Southern Fried Chicken – classic Southern chicken recipe that is crunchy and crusty on the outside and juicy and flavorful on the inside; infused with spices and seasonings and soaked in buttermilk to amp up the flavor. A great addition to your chicken recipe collection!
When you think of Southern food, the recipes that always come to mind are cornbread, gumbo, grits and, of course, this king of all kings — fried chicken.
Well, as much as I push myself to consistently put greens on my table, I just can’t seem to easily get away with it, especially when we’re talking about chicken. It has been a part of the family’s diet ever since. And as I get older, I develop a fondness for collecting various fried or baked chicken recipes.
You don’t believe me? Check the rest of my site and you’ll see a parade of chicken recipes that are always at the top of my most searched recipes. 😉
Ingredients
16 chicken drumsticks (or a combination of drumsticks and thighs)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons black pepper (divided)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Vegetable oil (for frying, about 3 cups)
Directions
01 Heat the warming drawer or oven to 200 F.
02 Pat the chicken with paper towels to dry.
03 In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, Tabasco sauce, salt, and 1 tablespoon of black pepper. Add the chicken legs to the mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate with the marinade for at least 1 hour (or up to 24 hours).
04 Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and let any excess buttermilk drip off.
05 Combine the flour, additional 1 tablespoon black pepper, and the cayenne. Shake the chicken legs in the seasoned flour and place on a rack while waiting for the oil to heat.
06 In a large, heavy saucepan or deep skillet or sauté pan, heat at least 3 cups of oil to about 365 F. Fry the chicken legs in batches for about 10 minutes, turning once. To check for doneness, use an instant-read food thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the largest drumstick, not touching bone. The minimum safe temperature for poultry is 165 F.
07 Remove the chicken to paper towels to drain.
08 Place the drained chicken on a baking sheet, cover loosely with foil, and move to the warming drawer or oven to keep warm while frying subsequent batches.
09 Serve and enjoy!
Tip
In deep-frying, the food is completely immersed in the oil, while in pan-frying the food is placed in enough oil to cover the bottom and sides, making it necessary to turn the pieces over to fry both sides. Three cups of oil will give you a depth of 1/2-inch in a deep 10-inch skillet and is sufficient to pan-fry.