This easy fried chicken is seriously the best you are going to make! Dipped in buttermilk before being coated in a seasoned flour mix. This crispy deep fried chicken is finger lickin' good!
Pour buttermilk in one large bowl. In a second large bowl, mix together flour and seasonings.
1 cup buttermilk, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, ½ tablespoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
One piece at a time, dust the chicken with flour, then dip in buttermilk. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, making sure it’s thoroughly coated. Place the coated chicken on a cookie sheet or tray, and cover with wax paper, allowing it to rest until the flour coating is pasty (about 20-40 minutes).
4 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks
While chicken is resting, preheat oil, in either a heavy pan on the stove or a deep-fryer, to 375℉. Remove skin from chicken if desired.
2 quarts cooking oil
Fry chicken in batches for 7-8 minutes on each side until golden brown, and a thermometer inserted into chicken reads between 165-175℉.
Remove and drain the chicken on paper towels.
Notes
Letting the chicken rest after coating with the flour mixture helps create the crispiest bite.
Fry the chicken in batches. If you add too many chicken pieces, the temperature of the oil can drop, which means less crispy chicken.
Drain the chicken on paper towel before serving so that it's not super greasy.
Storage: Store fried chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.