American recipe

Southern Fried Chicken

Name: Southern Fried Chicken
Prep time: 8 h 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 9 h 5 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American cuisine
Ingredients: 1800 g bone-in chicken pieces; 1000 ml buttermilk; 24 g fine salt, divided; 10 ml hot sauce; 400 g plain flour; 30 g cornstarch; 8 g sweet paprika; 6 g garlic powder; 6 g onion powder; 4 g black pepper; 3 g cayenne pepper; 2000 ml peanut or neutral frying oil

Buttermilk-brined Southern fried chicken with a craggy seasoned-flour crust and juicy bone-in meat. A long cold soak seasons the chicken, while resting the dredged pieces helps the flour hydrate into the irregular flakes that fry especially crisp.

Southern United States

Prep: 8 hr 20 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 9 hr 5 min
Servings: 6

Southern fried chicken with a deeply golden craggy crust — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by Evan-AmosSource page · Original file · CC0 1.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

1800 g
bone-in chicken pieces
1000 ml
buttermilk
24 g
fine salt, divided
10 ml
hot sauce
400 g
plain flour
30 g
cornstarch
8 g
sweet paprika
6 g
garlic powder
6 g
onion powder
4 g
black pepper
3 g
cayenne pepper
2000 ml
peanut or neutral frying oil

Method

01
Season the chicken
Pat the chicken dry and season it evenly with half of the salt, working around joints and both sides of each piece.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Brine in buttermilk
Mix the buttermilk with the hot sauce, add the chicken and refrigerate for 8 hours, turning the pieces once halfway through.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Build the seasoned flour
Whisk the flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne and remaining salt until the seasoning is uniform.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Drain the marinated chicken
Lift the chicken from the buttermilk and let excess marinade drip away for 2 minutes; keep a thin wet coating on the meat.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Dredge firmly in seasoned flour
Press each chicken piece into the seasoned flour, turning and squeezing flour onto every recess so a rough, irregular coating forms. Shake off only loose powder.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Rest the coating
Set the dredged chicken on a rack for 15 minutes until the flour darkens slightly where it absorbs moisture and clings securely.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Heat the frying oil
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot to 175°C. Keep the pot no more than half full and set a clean draining rack nearby.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
08
Fry the dark-meat pieces
Lower thighs and drumsticks into the oil without crowding. Fry for 13–16 minutes, turning as needed, while keeping the oil near 165–175°C; cook the thickest centre to at least 74°C.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
09
Fry the breast and wing pieces
Let the oil return to 175°C, then fry the breast and wing pieces for 9–12 minutes, adjusting heat to stay near 165–175°C, until deep golden and at least 74°C at the thickest point.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
10
Drain, rest and serve
Drain all fried chicken on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving. Keep the pieces uncovered so the crust remains crisp while the juices settle.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Use a thermometer and fry in batches so the oil returns to target temperature between loads.
Drain fried food on a rack rather than stacking it; trapped steam softens a crisp crust quickly.

Common mistakes

Adding too much food at once crashes the oil temperature and gives greasy, pale coating.
Covering hot fried food traps steam and removes the crisp texture you worked to build.

Substitutions

A neutral high-heat oil such as canola, peanut or refined sunflower oil can be used for frying.
Boneless cuts can shorten frying time, but use the same coating method and verify doneness rather than relying on colour alone.

Storage

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours at 0–4°C for up to 3 days. Reheat only the portion needed until piping hot throughout.

Cultural context

Fried chicken traditions in the American South reflect multiple culinary lineages, including African American cooks whose seasoning and frying expertise helped shape the dish into a regional and national icon.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Fried-Chicken-Set — Photograph by Evan-Amos; CC0 1.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to American recipes

Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients

Method

Season the chicken

Brine in buttermilk

Build the seasoned flour

Drain the marinated chicken

Dredge firmly in seasoned flour

Rest the coating

Heat the frying oil

Fry the dark-meat pieces

Fry the breast and wing pieces

Drain, rest and serve

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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