BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN is the best fried chicken recipe you will ever sink your teeth into. Fried Chicken can be tricky, but we have broken it down to the PERFECT easy fried chicken recipe anyone can make. This Buttermilk Chicken Recipe will become the favorite chicken of your life! This Buttermilk Fried Chicken recipe is one everyone needs to know how to make. Your family will thank you!

buttermilk fried chicken overhead on baking sheet

This post may include affiliate links that earn us a small commission from your purchases at no extra cost to you.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Buttermilk Fried Chicken is one of the BEST FRIED CHICKEN RECIPES I’ve ever tried. I think everyone should know how to make amazing fried chicken, even if it’s just once in life. Once you try this recipe, you’ll be hooked.

Even though this fried chicken is a bit time consuming, it’s SO worth it, and I know you’ll want to make it for your family again and again. You can wow your family with all your skills!

Keep reading to find our secret to making the juiciest fried chicken ever. This recipe is just so amazing, I can’t wait for you try it.

This is the PERFECT fried chicken recipe. So moist, so flavorful, and SO good!

up close picture of fried chicken with rosemary
Email This Recipe
Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
fried chicken with dipping sauces

Best Fried Chicken Recipe

This buttermilk fried chicken recipe is a bit of work, but it’s so worth it! My mom came over to help me with my first ever batch of fried chicken, and it was so fun to learn from her. She’s a master in the kitchen, and I’m very lucky to have her as a resource.

In general, you don’t have to brine chicken before frying it, but we do in this recipe because it’s our little secret to making the best fried chicken ever! By soaking the chicken in the brine (for up to 8 hours), the chicken absorbs some of the water so that it’s extra moist and juicy (and gets some extra flavor). Yum!

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Brine

To make the brine for this buttermilk fried chicken recipe, you’ll need:

  • 8 cups of cold water
  • Kosher salt
  • Lemon
  • Bay leaves
  • Black peppercorns
  • Flat leaf parsley
  • Rosemary
  • Thyme
  • Honey
  • Garlic

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot, boil it, then let it cool. Then just place the chicken in the brine for about 8 hours (any longer and it will get too salty). Easy!

display of fried chicken and fried chicken pieces in a serving bowl
up close picture of fried chicken drumstick in serving bowl

How to Make Buttermilk Fried Chicken

To say Pat was excited about this recipe would be an understatement! There’s nothing quite like the perfect fried chicken, and I have to say, THIS IS IT. I just can’t wait for you to try this recipe! 

This buttermilk fried chicken recipe is one you’re going to have to plan. It’s easy to make, but it’s not quick. Start by brining the chicken, then you can move on to making the fried chicken coating, dipping it in buttermilk, and frying it up.

The chicken will need to reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Check the recipe card for the full how to.

The Best meat thermometer!

I love using this meat thermometer for making sure the meat is at 165 degrees! Easy for beginners & totally worth the $10 cost!

Best Side Dishes for Fried Chicken

For the perfect fried chicken meal, you got to have the best sides. A nice full dinner of mashed potatoes, baked beans, bread…yes, load up on ALL the carbs.

There’s no point in trying to make a healthy meal here. Just indulge and ENJOY. Pair this Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe with some of our favorite side dishes.

bite taken out of fried chicken

Tips for Making Buttermilk Chicken

This buttermilk fried chicken recipe is the BEST EVER. I’m not kidding. But it does take a bit of work to make something this delicious.

Here’s everything you need to know about buttermilk chicken (how long to soak, why we use it, and how to make your own buttermilk!).

How long do you soak the chicken in buttermilk before frying?

Traditionally, you would soak the chicken in buttermilk for at least 30 minutes, but we have added a brining process to this fried chicken.

We brine the chicken first, then dip in buttermilk before frying. Get ready for the juiciest fried chicken EVER!

Why do you soak the chicken in buttermilk?

It’s been proven (by all those food scientists that are much smarter than me) that chicken is plain old better when soaked in lactic acid before cooking. Buttermilk is one way to do that. The result is the juiciest and most flavorful fried chicken you’ll ever eat!

Can I use milk instead of buttermilk to soak the chicken?

You can! The result isn’t quite the same, but it will work in a pinch. See below how to make your own buttermilk using milk if you don’t have any on hand.

Can I make my own buttermilk to use in this Buttermilk Fried Chicken?

Yes you can, and it’s simple. Simply stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar, into 1 cup of plain milk to make your own buttermilk. Easy peasy!

More Easy Chicken Recipes

This Buttermilk Fried Chicken is just one of our many favorite chicken recipes. Take your pick below!

This was one of our most popular recipes of 2017, and it continues to be a reader favorite! If you make it please let us know by uploading a pic in the comments or leaving a star rating. Enjoy.

