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Country Fried Chicken

Country fried chicken with a buttermilk marinade, shatteringly crunchy flour dredge, and rich country gravy. Deep golden, pan-fried chicken stays juicy while the crust crisps and you pour warm gravy over top.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
marinating 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Southern American
Calories: 900
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and buttermilk marinade
  • 3 lb bone-in chicken pieces
  • 2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp hot sauce
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
Dredge coating
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.25 cup cornstarch
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
Frying
  • 1 vegetable oil for frying
Country gravy
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 0.3333 cup flour
  • 2 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. In a bowl, mix buttermilk with hot sauce, salt, and black pepper until combined. Add the bone-in chicken pieces, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour (up to overnight), turning once if you like.
Make the dredge
  1. In a shallow bowl, whisk all-purpose flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, and black pepper until evenly colored.
Dredge and fry
  1. Remove chicken from the buttermilk marinade and let excess drip off, then dredge pieces in the flour mixture, pressing the coating to adhere. Arrange dredged chicken on a rack or tray while the oil heats.
  2. Heat vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet to 325F. Fry chicken 12-15 minutes per side, until deeply golden and cooked through (165F internal), using tongs to avoid knocking off the crust.
Make country gravy
  1. Reduce heat slightly and melt butter in the same skillet. Whisk in flour and cook 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste, then gradually whisk in whole milk and chicken broth and cook until thick.
  2. Season the gravy with plenty of salt and lots of black pepper. Keep warm so it pours easily over the chicken.
Serve
  1. Serve the fried chicken smothered in country gravy and finish with cracked black pepper for a fresh, speckled look.

Notes

Pro tip: press the dredge firmly onto the chicken so the crust clings and shatters when you bite. Refrigerate marinated chicken up to 24 hours; cooked chicken keeps 3-4 days in the fridge and reheats best in an oven to re-crisp. Freezing is not recommended for the fully fried crust, but you can freeze cooked chicken up to 2 months and reheat until hot. For a lighter option, use low-fat buttermilk and partially skim the milk in the gravy (texture will be slightly less rich).