Nothing says down home comfort food quite like southern fried chicken. That crunchy skin mixed with the perfect spices in the seasoning just takes you home, or at the very least to the South. Serve them with some homemade mashed potatoes, or even a potato salad.
Like any good comfort food recipe, we were looking to make something that wasn’t too difficult. Simply assemble the ingredients and cook with as little fuss in between as possible. At the same time, we wanted to experiment with the coating to find the right spices to add the perfect flavor to the skin that will make this dish a staple in any home. After a little experimenting, we found just the right combination that yielded the perfect taste along with the right skin texture. Keep reading below for our favorite recipe…
Southern Fried Chicken
(makes 6-8 servings)
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- kosher salt
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 1/2 lb chicken cut into 8 pieces
- peanut or vegetable oil for frying
Directions
- Pat the chicken dry, then set aside.
- Combine milk and eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, paprika, crushed red pepper, 2 1/2 tablespoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour mixture.
- Dip the coated chicken in the egg and buttermilk mixture, and dredge once more in the seasoned flour before transferring to the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
- In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 3/4″ of oil to 360F (use a candy thermometer).
- While the oil is heating, set up another baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and set a cooling rack over it.
- Once the oil is at the right temperature, fry half the chicken over medium heat until golden brown, and an instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone registers 165F. (This should take about 16 minutes).
- Transfer to the cooling rack, then repeat with remaining chicken. Serve hot.
- Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from the Food Network