Can Southern Fried Chicken be made ahead of time?
Southern Fried Chicken is best cooked and consumed immediately.
Is Southern Fried Chicken suitable for leftovers?
Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and reheated in the microwave or oven, however, the coating will soften. Not suitable to freeze.
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Southern Fried Chicken
A quick and easy recipe to prepare everyone’s favourite Southern Fried Chicken. Serve it with a salad or use it to make delicious burgers.
- Total Time: 13–17 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes, plus extra to serve
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, visible fat trimmed
- 1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk
- 2 cups (300 g) plain (all-purpose) flour
- Oil, for frying (see note 1)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the spices and salt. Sprinkle the mixture over both sides of the chicken.
- Dredge the chicken in the buttermilk, followed immediately by the flour. Shake off any excess.
- In a large, deep pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
- Cook the chicken for 8–12 minutes or until crisp and golden.
- Drain on a paper towel.
- Sprinkle with extra salt to serve.
Notes
Note 1 – Deep-frying is the best way to achieve crispy golden chicken. A high smoke point, neutral oil, such as canola (rapeseed) or vegetable oil, is best. You will need enough oil so that the base of the pan is fully covered and at least 3 cm (11/4 inches) deep. This is a video on how you can clean your oil and reuse it – although I usually skip this step, strain the oil and keep it in a jar, refrigerated, until I need to use it again.
MAKE AHEAD
Best cooked and consumed immediately.
LEFTOVERS
Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and reheated in the microwave or oven, however, the coating will soften. Not suitable to freeze.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 8–12 mins
- Category: chicken, fried chicken, crispy fried chicken, southern fried chicken
- Method: deep pan fry
- Cuisine: American
