Black Folks Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe
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Passed down on Sunday dinner tables, celebrated at cookouts, and perfected in cast iron skillets seasoned by generations of soul, Black folks’ buttermilk fried chicken is more than a recipe. It’s a soul food legacy!
Crispy, juicy, and seasoned like it means it, this chicken speaks to the heart of Black Southern cooking. The buttermilk brings the tenderness, the spices bring the soul, and the sizzle in hot oil brings it all together in a golden, crunchy masterpiece that makes you wanna dance in your seat.
Why use buttermilk for fried chicken?
Buttermilk isn’t just a Southern signature. It’s the secret to chicken that’s tender to the bone and full of flavor in every bite. Here’s why Southern soul food cooks like me use it:
Buttermilk tenderizes the meat because it’s naturally acidic, which helps break down the tough proteins in the chicken without making it mushy. That means juicy, tender chicken that practically melts in your mouth—not dry, not chewy, just right! And now, because the chicken is more tender, the flavors from the soul food seasonings can be easily absorbed not just on the surface, but through and through.
Ingredients
Black folks’ buttermilk fried chicken is not just food—it’s a full-body experience, a crispy celebration of culture, flavor, and soul that hits every note like a gospel choir on Sunday morning. Here’s a list explaining what each ingredient brings to the table.
- Buttermilk serves as both a tenderizer and a flavor booster. Its tangy acidity softens the chicken and helps spices soak deep into the meat. It also acts as a sticky base to help the flour coating cling just right.
- Peanut oil (or vegetable oil) brings a high smoke point and a clean, nutty flavor that won’t overpower your seasoning. Vegetable oil works too. It’s also neutral and dependable for that golden, crispy Southern fry.
- All-purpose flour is the crispy canvas. It forms the base of the breading that turns into that iconic crunch. Season it well—it’s the difference between fried chicken and great fried chicken, aka soul food fried chicken!
- Egg helps bind the buttermilk to the chicken and gives your dredge something to hold onto. It’s what makes the crust hug the meat instead of sliding off.
- Garlic powder adds a warm, savory depth. It’s not loud, but it’s always working in the background, bringing earthy richness to each bite.
- Onion powder is sweet, aromatic, and it lifts the flavor and pairs beautifully with garlic powder. This duo is essential in soul food seasoning.
- Paprika brings a subtle swarm, earthy sweetness and it rounds out the salt and pepper. It also adds that rich reddish color to your crust, because Southern fried chicken should look as good as it tastes!
- Red pepper (chili pepper) adds a subtle heat that hums in the background. Not hot, just enough to make the flavor pop.
- Poultry seasoning or all-purpose seasoning is the “grandma’s touch” blend. A mix of herbs or a house spice blend adds complexity and that unmistakable soul food flavor profile.
- Salt is the foundation. It enhances every other flavor. Don’t skip or skimp. It makes the difference between bland and bangin’!
- Black pepper is sharp, bold, and essential with its deep, peppery warmth that plays beautifully with garlic, onion, and salt.
How to make buttermilk fried chicken
Step-by-step instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below, but here’s a quick overview.
- Marinate the chicken in buttermilk in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours.
- Mix the seasonings and rub it on the chicken.
- Dredge the chicken using my easy 3-step process: coat it in seasoned flour, dip it in the buttermilk and egg mix, and then toss it in flour again.
- Fry the chicken in hot oil in the skillet.
- Drain the fried chicken in a closed container lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil, then serve and enjoy!
The secret to flavorful fried chicken
The chicken is seasoned before the dredge because this isn’t surface-level seasoning. It’s soul-deep! Black folks don’t believe in bland breading, so the flour gets hit with its very own spice mix, just like the chicken got, because the crunch should sing too! The result is layered flavor, loud and in stereo, in the best way: juicy on the inside, bold and crispy on the outside.
Knowing when homemade fried chicken is done
Cook the chicken in a skillet for 10 to 15 minutes per side, until the crust is golden brown and deliciously crispy. If you’re still learning what “done” looks like, don’t guess! Grab a thermometer.
