Chef John's Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Name: Chef John's Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Soul Food, Southern Recipes, American
Ingredients: 1 tsp Black Pepper; 2 cups Bread Flour; 2 cups Buttermilk; 0.25 tsp Cayenne Pepper; 0.25 tsp Dried Oregano; 0.25 tsp Dried Rosemary; 0.25 tsp Dried Sage; 0.5 tsp Garlic Powder; 0.25 tsp Ground Thyme; 0.5 tsp Onion Powder; 1 tsp Paprika; 2.5 qt Peanut Oil; 1 tsp Salt; 0.5 tsp White Pepper; 3.5 whole Whole Chicken

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Chef John's Buttermilk Fried Chicken delivers shatteringly crisp crust around juicy, well-seasoned meat. A buttermilk soak infuses spice and tenderness, while a seasoned flour dredge fries up golden with a gentle heat from cayenne and paprika. Perfect for weekend dinners, picnics, or game day platters.

Prep15 mins
Cook25 mins
Serves4
DifficultyMedium

1

Assemble all the ingredients.
2

In a large bowl, toss the chicken pieces, black pepper, salt, paprika, white pepper, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, and cayenne together.
3

Stir in the buttermilk until the chicken is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours.
4

In a large shallow dish, combine the flour, salt, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, white pepper, and onion powder.
5

Take the chicken out of the buttermilk and dredge each piece in the seasoned flour; shake off any excess and place on a plate.
6

Heat the peanut oil in a large Dutch oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
7

Add the chicken pieces to the hot oil and fry for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces and fry for another 10 to 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should register 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
8

Move the fried chicken to a cooling rack set over a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.
9

Enjoy!