Classic Southern Buttermilk Bathed Fried Chicken Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Why do people soak chicken in buttermilk before frying? ›

The secret to making the perfect fried chicken is the use of buttermilk, as it helps tenderize each piece while leaving each bite juicy and crispy. After marinating, dredge your chicken pieces in the flour mixture and get to frying!

Buttermilk is slightly acidic, so as the chicken marinates, the buttermilk breaks down the proteins in the chicken, tenderising it. Its thicker texture helps completely coat the chicken in the spiced flour mixture so it crisps up well when fried.

A perfectly fried chicken cutlet, pork chop, fish filet, or other protein can be among the tastiest centerpieces of a hearty meal.

No, but you should pat the chicken dry so that the seasonings adhere to the chicken. Can I use milk instead of buttermilk for fried chicken? Milk lacks the acid to tenderize the chicken. You can use milk to make buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice per cup of milk.

Place the breaded chicken on a cooling rack (or a platter) and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This cooling time will help the layers of breading ingredients solidify and adhere better after the chicken cooks. Once you start cooking the chicken, be patient and don't flip it over too early.

Before cooking the chicken, all you need is to pat it dry, not rinsing it. Rinsing it will remove all of the salt that you rubbed on before brining. Patting it dry is all you need!

Directions. Soak chicken in buttermilk with garlic, onions, herbs, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain in colander, leaving some herbs on chicken.

Lightly beat together 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of whole milk, half & half, or light cream. Using a milk based ingredient instead of just plain old water will really help you get a deeper golden brown coating. If you're breading more than two pieces of chicken you'll need to use 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of the milk.

You should always start with a layer of flour. This helps absorb moisture on the surface of the chicken, which would keep the breading from sticking and make a mess in the hot oil. The flour also gives the egg something to cling to—otherwise it would slide right off the chicken.

Both yogurt and buttermilk are good substitutes for eggs. It's best to use plain yogurt, as flavored and sweetened varieties may alter the flavor of your recipe. You can use 1/4 cup (60 g) of yogurt or buttermilk for each egg that needs to be replaced.

How much buttermilk to replace 1 egg? ›

Buttermilk is a great egg replacement in cakes and also brownies. You'll similarly want to replace each egg with about 1/4 cup of buttermilk.

Canola Oil

Benefits: With a high smoke point and neutral flavor, canola oil is excellent for frying chicken. As an added bonus, it has high levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which makes it healthier than other options.

Yes. Just like my buttermilk scones, you can easily swap heavy cream for buttermilk. You will want to add some vinegar to the heavy cream to “curdle” the milk and give it the acidic quality of buttermilk. For 1 cup of heavy cream add 1 tablespoon vinegar.

This usually equates to around 10 minutes for wings and 12 minutes for breasts, thighs and legs. For the best tasting fried chicken with a beautifully even golden crumb, turn your chicken pieces with tongs (being careful not to splash yourself with hot oil) every 1 – 2 minutes.

After brining, the chicken is coated in a batter of flour, spices, and buttermilk. Aside from helping the coating stick to the skin, the buttermilk also contains enzymes that digest proteins in the chicken. This makes the slightly acidic buttermilk perfect for further tenderising the meat [4].

Buttermilk is a secret weapon of many restaurant chefs. They pre-soak chicken, fish and other meats overnight before cooking to give it a hint of tanginess. The good bacteria in buttermilk also speed up the breakdown process; hence it's perfect as a meat tenderizer.

While buttermilk is great for baking, it also does amazing things for meat. Its high acidity level helps tenderize everything from roast chicken to braised pork. We also won't fry our chicken without a buttermilk brine—it keeps the bird moist and juicy underneath that crunchy, crackly crust.