Recipe Card

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe

4.49 from 43 votes
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Brining: 9 hours
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 8
Author: Becky Hardin
This BEST EVER BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN will become the favorite chicken of your life! Anyone can master this AMAZING technique for the most tender juicy chicken with a crunchy savory outer skin. SO GOOD.
BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN is the best fried chicken recipe you will ever sink your teeth into. Fried Chicken can be tricky, but we have broken it down to the PERFECT easy fried chicken recipe anyone can make. This Buttermilk Chicken Recipe will become the favorite chicken of your life!
Save this recipe!
Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you, plus new recipes weekly!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Ingredients 

For the Brine:

  • 8 cups cold water
  • ½ cup kosher salt
  • 1 lemon grated zest & sliced
  • 6 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • ¼ cup Flat Leaf Parsley Italian parsley
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 head garlic skin left on and cloves smashed

For Frying the Chicken:

  • 10 pieces chicken skin-on and bone-in (whole breast cut in-half)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • tablespoons garlic powder
  • tablespoons onion powder
  • teaspoons sweet paprika
  • teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 quart buttermilk
  • 10 cups Peanut Oil

Instructions 

For the Brine:

  • Place all brine ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute or until the salt dissolves, then chill completely.
  • When the mixture has chilled, add the chicken pieces and brine for 8 hours. Do NOT brine more than 8 hours or the chicken could be too salty.
  • After 8 hours, transfer the chicken pieces to a paper towel-lined plate and pat completely dry with other paper towels. Allow the chicken to rest at room temperature for 1 hour before deep frying and while prepping to cook.

For Frying the Chicken:

  • Mix together flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, salt & pepper. Divide the flour mixture into 2 bowls.
  • Place the buttermilk in a third bowl and set it between the bowls with the flour mixture.
  • Preheat the oil, in a large Dutch oven, to 330 degrees F. Immediately before frying, dip the chicken legs and thighs (dark meat) into the flour mixture, the buttermilk and then the 2nd flour mixture. Fry 10-13 minutes until golden brown, and the internal temperature is 175-180 degrees F. (The temperature of the oil will decrease so adjust the heat to keep the oil at 325.) Place only 3-4 chicken pieces in the pot – do NOT overcrowd the pot. The chicken will be cooked in batches. When chicken is cooked through, transfer it (skin-side up) to a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.
  • Repeat the process with the wings and breasts (white meat). Fry 7 minutes (depending on the size of the breasts) until internal temperature is 170 degrees F. Transfer the chicken to a cooling rack and sprinkle it lightly with coarse salt.
  • While the chicken rests, add the herb sprigs to the hot oil and cook until crisp. Serve the chicken on a large tray and garnish it with crisp herbs.
  • Per Thomas Keller (and me), ENJOY the best fried chicken of your life!

Video

Becky’s Tips

*NOTE: For best result, if buying a whole fryer chicken, buy one smaller than 4 lbs to ensure the pieces don’t get too brown before cooking through.
Calories: 479kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 8gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 7494mgPotassium: 307mgFiber: 2gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 730IUVitamin C: 12.1mgCalcium: 173mgIron: 2.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

4.49 from 43 votes (32 ratings without comment)
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

31 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
bloxorz
bloxorz
August 28, 2017 9:35 pm

It’s great because of the knowledge you share with us, I will always follow your blog and will share your blog with my friends

Sherry Klusman
Sherry Klusman
July 13, 2017 7:21 pm

Could you follow this process but bake not fry?

survival games
survival games
July 12, 2017 2:13 am

Simple and tasty, what else I could want?5 stars

Kiersten
Kiersten
July 9, 2017 8:24 pm

Love this recipe! The brine was easier to make than I expected and it was totally worth the hours of waiting! Made this for dinner and my family loved it, definitively our new favorite fried chicken recipe! Thanks so much for it~! <35 stars

ruby singh
ruby singh
June 6, 2017 2:21 am

this slooks so yummy. thank you for sgaring

edit pictures
edit pictures
June 6, 2017 12:00 am

Fried chicken looks attractive and delicious, long time I don’t eat fried chicken, Thanks for sharing this recipe, it must have to awesome.

Zubia khan
Zubia khan
May 30, 2017 4:29 am

Fried Chicken is a popular choice for any occasion. I inspire with butter milk fried chicken recipe. This dish will be very delicious.This brings mouth water .I’ll must try this.

hotmail sign in
hotmail sign in
May 25, 2017 1:33 am

best ever buttermilk fried chicken, I also feel this

json formatter
json formatter
May 22, 2017 4:15 am

SO yummy!!!!!! Gotta try this out!

html color
html color
May 17, 2017 9:29 pm

i dont think that i can make it like this anyway in my lifetime :( it is saddening but i will do try all my best. thank you for teaching.

1 2 3