Delicious Southern Fried Chicken

This Southern fried chicken recipe is the best you’ll ever make!

Southern fried chicken is one of the main staples of southern cuisine.

Think about fried chicken that is moist in the inside and yet super crispy on the outside.

That’s what southern fried chicken is all about!

When you thing of southern foods you start imagining, corn bread, grits, biscuits and fried chicken.

What is so good about this Southern Fried Chicken?

Well… I’m happy you asked.

This recipe is a quick 1 step chicken prep.

We are going to brine the chicken.

By doing this you will ensure that you have the perfect tasty and moist inside and crispy, golden and delicious in the outside.

Why Do You Brine Chicken Before Frying?

Brining is what makes your chicken super tender, tasty and juicy in the inside.

It makes the chicken the super star.

Once you start to brine your chicken you will never look back.

The brine packs your fried chicken with tons of flavor.

So if you are looking to make your fried chicken more tender, then brining is for you.

How To Brine Chicken?

A brine is a mixture of water and salt and sugar.

(if you are on a low carb diet or keto diet make sure to substitute table sugar with a keto-friendly sweeter)

Take a big container or pot with warm water and season with salt, sugar and any other spices you like such as garlic, peppercorns, lemon juice and some herbs to your liking.

Put the chicken pieces in the brine and refrigerate for a few hours.

I put mine on a super large ziplock bag and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

I also make this fried chicken in the air fryer.

It comes out crispy in the outside and juicy in the inside without the extra calories from frying.

Southern Fried Chicken

1. Brine the chicken overnight for best results or at least 2-4 hours.

2 . Take chicken out of refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour.

3. Mix buttermilk with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, paprika and spices.

Let it marinade for at least 30 minutes.

Then take chicken out and shake to remove excess liquid.

4. Combine flour and spices, add chicken and mix well making sure all nook and crannies of the chicken are covered.

5. Put chicken in frying pan and cook on medium heat turning once at about 10-15 minutes(depending on piece size) until chicken is brown and golden.

Chicken is done when it is no longer pink inside and its juices run clear.

You may do a test by piercing the chicken with a fork.

Note: Do not overcrowd the pan. You want the oil to remain hot. Otherwise the chicken is going to steam and will not be crispy.

6. Drain the chicken by putting it on a cooling rack.

If you do not have a cooling rack place the chicken over paper towels to drain excess oil.

7. Repeat with all the remaining chicken pieces.

What to Serve with Fried Chicken

Southern Fried Chicken

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 3 hours

This Southern fried chicken recipe is the best you'll ever make! Southern fried chicken is one of the main staples of southern cuisine. Think about fried chicken that is moist in the inside and yet super crispy on the outside.

Ingredients

8 Pieces of chicken legs and thighs.
3 cups of buttermilk
Peanut oil for frying
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon salt and pepper

Instructions

Flouring the Chicken

Place the chicken in a large ziplock bag and add buttermilk and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
In a bowl mix together the flour, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and herbs.
Remove chicken from the refrigerator and shake to remove excess liquid.
Use a clean ziplock bad to add the chicken and the flour and spices mix. Close bag and shake well, making sure chicken is completely covered with the flour mixture.

Frying the chicken

Heat the oil to 375F, or when you see it starts to ripple.
Put chicken in frying pan and cook on medium heat turning once at about 10-15 minutes(depending on piece size) until chicken is brown and golden. Chicken is done when it is no longer pink inside and its juices run clear. You may do a test by piercing the chicken with a fork. (NOTE: Do not overcrowd the pan. You want the oil to remain hot. Otherwise the chicken is going to steam and will not be crispy.)
Drain the chicken by putting it on a cooling rack. If you do not have a cooling rack place the chicken over paper towels to drain excess oil.
Repeat with all the remaining chicken pieces.

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

2
Amount Per Serving Calories 749Total Fat 29gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 17gCholesterol 352mgSodium 608mgCarbohydrates 44gFiber 2gSugar 5gProtein 74g