Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Sour Cream and Honey Sauce

fried chicken on a cooling rack with honey in a bowl

5 from 5 votes

Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Sour Cream and Honey Sauce

This buttermilk fried chicken is a family recipe that has been passed down for generations. It's juicy, and tender chicken brined in buttermilk and seasonings, then fried to crispy perfection!

Prep Time4

Cook Time25

Total Time4 25

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 592kcal

Author: Britney

Equipment

Dutch Oven or Deep Skillet
Candy Thermometer
Paper Towels

Ingredients

2 pounds Chicken (chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or chicken tenders)
3 cups Buttermilk
2 tbsps Hot Sauce
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
Lawry’s garlic salt
Rosemary
Red pepper flakes
Onion powder
Smoked paprika
2 cups All Purpose Flour
½ cup Corn Starch
Scallions, for garnish

Instructions

Pour buttermilk, hot sauce, and cayenne pepper into a large bowl and add chicken. Make sure that chicken is fully submerged in the buttermilk. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and allow chicken to soak in buttermilk mixture for 4 hours (up to overnight) in the refrigerator.
Remove chicken from the buttermilk and pat dry with paper towels – save the buttermilk.
Add seasonings to the chicken. (there’s not real measurement of each just coat both sides of the chicken with them, light on the red pepper flakes and rosemary and heavy on the garlic salt, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Trust me, you can’t go wrong) Let the seasonings sit on the chicken for about 20 minutes.
In a shallow dish, combine flour and cornstarch and the seasonings.
Heat oil over medium heat in a deep skillet or pot, oil should be about 4-5 inches deep in the pan. Heat to roughly 360-380 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grab the bowl of buttermilk and set it next to the seasoned flour mixture. Dredge marinated chicken pieces into the flour mixture, dip it into the buttermilk, and then back into the flour mixture – make sure the chicken is doused in flour, none of the meat should be exposed.
After dredging the chicken, place chicken on a wire rack and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
Fry 2-3 piece of chicken at a time and let the chicken cook until crispy and golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. Cooking time will vary with the thickness of the meat. To ensure chicken is thoroughly cooked, use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F.
Use tongs to remove the chicken from the oil and let the cooked chicken rest on a cooling rack or paper towels.
Add chicken to a large plate. Chop up some scallions and sprinkle over top of chicken.
Eat! :)

Notes

Substitutions

Gluten free - use almond flour instead of all purpose flour for a gluten free fried chicken.
Dairy free - use a dairy free milk and add 1 tbsp of white vinegar per cup of milk to make the buttermilk marinade.

Tips for the Best Fried Chicken

Season the flour and the chicken! This easy step makes the perfect fried chicken every time!
Do not overcrowd the pan! When frying, try to fry only 2-3 pieces at a time so that each piece can cook fully. If you add too many pieces of chicken to the pot, it'll lower the temperature of the oil and the chicken won't become nice and crispy and will also take longer to cook.
Be mindful of oil temperature! When deep frying, I like to use a candy thermometer to keep a watch on my oil. For crispy chicken, try to keep it between 360-380 degrees F.
Don't skip the marinade! This buttermilk marinade ingredients makes for juicy chicken by breaking down the proteins in the chicken which makes it super tender!

Nutrition