Best ever super crispy, golden fried chicken with loaded flavors. This recipe is adapted from Jamie Oliver's Ultimate Southern Fried Chicken.
With fried chicken , If you're in for a disappointment with dry , rubbery and bland chicken inside? Then you should definitely follow this particular recipe , you'll never be disappointed , and it’s a promise!
Jump to:
About this recipe
You would have definitely tried fried chicken in your kitchen, but trust me this is unlike the other fried chicken recipe. This tender and juicy chicken will definitely blow your minds off.
What’s great about this Southern fried chicken recipe ?
Let me tell you , this has perfect outer crumb which is super crisp , at the same time its juicy and flavorful inside. In contrast with the regular rubbery , bland fried chicken.
To be honest , this fried chicken recipe is lengthy and time consuming. But trust me , its all worth it. All you need is to plan it ahead , its a great treat for weekend indulgence.
You may also try Spicy Chicken Wings , Chicken Lollipop , Chilli Capsicum Chicken and Chicken Fried Rice recipe for weekend indulgence.
Watch Video
Tips and Variations to this recipe
There are 5 steps to make this Ultimate Southern Fried Chicken . Brining , Butter milking, flour coating, Frying and Baking.
Brine is a concentrated salt solution. Spices , salt and sugar are added into hot water , and chicken is soaked for 6 to 8 hours in this brine . Brining chicken is the most important step in making flavorful and juicy fried chicken. So don't skip this step . If celery stalk is not available , you can skip or replace with some fresh thyme leaves .
Butter milking is important as acidity in buttermilk ,helps to tenderize the chicken.
Batter / Flour coating , add some spice along with flour. But make sure you just don't use only plain flour for coating chicken. I have used onion powder , garlic powder , pepper powder , paprika , baking powder and salt. You can add or replace any spice of your choice here.
Make your hands dirty , don't hesitate to put your fingers in and coat the slit areas around.
Frying : Place chicken in hot oil without overcrowding , fry chicken in batches . Toss and cook chicken until golden brown on all sides just for 3 to 4 minutes. Place fried chicken on a parchment lined baking tray . Sprinkle some fresh thyme or parsley .
Baking : Now bake chicken in 175 degree Celsius preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes. Don't over bake , it may dry out chicken from inside.
Garnish with fresh thyme or parsley and lemon wedges .
Step by step directions to make fried chicken
Brining
Firstly , into a large stainless-steel pan, add 2 cups of boiling hot water.
Add torn bay leaves , celery stalks, crushed garlic, black pepper corns, Onion peels, brown sugar, salt.
Add 2 cups of more water at room temperature and whisk well until salt and sugar is dissolved completely.
Score chicken pieces until the bones. Place chicken pieces in brine.
Cover the top and place it in fridge for 6-8 hours.
Butter Milking
After brining chicken for 8 long hours or overnight, chicken looks well hydrated and plump.
Remove chicken from the brine, shake off liquids and put it into zip lock bag.
Pour 3 cups of buttermilk into zip lock bags. Coat all chicken pieces well in buttermilk. Push air out off the bag and seal the chicken inside zip lock bag. Acidity in buttermilk helps to tenderize chicken.
Place the butter milked chicken back in fridge for another 8 hours.
Coating in Flour
In a bowl add plain flour, baking powder , salt , pepper , onion powder , garlic powder , smoked paprika , cayenne pepper and pepper powder . You can add or replace with any spices of your choice and flavors.
Mix well everything and prepare spice flour mixture to coat chicken.
Remove chicken from buttermilk. Shake off excess liquids and dip in directly in spice flour mix.
Get your fingers in and coat the slit areas around.
Frying Chicken
Heat oil in a thick deep bottom pan .
Place chicken in hot oil without overcrowding.
Toss and cook until golden brown on all sides just for few minutes. It make take around 3 to 4 minutes only. Make sure you just get a golden colour evenly on all sides of chicken.
Remove it on to a lined baking tray. Arrange all fried chicken on baking tray in one layer. Add some fresh parsley or thyme for some aromatic flavors.
Baking Chicken
Place the tray in pre heated oven at 175 degree C. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
Remove chicken from baking tray onto a wire mesh.
Finally , garnish with some fresh herbs and lemon wedges.
Serve immediately with ketch up , mayonnaise and some cabbage slaw.
It's best served as soon as it's fried. It will turn soggy and loose it's crispiness , if its sits longer.
Recipe
Fried Chicken Recipe | Crispy Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 6-8 Chicken Drumsticks - preferably with skin on
- 3 cups Buttermilk
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
For Brine
- 400 ml Hot water - boiling
- 5 Bay leaves - torn into pieces
- 1 Celery stalk and few fresh leaves
- 6 cloves Garlic crushed
- 3 peels of Onion
- 3 tablespoon pepper corns - roughly crushed
- 5 tablespoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 400 ml Water - room temperature
For Flour Mix
- 1 cup Plain Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
For Garnish
- Fresh Thyme or parsley
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
Brining
- Into a large stainless-steel pan, add 2 cups of boiling hot water.
- Add torn bay leaves , celery stalks, crushed garlic, black pepper corns, Onion peels, brown sugar, salt.
- Add 2 cups of more water at room temperature and whisk well until salt and sugar is dissolved completely.
- Score chicken pieces until the bones. Place chicken pieces in brine.
- Cover the top and place it in fridge for 6-8 hours.
Butter Milking
- After brining chicken for 8 long hours or overnight, chicken looks well hydrated and plump.
- Remove chicken from the brine, shake off liquids and put it into zip lock bag.
- Pour 3 cups of buttermilk into zip lock bags. Coat all chicken pieces well in buttermilk. Push air out off the bag and seal the chicken inside zip lock bag. Acidity in buttermilk helps to tenderize chicken.
- Place the butter milked chicken back in fridge for another 8 hours.
Coating in Flour / Batter
- In a bowl add plain flour, baking powder , salt , pepper , onion powder , garlic powder , smoked paprika , cayenne pepper and pepper powder . You can add or replace with any spices of your choice and flavours.
- Mix well everything and prepare spice flour mixture to coat chicken.
- Remove chicken from buttermilk. Shake off excess liquids and dip in directly in spice flour mix.
- Get your fingers in and coat the slit areas around.
Frying Chicken
- Heat oil in a thick deep bottom pan .
- Place chicken in hot oil without overcrowding
- Toss and cook until golden brown on all sides just for few minutes. It make take around 3 to 4 minutes only. Make sure you just get a golden colour evenly on all sides of chicken.
- Remove it on to a lined baking tray. Arrange all fried chicken on baking tray in one layer. Add some fresh parsley or thyme for some aromatic flavours.
Baking Chicken
- Place the tray in pre heated oven at 175 degree C. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
- Remove chicken from baking tray onto a wire mesh.
- Garnish with some fresh herbs and lemon wedges.
- Serve immediately with ketch up , mayonnaise and some cabbage slaw.
Video
Notes
- Don't skip any of these steps as each steps helps in adding flavors.
- It's best served as soon as it's fried. It will turn soggy and loose it's crispiness, if its sits longer.
Leave a Reply