Fried Chicken is a crispy, crunchy, and flavor-loaded deep-fried chicken dish. It is usually made with chicken legs (drumsticks), thighs, breasts, or wings with basic Italian seasoning, buttermilk, and a breading mixture. The recipe I have shared here shows you how to make Fried Chicken with easy step-by-step instructions for you to try and enjoy at home.
I have also shared a detailed video of this recipe to make the cooking process simple and clear. This Homemade Fried Chicken is one of the easy and best-fried chicken dishes to enjoy for lunch and dinner. And the best part is it tastes similar to your favorite fast food chain restaurants around.
Jump to:
- What is Fried Chicken?
- Ingredients
- How to make Fried Chicken at home?
- Temperature
- How long do you fry the Chicken?
- Best Oil for frying Chicken
- Best Flour for Fried Chicken
- Buttermilk Fried Chicken Vs Fried Chicken
- Tips
- Storage Suggestions
- Serving Suggestions
- Related Recipes
- Fried Chicken Recipe Video
- Crispy Fried Chicken
- Recipe Video
- Chef's Notes and Tips
- Nutrition Info
- FAQ
What is Fried Chicken?
Fried Chicken is a crispy, crunchy, and delicious deep-fried chicken dish. It is usually made with chicken legs (drumsticks), thighs, breasts, or wings with basic seasoning, buttermilk, and a breading mixture. This Homemade Fried Chicken is one of the easy and best dishes to enjoy for lunch and dinner.
Fried Chicken is one of the most versatile dishes that can be easily prepared at home. If you have a few seasoning ingredients, flours, and some chicken handy your favorite fast food chain signature dish can be enjoyed in your own space.
It can be a great feast for your craving, get-together, party, or even on a regular day. Especially homemade Fried Chicken is one of the best and known for its freshness and crispiness if you follow some tips and tricks that I have shared below.
Ingredients
The ingredients you will need to make this Homemade Fried Chicken are basic pantry elements and you could easily find them in most grocery stores around. So let's see what are they below.
For Seasoning
Following are the ingredients required for seasoning the Chicken.
- Chicken - I have used chicken legs (drumsticks) and thighs for making this dish but you can also use breast and wings along with them
- Basic Seasoning Powders - Onion, garlic, ginger, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cumin powder for basic seasoning
- Hot Sauce - I have used sriracha sauce but feel free to use any hot sauce that's handy for you
- Buttermilk - Gives a lot of flavor to your chicken and also helps to achieve a juicy and succulent texture to the chicken
For Breading
Following are the ingredients required for breading the chicken.
- Flour - All-purpose flour and cornstarch are considered best for breading the chicken especially to make deep-frying. These flours deliver a crispy and crunchy exterior to the chicken
- Basic Seasoning Powders - Paprika, onion, garlic, and black pepper powder and dried mixed Italian herbs for seasoning the breading mixture
For a detailed ingredients list, please check out the recipe card below.
How to make Fried Chicken at home?
The recipe I have shared here is a simple and easy-to-make Crispy homemade Fried Chicken. The buttermilk, simple seasoning, and breading mixture used here delivers the best crispy exterior. And the best part is it tastes similar to your favorite fast food chain around.
Following are the high-level instructions to make this recipe but for detailed step-by-step instructions with photos and video, please check out the recipe card below.
Seasoning the chicken
- Combine - In a glass bowl, add the onion, garlic, black pepper, cayenne pepper, ginger, and cumin powder. Combine everything well
- Pour - Pour 2 cups of buttermilk, sriracha sauce, bay leaves, and salt into the spice powder mixture and give it a good mix
- Soak - Add the chicken thighs and drumsticks and soak well inside the buttermilk mixture. Cover with lid and marinate it for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour
Breading the chicken
- Mix - In a tray, add all-purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, and seasoning powders mentioned in the ingredients list below for breading. Mix well and set aside
- Bread - Now coat the buttermilk marinated chicken thighs and drumsticks in the breading mixture. Make sure to coat all sides and shake off the excess flour
Fry the Chicken legs and thighs
- Temperature Check - Pour oil and heat it until reaches the temperature of 325°F in a deep bottom vessel or fryer. The temperature can range from 325°F to 350°F. Always make sure to maintain the temperature of the oil within the above-mentioned range
- Add - Now add the breaded chicken drumsticks and thighs one by one without overcrowding the pan
- Fry - Fry the drumsticks and thighs for about 12 to 15 minutes. Make sure to flip both sides to cook the chicken evenly. You could also check the internal temperature of the chicken using a thermometer. The safest internal temperature to consume chicken is 165°F. If it reaches the safest temperature then it is ready to remove from the oil
- Remove - Remove the Fried legs and thighs from the oil and repeat the same process for the remaining breaded pieces
Temperature
Temperature plays a key role in making this fried chicken. If the temperature is too low, you will not get a crispy exterior at the same time if the temperature is too hot, the chicken may burn and the insides will be raw.
