Others may have differing opinions, but this is what we feel is the perfect fried chicken recipe. We took all of the necessary steps, from buying the right chicken and brining it to carefully creating a buttermilk marinade and seasoned flour. It’s juicy, it’s crispy, and it’s delicious — it’s perfect fried chicken.
Ingredients
For brining the chicken
1 gallon water
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup salt
4 bay leaves
5 cloves garlic, smashed
1/4 cup paprika
1 gallon ice water
one 3 1/2-pound chicken, back bone removed and cut into 8 pieces
For marinating the chicken in the buttermilk batter
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups fine cornmeal
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons cayenne
4 cups buttermilk
dash of hot sauce
For frying the chicken
6 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup baking powder
3 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons fine sea salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne
Peanut oil, for frying
Directions
For brining the chicken
The day before frying the chicken, prepare the brine. Using a large stock pot, heat 1 gallon of water to a boil and add in the sugar, salt, bay leaves, garlic, and paprika. Simmer for 5 minutes then remove from heat. Add in the ice water and cool down to 40 degrees. Add the chicken pieces and brine overnight.
For marinating the chicken in the buttermilk batter
Remove the chicken from the brine and pat completely dry using paper towels.
Prepare the buttermilk batter by combining the flour, corn meal, salt, spices, and herbs in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the buttermilk and the hot sauce. Place the chicken pieces into the buttermilk batter, cover, and refrigerate for ½ hour.
For frying the chicken
Remove the marinating chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to frying.
Combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and spices in a large bowl. Sift the ingredients into a brown paper bag, if using, or into another large bowl.
In a cast-iron skillet, heat 3 inches of canola oil over medium-high heat to 300 degrees. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk batter and let excess batter drip off. Place the chicken pieces into the brown bag, seal the bag, and shake for about 4 seconds to ensure each piece is well coated. If using a large bowl instead of a brown bag, coat the chicken pieces in batches to avoid making a mess. Place the chicken into the hot oil and fry until just golden brown, about 5 minutes, then remove them from the pan and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once all of the chicken pieces have been fried at 300 degrees for 5 minutes, heat the oil to 350 degrees, and fry the chicken until cooked through and golden brown, another 5 minutes.
Remove and place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease before serving.
Nutritional Facts
Total Fat
111g
100%
Sugar
57g
N/A
Saturated Fat
22g
100%
Cholesterol
106mg
35%
Protein
46g
93%
Carbs
192g
64%
Vitamin A
186µg
21%
Vitamin B12
0.7µg
11.5%
Vitamin B6
0.8mg
41%
Vitamin C
5mg
9%
Vitamin D
0.3µg
0.1%
Vitamin E
16mg
79%
Vitamin K
17µg
21%
Calcium
755mg
76%
Fiber
8g
31%
Folate (food)
68µg
N/A
Folate equivalent (total)
516µg
100%
Folic acid
263µg
N/A
Iron
11mg
63%
Magnesium
110mg
28%
Monounsaturated
49g
N/A
Niacin (B3)
19mg
96%
Phosphorus
1199mg
100%
Polyunsaturated
33g
N/A
Potassium
819mg
23%
Riboflavin (B2)
1mg
70%
Sodium
3694mg
100%
Sugars, added
50g
N/A
Thiamin (B1)
1mg
90%
Trans
0.1g
N/A
Zinc
4mg
26%