Southern Fried Chicken
Buttermilk-brined chicken in a craggy, deep-fried crust.
Ingredients
- 1200 g Chicken pieces (legs + thighs)
- 500 ml Buttermilk
- 300 g All-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp Smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp Garlic powder
- 1000 ml Neutral oil
- 1 tbsp Salt
Method
- Soak the chicken in the seasoned buttermilk, at least 30 minutes.
- Mix the flour with the paprika, cayenne, and garlic powder, then dredge the chicken, pressing the flour on for craggy bits.
- Fry the chicken in batches at a steady heat until deep golden and 74C (165F) inside, about 14 minutes.
- Drain on a rack and rest a few minutes, then serve.
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About Southern Fried Chicken
Southern Fried Chicken is the buttermilk-brined, deep-fried bird at the heart of American Southern cooking — bone-in pieces in a shatteringly crisp, deeply seasoned crust. The defining move is the buttermilk soak: its mild acidity and salt tenderize the meat and season it from the outside in, while also giving the flour something to cling to. The seasoned flour here leans on smoked paprika, cayenne, and garlic powder, so the crust carries warmth and a gentle heat rather than being merely crunchy. Legs and thighs are the smart cut choice, staying juicy through the frying that would dry out leaner breast meat.
The texture is everything, and this version chases it deliberately — pressing the flour onto the wet chicken to build the craggy, blistered bits that fry up extra crisp. Frying in batches at a steady temperature keeps the oil from dropping and going greasy, and cooking to an internal 74C (165F) guarantees the meat is done without guesswork. A rest on a rack, rather than paper towels, lets the crust stay crunchy instead of steaming soft. It's food built for a crowd and a table you don't mind getting a little messy — classic with slaw, biscuits, hot sauce, or a drizzle of honey, and just as good cold the next day.
Southern Fried Chicken: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Southern Fried Chicken?
A serving has about 1179 calories — 63.4g protein, 70.4g carbs, 71g fat, 2g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 63.4g of protein, roughly 22% of its calories.
Is Southern Fried Chicken gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains All-purpose flour. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
Is Southern Fried Chicken dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Buttermilk. Swapping it for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How long does Southern Fried Chicken take to make?
About 60 minutes start to finish, but only around 27 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
How many servings does Southern Fried Chicken make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.