So what would be the perfect temperature to fry the chicken? The oil should reach the temperature of 325°F and it can range from 325°F to 350°F. Always make sure to maintain the temperature of the oil within the above-mentioned range throughout the frying process. This will helps you to achieve a crispy outer layer and juicy insides.
I would also recommend checking the internal temperature of the chicken using a thermometer. Cooking or frying the chicken to the safest minimal internal temperature recommended by FDA is 165°F.
How long do you fry the Chicken?
Average-sized chicken pieces cook for about 12 to 15 minutes in total. It may also vary depending on the thickness of the chicken pieces. Here I have used chicken drumsticks and thighs which took 15 minutes to cook well. Whatever the chicken size, or the parts, always make sure to check the thickest part of the chicken's internal temperature to be 165°F.
Best Oil for frying Chicken
I have used canola oil here, but you can also use vegetable oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, or corn oil. Usually, oils that have high smoke points are preferred for deep frying and the above-mentioned oils fall under this category.
Best Flour for Fried Chicken
All-purpose flour in combination with cornstarch is considered best for fried chicken as it delivers a crispy and crunchy exterior to the chicken. But as an alternative, you could also use cornstarch alone for coating. For a more crispy exterior, you can also try adding bread crumbs, or crushed cornflakes.
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Vs Fried Chicken
Is there any difference between buttermilk fried chicken and fried chicken you may ask? Technically Fried Chicken can be made with or without buttermilk. You can replace buttermilk with eggs, and milk to marinate the chicken and then dredge in the flour mixture to fry them.
But on the other hand, if you call the recipe as Buttermilk Fried Chicken, then the recipe needs buttermilk as one of the ingredients to marinate or soak the chicken pieces. Whether you are using buttermilk or eggs, and milk for making the fried chicken, the end results are going to be similar.
Tips
- Seasoning - Seasoning plays an important role in achieving a flavorful chicken so I would recommend not compromising on it. Here I have used basic seasoning powders, hot sauce, and buttermilk for the marination. But you can also use egg mixture instead of buttermilk to achieve similar results
- Breading - All-purpose flour and cornstarch are the best flours for making the breading mixture for achieving a crispy exterior. And you can also use breadcrumbs or unsweetened cornflakes' for breading along with flour to make extra crispy
- Temperature - Frying the chicken at the perfect temperature is another key to achieving a well-cooked crispy chicken. So please check the notes under the side heading temperature above for detailed information
Storage Suggestions
I would recommend consuming them as soon as it is prepared to enjoy the crispiness. However, you can store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in a closed airtight container. Always make sure to reheat them in an oven at 375°F instead of microwaving them to retain the crispiness.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Crispy Fried Chicken with French Fries, chili sauce, buffalo sauce, garlic parmesan sauce, hot sauce, ketchup, salads, or other sides of your choice. You could also serve it with roasted green beans, oven-roasted potatoes, roasted broccoli, roasted vegetables, or other roasted and baked vegetables.
Related Recipes
You could also find similar recipes below and more at fried chicken recipes and at fried recipes.
- Fried Chicken Tenders
- Oven Fried Chicken
- Oven Fried Chicken Tenders
- Korean Fried Chicken
- Fried Chicken Wings
- Garlic Parmesan Wings
- Chicken Parmesan
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken
- Chicken Nuggets
- Fish Fry (Fried Fish)
- Roasted Chicken
- Baked Chicken Thighs
Some Air fryer recipes.
Fried Chicken Recipe Video
I have also shared a detailed video of this Fried Chicken Recipe below that I hope will help you to make the crispy dish at home. You could also find this recipe in a story format.
