prep work. No dip in this egg batter then dip in that flour mixture mess here!
Thereโs always a bit of a mess when it comes to deep frying chicken but weโre making homemade fried chicken as simple as possible.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
What Cut Of Chicken Should I Use?
You can totally buy a whole chicken and cut it up into 10 pieces โ 2 wings, 2 thighs, 2 legs, and each breast gets cut in half for a total of 4 breast pieces. If youโve never done that before, get the steps for cutting up a whole chicken here.
Or, you can save yourself the time and hassle and buy 4 pounds of whatever cut of chicken you want. Like all drumsticks. Or thighs. Or only chicken breasts. Yup, that means you can make a whole batch of your favorite pieces of fried chicken. Youโre the one making it so make it the way you like it best!
How To Make Classic Fried Chicken
Youโll start by marinating the chicken pieces in buttermilk and hot sauce for a minimum of 3 hours (or better, marinate them overnight or all day while youโre at work). Once theyโve been marinated in the buttermilk mixture youโll coat each piece in delicious seasoning with spices like paprika, garlic powder, and nutmeg.
Instead of having you dip chicken pieces in flour then egg, weโve put the flour and spices in a bag and you just add the chicken to that and shake. Just like shake โn bake but this is seasoned flour instead of crumbs, so you get that crispy classic coating that you crave daily. You know you do. Mmmmm.
I always recommend using a thermometer (like this one) when you deep fry chicken so you know the oil is the right temperature (350ยฐF) to cook the inside of the chicken without burning the outside crust. Then, to know that the chicken is cooked through, use a different kind of thermometer, an instant-read thermometer. Youโll be golden! Ha!
What To Serve With Fried Chicken
Thereโs so many great side dishes that go with fried chicken. Try these amazing mashed potatoes or some quick cornbread muffins. And donโt forget the veggies!
More Fried Chicken Recipes
If youโre looking for some variety (or donโt want to actually deep fry your chicken), try these recipes!
Classic Fried Chicken
- Prep Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 10 pieces 1x
- Category: Entrรฉe
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
You really can make Classic Deep Fried Chicken like Gramma used to make. Check out our tips for making it without a ton of prep work. No dip in this egg batter then dip in that flour mixture mess here!
Ingredients
- 4 lb. whole chicken (cut into 10 pieces, breast cut in half)
- 2 and 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tsp. hot sauce
- 1 and 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
- 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
- 3โ4 cups vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a large glass container mix together buttermilk, hot sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Place chicken pieces into the buttermilk and cover. Refrigerate and leave it for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Before frying, in a zip top bag, mix flour with remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, sweet paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and nutmeg. Close and shake it well to mix.
- Remove chicken pieces from buttermilk, letting the excess drip off. Place 2 pieces in the bag and shake it well, until the chicken is thoroughly coated. Remove and place on a wire rack. Repeat for remaining pieces of chicken.
- Get out a wide saucepan deep enough to fit the 4 cups of oil and have the same amount of space left over (for when you drop in the chicken and the oil level rises). Add oil and heat over medium heat until it reaches 350ยฐF.
- Place chicken in the oil and fry for about 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through. Once the chicken is dropped into the oil the temperature will lower to 300ยฐF โ 325ยฐF. Keep it at around that temperature, adjusting the heat of the stove to do so. Lower the heat if the exterior of the chicken seems to be cooking faster than the interior.
- Chicken is done when internal temperature is 165ยฐF or higher on an instant-read thermometer.
This post originally appeared in April 2019 and was revised and republished in June 2022.
Christine is the founder of TheCookful and also of her blog COOKtheSTORY. Her passion is explaining the WHY behind cooking โ Why should you cook things a certain way; Will they turn out if you do it differently; What are the pros and cons of the method? Learn more about Christine, her cookbooks, and her podcast.