Fried chicken is fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F. So, an instant-read thermometer is your best friend for checking both the doneness of the chicken and the temperature of the oil for perfect frying every time.
Equipment
- Large bowl for the buttermilk marinade
- Large cast iron skillet 8-10"
Ingredients
Ingredients for the buttermilk marinade
- 3 cups buttermilk To make homemade buttermilk, use 3 cups of milk combined with 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
Ingredients for the buttermilk fried chicken
- 6-8 pieces chicken or one 3-pound chicken cut into pieces
- 48 oz peanut oil or vegetable oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour divided
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning or all-purpose seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon red pepper
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg
- ½ tablespoon buttermilk To make homemade buttermilk, use ½ cup of milk combined with ½ tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
Instructions
Instructions for the buttermilk marinade
- Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour the buttermilk over them. (You want the buttermilk to mostly cover the chicken. If it doesn't, simply add more.)
- Cover the bowl and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours. The longer the chicken marinates, the more tender it will become.
- When you're ready to fry the chicken, remove it from the bowl and discard the buttermilk.
Instructions for the buttermilk fried chicken
- Mix the poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub the seasoning mixture all over each piece of chicken.
- Pour the oil into the skillet until it's approximately 1 inch deep or half full.
- Heat the oil over medium heat or until it reaches 350 degrees F.
- While you’re waiting for the oil to heat up. Place 1 cup of the divided flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and red pepper in a medium-size mixing bowl (or 1-gallon resealable food storage bag).
- Shake (or mix) the sealed bag to combine the ingredients for a homemade poultry seasoning, and set the flour mixture aside.
- Pour the second cup of flour into a second resealable bag (or medium-sized mixing bowl) and set it aside.
- In another medium-sized bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg, and set that mixture aside, too.
- The chicken will go through a 3-step process from here.
- First, place the chicken in the bag (or bowl) of seasoned flour and shake or toss to coat the chicken evenly.
- Second, shake off the excess flour and dip the chicken into the buttermilk mixture.
- Third, transfer the chicken to the last bag (or bowl) of flour and shake or toss until it’s very well coated.
- Place the coated chicken into the pre-heated oil, skin-side down, and be careful not to overcrowd the chicken in the oil. You can fry a second batch if need be to avoid overcrowding by frying all the chicken at once. Just make sure the hot oil remains at 350 degrees F.
- Cook the chicken pieces for 10 to 12 minutes, occasionally turning to prevent excessive browning.
- As the chicken batter turns golden brown, remove it from the hot oil.
- Allow the chicken to drain in a closed container (to keep the fried chicken warm) with a paper towel under the chicken, then serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Anybody who loves fried chicken will surely enjoy this recipe!
I’m sorry, but I didn’t understand the recipe (no Instanta Pot). (1) You use 3 cups of buttermilk for the brine, but when we get to the 2nd phase of the three-step process, you say to dip chicken in buttermilk and egg…how much buttermilk are we using at this point (the same 3 cups we used for the brine?).
(2) The seasoning for the flour… do we mix all of seasoning into the two cups of flour and divide the flour (one cup for the first of the three-step process, and then the last cup of seasoned flour for the third step)?
Thank you.
Thanks for asking! No worries if you don’t have an Instant Pot. You’ll use 3 cups of buttermilk for the chicken marinade/brine. After that, the chicken will undergo a 3-step dredging process to make the seasoned fried chicken batter. The step you’re asking about makes the 3rd dredging mix: Whisk together ½ a cup of buttermilk and 1 egg in another medium-sized bowl.
Question 2: The seasoning for the flour… do we mix all of seasoning into the two cups of flour and divide the flour (one cup for the first of the three-step process, and then the last cup of seasoned flour for the third step)? Answer: Use one cup of flour combined with the seasoning for the first step. And then the last cup of only flour for the second step.
Can I use 1/2 cup of the brine buttermilk for the 1/2 cup buttermilk and just add the egg as it would have been refrigerated during the brining?
The buttermilk will likely curdle after being heated, so it’d be best to start with a new 1/2 cup for the egg mixture.