Everyone loves a fresh batch of crispy buttermilk fried chicken! This simple fried chicken recipe will have your chicken tasting and CRUNCHING amazing. The golden-brown crispy crust and special injected flavoring will make this recipe one of your favorites.
I have been eating buttermilk fried chicken since I can remember. It is such a classic dish that you could eat anytime- any place. Some of my favorite fried chicken is from my mom and Popeyes. Both have that perfect combination of flavor and crunch while still leaving the chicken juicy!
After trying many recipes to make my own favorite fried chicken, I developed a recipe that is absolutely one of the best! Below I will show you how to use an injectable marinade to marinade the chicken from the inside and out.
The impact of seasoning every part of the meat creates an all-around delicious piece of fried chicken without any complicated steps.
The Star Ingredients
Creole Butter Marinade
This is the best part of the recipe! The creole butter is going to be injected into the chicken, inputting the flavorful creole seasoning and adding buttery moisture to the meat.
My favorite brand to use is Tony Chachere Injectable Marinades with Injector, Creole Style Butter. It is the same marinade that my dad uses every year for our Thanksgiving turkey. It is a flavor I crave every year!
Tony Chachere has a few more flavors such as Butter/Jalapeno, Honey Ham, and Roasted Garlic if you want to try a different flavor. If you are not keen on the idea of injecting your chicken – this Buttermilk Fried Chicken recipe will also provide you with a moist crispy chicken.
Chicken
Something that I like most about chicken is that it comes in so many forms. Whether you like white meat or dark meat, frying chicken will always result in a delicious dish. In this recipe, we are using drumsticks. We are looking forward to trying the recipe on every cut of chicken. My favorite is bone-in skin-on thighs!
If you are using bone-in or bone-out, be sure the internal temp reaches 165F. Bone-in will take a little longer to cook than bone-out.
You can brine bone-in for less time than bone-out. The bone will aid in the chicken staying moist. And with injecting the chicken with more marinade, the meat will be incredibly flavorful and juicy.
Buttermilk
This will be the base of the chicken crust. Buttermilk is going to act as a brine to keep the chicken moist as it cooks. And with adding spices to the milk, it will season the meat beyond the surface.
What if don’t have buttermilk?
You can follow this simple recipe to make your own buttermilk.
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It consists of just milk and lemon juice.
Flour and Cornstarch
Cornstarch is a very important element in producing the crunchiest crust. I highly recommend using it and not substituting it for something else. Although it is possible to still get a good crunchy crust with just flour and baking powder. It just won’t be as crispy as you may want.
Seasoning Mix
It is important to add flavor to every part of the chicken process. The seasoning used in this recipe are:
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Smoked Paprika
Dried Oregano
Cayenne Pepper
Salt and Pepper
Ground Mustard
You can add more of your go-to seasonings but remember to watch the amount of sodium.
Oil
When frying anything, you are going to want to use an oil that has a high smoke point.
Smoke point is the temperature where the oil no longer glistens but starts to burn and smoke.
Vegetable and Canola oil are the best in my opinion. Vegetable Oil’s smoke point is around 428 degrees and Canola oil’s is around 450 degrees. Corn Oil is also a good choice.
How to make Buttermilk Fried Chicken?
Brining the chicken.
In a large bowl, blend the buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. With the injector included with the marinade kit, inject each piece of chicken with the full 1 oz injection and place it in the buttermilk bath.
Stick the marinate in different parts of the chicken to help force it all in.
Marinate the chicken.
You can marinate the chicken for as short as 30 min since we injected it with a marinade but longer will input more juiciness.
Fry the chicken.
Heat your frying oil to 350F and line a plate with paper towels. Blend the flour and seasonings in a Ziplock bag. Fry the chicken, about 2-3 pieces at a time, for about 10-12 minutes per side or until golden brown. Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F, remove it from the oil onto your paper towel-lined plate to cool. Immediately sprinkle with kosher salt.
Why is my fried chicken so dark?
