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For other takes on fried chicken try these pan-fried chicken thighs or crazy good dry rubbed wings.
This fried chicken recipe is the ultimate balance of flavor, texture, and tradition. And by using a buttermilk brine infused with hot sauce, a unique vodka-water wash, and a seasoned flour dredge, this soul food fried chicken solves the common problems of dryness and uneven crispiness, delivering crispy fried chicken with tender, juicy meat every time.
This is your classic fried chicken recipe, but if you want to flex and level up try a few other ways of seasoning fried chicken. For other Southern fried classics try these deep fried pork chops or dry rubbed fried catfish.
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE ABOUT THIS RECIPE
Juicy, Tender Interior:
The buttermilk and hot sauce brine penetrates the meat, keeping it moist while adding subtle tang and heat. That crispy crust actually stays crispy
Ultra-Crispy Exterior:
Vodka and water wash creates a coating that crisps beautifully without becoming heavy or greasy. Vodka evaporates quickly and violently creating a super crisp!
Layered, Savory Fried Chicken Seasoning:
Corn starch, all-purpose flour, and Cajun spice mix combine to deliver crunch, flavor, and visual appeal, with paprika, garlic, and cayenne highlighting the Southern soul. You get a juicy, well-seasoned chicken (not just the breading)
Key Flavor Ingredients
Brine (Buttermilk & Hot Sauce): Tenderizes the chicken, infuses flavor, and adds subtle tang and heat.
- Wash (Vodka & Water): Helps the dredge adhere while preventing a heavy, doughy crust. Vodka is the key as it vaporates fast and violently for more crispiness.
- Dredge (Corn Starch, All-Purpose Flour, Cajun Spice Mix): Corn starch gives ultra-crisp texture, flour builds structure, and Cajun spices layer bold, smoky, and spicy notes.
HOW TO MAKE SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN
- Marinate chicken in buttermilk, hot sauce, and fried chicken seasoning (at least 4 hours)
- Rinse and Dip in Wash (vodka+water mix)
- Dredge chicken, pressing coating firmly
- Heat oil in cast iron skillet to 350°F (same if using deep fryer)
- Fry chicken in batches, turning occasionally
- Rest on rack (not paper towels!) to keep it crispy
Recipe Variations & Ingredient Substitutions
- No buttermilk? Use milk + cider vinegar
- Gluten-free? Use rice flour + cornstarch
- Spice it up? Add cayenne to seasoning mix
- Recipe works the same if using a deep fryer.
HOW TO GET CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN EVERY TIME
- Use cornstarch in your flour mix. Adding cornstarch to flour makes fried chicken lighter, crispier, and more shatteringly crunchy by reducing gluten formation and creating a delicate crackly crust.
- Add vodka to the wash, it's the secret crisping ingredient. Vodka helps create crispier chicken because its alcohol evaporates faster than water, producing a lighter coating with more bubbles and crackly texture as it fries.
- Let dredged chicken rest before frying - gives the coating time to hydrate and adhere to the meat, which helps prevent the crust from falling off while creating a crispier, more cohesive texture.
- Maintain oil temp at 350°F - Frying at 350 degrees is ideal because it’s hot enough to create a crisp golden crust quickly while still allowing the inside time to cook through without burning the coating or making the food greasy.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Overcrowding the fryer drops the oil temperature too quickly, causing the chicken to steam instead of fry, which leads to greasy coating, uneven cooking, and less crispy texture.
WHAT PAN WORKS BEST FOR FRYING CHICKEN
I prefer cast-iron skillet over other pans because they tend to be deeper and retain heat/temperature best. Keeping the oil at a more steady level and also heating it back up quicker in between batches is a big bonus.
My second favorite option is a flat bottomed steel wok. It's deep, uses less oil, and easier to move the chicken around. But I also find it limited from a capacity perspective when cooking bigger pieces.
BEST OIL AND TEMPERATURE FOR FRYING CHICKEN
- Best oils: I like peanut oil for the color, clean taste, and you can get multiple uses from it. Vegetable oil and canola oil are also good choices.
- Ideal temp: a steady 350°F. If cooking in batches make sure to allow oil to get back to temperature in between frying.
- Internal chicken temp: 165°F
HOW LONG TO FRY CHICKEN IN CAST IRON SKILLET
Be mindful of cut of chicken when frying as cook time will vary by cut. Assuming using a skillet and accounting for flip expect the following:
- Wings: 8–10 minutes
- Thighs/legs: 12–15 minutes
- Breasts: 12–18 minutes
Test Kitchen Tips for Best Results
- Brine chicken at least 4 hours or overnight for maximum juiciness.
