Buttermilk Fried Chicken
 
 
Double-dredging the chicken creates an extra-crunchy crust that’s irresistible.
Ingredients
  • 3 cups whole buttermilk
  • ¼ cup hot sauce
  • 1 (3-to 3½-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded and cut into 8 pieces
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more for sprinkling
  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, stir together buttermilk and hot sauce; submerge chicken in mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  2. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture, reserving liquid. In a shallow dish, whisk together 2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and pepper. In another shallow dish, whisk together remaining 2 cups flour and remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Whisk eggs into reserved buttermilk mixture.
  3. Working in batches, dredge chicken in flour mixture with pepper, gently shaking of excess. Dip in buttermilk mixture, letting excess drip off. Dredge in flour mixture with only salt, coating completely. Place coated chicken on a wire rack, and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, in a large cast-iron Dutch oven or deep cast-iron skillet, pour oil to fill halfway, and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°.
  5. Fry chicken in separate batches of white meat and dark meat, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 165°, 6 to 12 minutes. (Adjust heat as needed to keep oil at 350° while frying, and let the oil return to 350° between each batch.) Let chicken drain on a clean wire rack. Sprinkle with additional salt, if desired.
Notes
KITCHEN TIP- If you do not want to cut up a whole chicken, you can substitute two drumsticks, two thighs, two wings, and two breasts for the whole chicken; all chicken pieces should be skin-on and bone-in. For a helpful guide to deep-frying, visit southerncastiron.com/ask-expert-deep-frying.
Recipe by Southern Cast Iron at https://southerncastiron.com/master-class-classic-fried-chicken/