Crispy Fried Chicken
Ingredients
For Marination
- 4 Chicken Drumsticks, skinless or skin on
- 4 Chicken Thighs, skinless or skin on
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Ginger Powder
- ¾ tsp Pepper Powder, black or white pepper
- ¾ tsp Cayenne Pepper Powder
- ½ tsp Cumin Powder
- 2 Bay Leaves, crushed
- 3 tbsp Sriracha Sauce
- 2 cups Buttermilk
- Salt, as needed
For Breading
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- ½ cup Cornstarch
- ½ tsp Pepper Powder, black or white pepper
- 1 tsp Paprika, or chili powder
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Mixed Italian Herbs, dried
- ½ tsp Salt
- Oil, for deep frying
Instructions
To marinate the Chicken
- In a glass bowl, add the onion, garlic, black pepper, cayenne pepper, ginger, and cumin powder. Combine everything well
- Pour 2 cups of buttermilk, sriracha sauce, bay leaves, and salt into the spice powder mixture and give it a good mix
- Add the chicken thighs and drumsticks and soak well inside the buttermilk mixture. Cover with lid and marinate it for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour
To make Breading Mixture
- In a tray, add all-purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, and seasoning powders mentioned in the ingredients list above for breading. Mix well and set aside
- Now coat the buttermilk marinated chicken thighs and drumsticks in the breading mixture. Make sure to coat all sides and shake off the excess flour
To make Fried Chicken
- Pour oil and heat it until reaches the temperature of 325°F in a deep bottom vessel or fryer. The temperature can range from 325°F to 350°F. Always make sure to maintain the temperature of the oil within the above-mentioned range
- Now add the breaded chicken drumsticks and thighs one by one without overcrowding the pan
- Fry the drumsticks and thighs for about 12 to 15 minutes. Make sure to flip both sides to cook the chicken evenly. You could also check the internal temperature of the chicken using a thermometer. The safest internal temperature to consume chicken is 165°F. If it reaches the safest temperature then it is ready to remove from the oil
- Remove the Fried Chicken from the oil and repeat the same process for the remaining breaded chicken
To Serve
- Serve this Crispy Fried Chicken with buffalo sauce, garlic parmesan sauce, ketchup, or favorite sauces, salads, or other sides of your choice. You could also serve it with roasted green beans, oven-roasted potatoes, roasted broccoli, or other roasted and baked vegetables
Recipe Video
Chef's Notes and Tips
- Seasoning - Seasoning plays an important factor in achieving a flavorful fried chicken so I would recommend not compromising on it. Here I have used basic seasoning powders, hot sauce, and buttermilk for the marination. But you can also use egg mixture instead of buttermilk to achieve similar results
- Breading - All-purpose flour and cornstarch are the best flours for making the breading mixture for achieving a crispy exterior. And you can also use breadcrumbs or unsweetened cornflakes for breading along with flour to make extra crispy
- Temperature - Frying the chicken at the perfect temperature is another key to achieving a well-cooked crispy chicken. So please check the notes under temperature for detailed information
Nutrition Info
Disclaimer: We’re not nutrition experts. Nutritional info is estimated and should be used as a guide. For precise details, consult a professional.
FAQ
Fried Chicken is a crispy, crunchy, and delicious chicken dish. It is usually made with chicken legs (drumsticks), thighs, breasts, or wings with basic seasoning and a breading mixture. It is one of the easy and best-fried chicken dishes to enjoy for lunch and dinner.
Average-sized chicken pieces fry for about 12 to 15 minutes in total. It may also vary depending on the thickness of the chicken pieces. Here I have used chicken drumsticks and thighs which took 15 minutes to cook well. Whatever the chicken size, or the parts, always make sure to check the thickest part of the chicken's internal temperature to be 165°F.
All-purpose flour and cornstarch are considered best for breading the chicken especially to make deep-fried chicken. These flours deliver a crispy and crunchy exterior to the chicken
For frying the chicken, the oil should reach the temperature of 325°F and it can range from 325°F to 350°F. Always make sure to maintain the temperature of the oil within the above-mentioned range throughout the frying process. This will helps you to achieve a crispy outer layer and juicy insides.
I hope you enjoyed the recipe I shared here and would love to hear from you about how it turned out for you. Please let me know.
If you have any other questions, feel free to post them in the comment section below and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Happy Cooking!
Jerry Greger
Frying chicken for me is therapy. I do it to relax and enjoy memories of my mother's delicious fried chicken. I'm going to try this recipe, thank you.
Sangeetha Vel
Hi Jerry,
That's nice to know. Thanks for sharing! I would love to hear your feedback when you give it a try 🙂