- To get that craggly textured look, add a couple of tablespoons of the brine to the dredge and mix up.
- Go with peanut oil for frying if available. It’s cleaner and relatively neutral in flavor. Keep oil temperature steady around 350°F to prevent undercooked or greasy crust.
- Let chicken rest briefly on a wire rack after frying to keep crust crisp and drainage even.
- Recipe works easily in deep fryer also, per the video at the end of the post.
Beats and Eats (music to pair with buttermilk fried chicken recipe)
Song: “I Know You Got Soul” - Bobby Byrd
Bobby Byrd’s funky, upbeat grooves mirror the rhythm of frying chicken - hot oil bubbling, coating crisping, and flavors building. The energy of the song matches the boldness of the spices and the sizzle of the pan, making it the perfect soundtrack to soul food perfection in the kitchen.
This fried bird hits all the right notes; it's juicy, crispy, and bold, moving like the groove in Bobby Byrd’s “I Know You Got Soul”: confident, infectious, and unforgettable.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN
Serve this traditional Crispy Fried Chicken with Southern style collard greens, quick and easy fried corn, change-up white beans and rice, your Grandma's old school lima beans, or sweet potato cornbread with honey butter drizzle for the full soul food spread. Oh and don't forget the potato salad!
Try this roundup of sides to pair with fried chicken for more ideas. This chicken is also a good play if making chicken and waffles.
If it's holiday time, don't forget to include a side of black eyed peas, slow simmered green beans, and mac and cheese for good luck and candied yams for dessert. Turkey necks smothered or pork chops can be your other main.
For appetizer pairing go with these soul food fried green tomatoes.
Southern Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Chicken Pieces Dark Meat
- 3 cups Buttermilk
- ½ cup Hot Sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups All-purpose Flour
- 1 cup Corn Starch
- ½ cup Vodka
- 1 ½ cups Water
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
Method
- Place the buttermilk in a large bowl. Add the hot sauce place a teaspoon of salt. Mix well then add the chicken pieces. Make sure the chicken is fully submerged in the buttermilk mixture, cover, and refrigerate at least an hour, but preferably overnight.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge and rinse. Reserve a few teaspoons of the marinade. Allow the chicken to reach room temperature. You'll want to cook the chicken evenly.
- While the chicken comes to temperature, set up your assembly station.
- Place all the dry seasonings in a small bowl or ramekin. Mix well and set aside.
- In a shallow wide bowl add the cornstarch, flour, and half the spice mix. Mix well and set aside.
- In a separate shallow wide bowl mix together the vodka, water, and a quarter cup of the flour mixture. Mix well and set aside.
- Pro Tip: Using a regular spoon add a few spoonfuls of the buttermilk marinade to the dredge
- Place a wire rack inside of a rectangular sheet pan or baking sheet.
- Pre-heat fryer or oil filled cast iron skillet to 350 degrees F
- Place the rinsed chicken in the wash making sure all parts of the chicken gets a coating. Then dip the chicken in the flour mixture. Make sure the chicken is well coated. Shake-off any excess flour.
- Add the coated chicken to the hot oil and fry for 7-9 minutes. Remove the chicken and place on the cooling racks. Allow to rest about 30 minutes. While chicken rests heat fryer to 375 degrees.
- Add the remaining chicken pieces back to the fryer and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove back to the cooling rack.
- In a medium bowl add about a ½ cup of the hot grease plus the remaining spice seasoning mix. Mix well. Brush the chicken with the seasoned oil and serve the seasoned chicken.
Nutrition
Notes
- Use a seasoned flour mixture: The key to crispy, flavorful fried chicken is a well-seasoned flour mixture. Be sure to add plenty of salt, pepper, and other seasonings to your flour mixture for the best results.
- Let the chicken rest: Once you've coated your chicken in the flour mixture, it's important to let it rest for a few minutes before frying. This allows the flour to adhere to the chicken and ensures that it will be crispy and delicious.
- Don't overcrowd the pan: When frying your chicken, be sure not to overcrowd the pan. Too many chicken pieces will cause the temperature of the oil to drop, resulting in greasy, soggy chicken. Fry the chicken in batches if necessary to ensure that each piece cooks evenly and becomes crispy.
- Consider a buttermilk marinade: While not necessary, marinating your chicken in buttermilk before coating it in the flour mixture can help to tenderize the meat and add flavor.
- Use a meat thermometer: To ensure that your chicken is cooked through, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F to be considered safe to eat.
- Double Fry the chicken: Moisture is the enemy of crunchy chicken! Ample rest after the initial fry allows the surface moisture to drain away. That second fry is like the finishing move. Most of the moisture is gone so it's a flash fry of the dry skin which means a bigger crunch!
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