If your chicken’s skin is cooking too fast, then your oil is most likely too hot. With a candy thermometer, you can keep a watch on how hot your oil is getting. Without a thermometer, you are going to develop the skill of being able to tell if the oil is just right to cook the chicken skin at a speed that allows the chicken to be fully cooked while still having a golden-brown color.
The chicken should not begin to brown until about 5-6 minutes in.
Why is my fried chicken not crispy/greasy?
When you are frying your chicken, but it is coming out soggy or greasy then your oil is too low. Again, using a candy thermometer can help with this. Be sure you are preheating the oil to the proper temperature and do not crowd the pan. Fry 3-4 pieces at a time to allow for space in between and the oil can stay at a stable temperature.
Why is my fried chicken breading falling off?
While you are frying the chicken, the skin/batter is cooking separately. After your chicken has been brining and you are ready to start frying, I always take the chicken right out of buttermilk, allow the residual buttermilk to drip off, and into the flour. Draining off the excess buttermilk allows the batter to adhere to the chicken better.
How to serve fried chicken?
I know many family members that can eat chicken at any temperature, but I love it fresh out of the fryer – almost too hot to eat!
Once you finished frying your chicken, you can keep it warm in a warming drawer or in the oven at a very low temperature. Be careful to leave it in dry heat for too long as this can eventually dry out the meat.
Some of my favorite side to eat with fried chicken is:
Mashed Potatoes
Mac and Cheese
Cajun Rice
Corn on the Cob
Roasted Broccoli
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Storing & Leftover Chicken
To store leftover chicken, refrigerate it in either a Ziplock bag or an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Using a heavy bottom pan helps the oil heat up evenly throughout the pan. If you have a candy thermometer, it will help you regulate the temperature as the chicken cooks.
To reheat your leftover chicken, place it in under a 350-375F broiler for about 10-15 minutes with a couple drops of water at the bottom of the pan. The idea is to heat up and re-crisp up the skin while not drying out the meat.
Tips and Tricks
- Brine your chicken for at least 30 mins to get as much flavor in the meat as possible.
- Using a heavy bottom pan helps the oil heat up evenly throughout the pan. If you have a candy thermometer, it will help you regulate the temperature as the chicken cooks.
- Don’t cook too many pieces of chicken at the same time. It can lower the temperature of the oil too much, affecting the crust’s crispness and drying out the meat.
Injected Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Equipment
- Duct Oven
- Cast Iron Pan
Ingredients
- 1/2 Bottle of Tony Chachere Injectable Marinades with Injector, Creole Style Butter
Brine
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 4-5 dashes hot sauce
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- 2 lbs drumsticks
Dredging Mix
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 3 Tbsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 Tbsp ground mustard
Instructions
- In a large bowl, blend the buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, and pepper.
- With the injector included with the marinade kit, inject each piece of chicken with the full 1 oz injection and place it in the buttermilk bath. (Stick the marinate in different areas of the chicken to help force it all in)
- Transfer everything to a Ziplock bag, getting as much air out of the bag as possible. Refrigerate for about 3-4 hours. You can marinate the chicken for as short as 30 min since we injected it with a marinade, but longer will input more juiciness.
- In a cast iron pan or duct oven, heat the oil to 350 F and set up a large plate lined with folded paper towels.
- In another large Ziploc bag, mix the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, ground mustard, salt, and pepper.
- When the oil is ready, take one piece of chicken out of the buttermilk mixture. Allow the excess buttermilk to run off. Do not pat dry or wash off the buttermilk. Drop the chicken into the flour and shake until fully coated.
- Fry the chicken, about 2-3 pieces at a time, for about 10-12 minutes per side or until golden brown. Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F, remove it from the oil onto your drying area to cool. Immediately sprinkle with kosher salt.
- Serve while hot and Enjoy!
Notes
- Brine your chicken for at least 30 mins to get as much flavor in the meat as possible.
- Using a heavy bottom pan helps the oil heat up evenly throughout the pan. If you have a candy thermometer, it will help you regulate the temperature as the chicken cooks.
- Don’t cook too many pieces of chicken at the same time. It can lower the temperature of the oil too much, affecting the crust's crispness and drying out the meat.