Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- Yield:1 serving / 1 pound
- Time:1 hr, 6 mins show details
Juicy, crisp bone-in fried chicken is a cast iron classic. We wanted to come up with a foolproof recipe that would ensure chicken with a moist, perfectly seasoned interior and a supercrunchy crust. To start, we brined the chicken in salted buttermilk to infuse it with moisture and flavor. For a perfectly crunchy coating, we combined flour with a little baking powder and some seasonings, then added more buttermilk to make a thick slurry that would cling tightly to the meat. Four cups of oil (instead of the usual 12) was all that was needed to get a perfect light brown crust on our whole batch of chicken. Then to finish cooking we moved the shallow-fried pieces to a hot oven (perched on a wire rack set in a sheet pan to prevent burnt spots and promote air circulation around the meat). This hybrid method gave us perfectly crisp, evenly cooked results that were even better than deep-fried. We got all the benefits of frying without any danger of burnt coating or undercooked chicken.
Credit to: America's Test Kitchen
Ingredients
- 1 poundchicken thighs, 3 pieces
- ½ cupbuttermilk
- 1.2 tablespoonssalt
- 3 teaspoonspepper
- 1½ teaspoonsgarlic powder
- 1½ teaspoonspaprika
- 1 teaspooncayenne pepper
- 1 cupall-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoonsbaking powder
- 2 cupspeanut or vegetable oil
Equipment
- Cast iron/carbon steel pan
- Oven
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Preparation
- 30 mins
Whisk buttermilk, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne together in large bowl. Add chicken, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 3 hours.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder, 2 teaspoons pepper, 1/4 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne together in large bowl. Add 1/8 cup buttermilk marinade and rub into flour mixture using your hands until evenly incorporated and small clumps form. Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, dredge in flour mixture, pressing gently to adhere, then transfer to large plate
- 18 mins
Carefully place half of chicken skin side down in oil. Fry until golden brown, about 6 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through frying. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 350 and 375 degrees. Transfer chicken to prepared rack. Return oil to 375 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken; transfer to prepared rack.
Note: do not fry chicken till deep golden brown because it will get darker in the oven.
- 18 mins
Bake chicken until thighs register 175 degrees. Serve.
Notes
Adjusted recipe from America's Test Kitchen
americastestkitchen.com/r...
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