Crispy Southern Fried Chicken (Printable Version)

A southern style meal with spiced fried chicken and flaky honey butter biscuits for comfort and flavor.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fried Chicken

01 - 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (legs, thighs, breasts, wings)
02 - 2 cups buttermilk
03 - 2 teaspoons hot sauce, optional
04 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
05 - 1/2 cup cornstarch
06 - 2 teaspoons salt
07 - 1 teaspoon black pepper
08 - 1 teaspoon paprika
09 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
10 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
11 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
12 - Vegetable oil for frying

→ Honey Butter Biscuits

13 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
14 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
15 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
16 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
17 - 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
18 - 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
19 - 2 tablespoons honey

→ Honey Butter Topping

20 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
21 - 2 tablespoons honey

# Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce. Add chicken pieces, turning to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight for optimal flavor development.
02 - In a shallow dish, combine flour, cornstarch, salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Mix thoroughly to ensure even spice distribution.
03 - Remove chicken pieces from marinade, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Coat each piece thoroughly in the flour mixture, pressing gently to ensure adhesion. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
04 - Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven to 350°F. Working in batches, carefully place chicken in hot oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, approximately 15-18 minutes for dark meat and 12-14 minutes for white meat. Transfer to a clean wire rack positioned over a baking sheet.
05 - Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or fingertips, cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk and honey just until dough comes together, avoiding overworking.
06 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Cut into rounds using a biscuit cutter. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
07 - Combine melted butter and honey in a small bowl. Brush generously over hot biscuits immediately after removing from oven.
08 - Plate crispy fried chicken alongside warm honey butter biscuits. Serve immediately while biscuits are warm and chicken is at peak crispness.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The buttermilk marinade makes the chicken so impossibly juicy that people always ask for your secret.
  • That shatteringly crisp crust that stays crispy even as it cools is addictive in ways you won't expect.
  • Homemade honey butter biscuits taste nothing like shortcuts, and the smell alone brings everyone running.
02 -
  • Temperature control for frying is non-negotiable—oil that's too cool gives you greasy, soggy chicken, while oil that's too hot burns the outside before the inside cooks, so invest in a thermometer and trust it.
  • Letting the dredged chicken sit on that wire rack for ten minutes isn't wasted time but actually allows the coating to set slightly, which means it adheres better during frying and creates a significantly crispier crust.
03 -
  • Resting your dredged chicken before frying is the single easiest way to improve crispiness—that ten minutes of sitting time lets the coating set and adhere properly, which changes everything.
  • Keeping your butter and buttermilk genuinely cold when making biscuits is worth the extra effort, as warm ingredients produce dense biscuits instead of those flaky, tender ones that make you wonder why you ever bought them from a store.
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