Extra Crispy Fried Chicken, a delicious homemade recipe that is much better than any take-away. The chicken pieces are coated in a nicely-seasoned buttermilk breading that helps create a good crunch and a lovely golden brown colour on the outside, but on the inside the chicken is beautifully moist and tender, and fried to perfection. So easy, and oh-so-satisfying!
You can cook chicken in thousands of ways, you just can't beat fried chicken! There is something so delicious about it, and while it might not be my preferred cooking method, deep frying does make everything really crispy.
One might think that because they are deep dried, these chicken pieces are soggy and greasy, but that's simply NOT the case! You get the crispiest coating you can expect from a homemade recipe, and that with really low effort.
It might not be KFC, but it's pretty close, if you ask me! The chicken keeps its good crunch after it comes out of the frying pan, and every single bite is divine! With just a few tips and good prep, you can get this too!
For my recipe, I used a whole chicken that had been cut into pieces, if you want to see how it's done, you can watch my video : How to Cut Up a Whole Chicken into Pieces. However, you can also use only chicken drumsticks or thighs if you wish.
If you like crispy chicken, and you want to give the air fyer a try too, why not check out my Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Drumsticks? They are really good!
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Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients used for the marinade
- buttermilk - it makes the chicken really nice and tender on the inside, I used it for my Buttermilk Chicken Burger too and it worked very well
- egg - it helps get a thicker coating of flour for extra crispiness
- chicken pieces - from a cut-up whole chicken
How to marinade the chicken pieces - step-by-step photos and instructions
- add the egg to the buttermilk, and use a fork to whisk it well
- add the chicken pieces to a ziplock back, pour over the marinade, and shake the bag well to coat every single chicken piece well
- refrigerate for at least one hour, the longer, the better
Ingredients used to make the chicken breading
- plain flour - it makes a really good coating that stays crispy for longer
- cornflour / corn starch - makes the batter super crispy
- seasoning - for a super tasty chicken
- oil - for frying, I used rapeseed oil, but any other oil with a high smoking point would do
How to fry the chicken pieces - step-by-step photos and instructions
- mix the plain flour with the cornflour and the seasoning
- add a chicken piece to the flour mixture, and coat it really well ( see photo 6)
- repeat with the rest of the chicken pieces
- add the oil to a deep frying pan, and heat it up on a medium to high heat ( mine was on 6 on the induction stove top)
- add the chicken pieces, 2 or 3 at a time and fry until golden brown
- remove them from the pan, and transfer them to a large plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil
Expert tips
Marinating the chicken in the buttermilk egg mixture is crucial for getting a tender and juicy chicken that bursts with flavour - I would go for at least one hour of marinating, but the longer, the better, ideally overnight.
Coat the chicken pieces really well in the flour mixture, and don't worry about the bigger bits of flour that stick together, they actually help with the crispy texture. If necessary, coat the chicken a few times before frying.
I like to coat the chicken and leave it to dry for at least 10-15 minutes, as the crust becomes really dry and crispy and helps achieve the desired texture.
Make sure the oil is very hot before adding the chicken to the pan, otherwise the chicken will absorb too much oil and become soggy and very greasy. Do not overcrowd the pan, make sure there is plenty of room around - working in batches in the way to go.
We want a golden brown colour, so bigger pieces can take 8-10 minutes to fry, if you have lots of chicken pieces, it might take a bit, but it's important not to rush it by having the heat too high, or the inside will not be cooked well.
Recipe FAQs
Working with a mixture of flour and cornflour helps massively in getting the right texture, the cornflour has a high starch content which absorbs the moisture coming from the buttermilk marinade.
The buttermilk marinade is the perfect base for the chicken, once the pieces get dredged in the seasoned flour mixture, leave them to air dry for 10-15 minutes before frying, so the coating can crisp up. If necessary, coat them flour again, and shake off the excess flour.
Other chicken recipes
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Extra Crispy Fried Chicken
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 1 cup buttermilk ( 250 ml)
- 1 egg
- 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
For the breading
- 1 ½ cup flour (180 g)
- ½ cup cornflour ( corn starch, 65 g )
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- ½ tablespoon garlic granules
- ½ tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon groud black pepper
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs
- oil for frying ( the amount of oil used depends on the pan used to fry the chicken)
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the buttermilk and crack in the egg.
- Use a fork to whisk them well.
- Add the chicken pieces to a large ziplock bag, then pour over the buttermilk mixture.
- Shake the bag well to coat the chicken pieces, then leave it to marinate in the fridge for at least one hour.
- To make the breading, mix together the flour, cornflour and seasoning.
- Pour over the flour mixture one or two tablespoons of the marinade, and use your fingertips to rub the flour well to create bigger bits of flour, it helps with a crispy coating.
- Dredge each chicken piece in the flour mixture, then leave them to air dry for 10-15 minutes.
- Heat up oil in a deep frying pan, making sure there is enough oil to fully cover the chicken pieces.
- Fry the chicken pieces in batches( to avoid overcrowding the pan) until they are golden brown.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the pan and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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