Chef John's Buttermilk Fried Chicken
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
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Chef John's Buttermilk Fried Chicken, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 55 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 17 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityFair
- 46 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Unprocessed or minimally processed
- 1 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 38
- Heart Health
- 66
- Metabolic
- 30
- Digestive
- 39
- Inflammatory
- 39
- Performance
- 37
- General Wellness
- 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!
- Calories 6595.06 kcal High 330%
- Protein 344.83 g Good Source 690%
- Carbohydrate 56.77 g 21%
- Total Fat 579.75 g High 743%
- Saturated Fat 2.52 g Moderate 13%
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Cholesterol 1130.97 mg High 377%
- Sodium 3136.16 mg High 136%
- Dietary Fiber 3.36 g Moderate 12%
- Total Sugars 5.03 g --
- Added Sugars 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Calcium 168.92 mg Moderate 13%
- Iron 3.08 mg Moderate 17%
- Potassium 46.42 mg Low Source 1%
- Vitamin A 47.82 mcg Low Source 5%
- Vitamin C 1.4 mg Low Source 2%
- Vitamin D 0.0 mcg Low Source 0%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Peanuts 🥜
- Milk 🥛
- Wheat 🌾
- Gluten
- Garlic 🧄
- Onions 🧅
About This Recipe
Chef John's Buttermilk Fried Chicken is made with 15 ingredients and serves 4. It takes about 40 mins and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Black Pepper, Bread Flour, Buttermilk, and Cayenne Pepper. Each serving provides about 6595.06 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Chef John's Buttermilk Fried Chicken made of?
- The main ingredients are Black Pepper, Bread Flour, Buttermilk, Cayenne Pepper, Dried Oregano. The full list of 15 is above.
- How long does it take to make Chef John's Buttermilk Fried Chicken?
- About 40 mins in total: 15 mins to prepare and 25 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 6595.06 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Chef John's Buttermilk Fried Chicken easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 15 ingredients and 9 steps.
- Is Chef John's Buttermilk Fried Chicken healthy?
- Chef John's Buttermilk Fried Chicken has an easyChef Pro health score of 44/100. Per serving, it provides 6595.06 calories and 344.83 g of protein, or 690% of the Daily Value. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 3136.16 mg (136% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 2.52 g (13% of the Daily Value). It contains Peanuts, Milk, Wheat, Gluten, Garlic and Onions, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products
easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.
The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.
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