Ultimate Crispy Fried Chicken

Submitted by: admin on April 2, 2020

Serves 4 To 6

Ingredients

8 cups buttermilk
1⁄2 cup plus 2 tablespoons salt
1⁄4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons paprika
3 garlic heads, cloves separated, peeled, and smashed
3 bay leaves, crumbled
3-1⁄2 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed
3–4 cups peanut oil or vegetable shortening
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

  1. Whisk 7 cups buttermilk, salt, sugar, paprika, garlic, and bay leaves together in large container. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
  2. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Rinse chicken well, place in single layer on prepared wire rack, and refrigerate, uncovered, for 2 hours. (At this point, chicken can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 6 more hours.)
  3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Add oil to Dutch oven until it measures 2 inches deep. Heat oil over medium-high heat until it registers 375 degrees.
  4. Meanwhile, place flour in shallow dish or pie plate. Lightly beat egg, baking powder, and baking soda together in medium bowl, then whisk in remaining 1 cup buttermilk (mixture will bubble and foam). Working with 1 chicken piece at a time, dredge in flour, shaking off excess, then coat with egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Dredge chicken in flour again, shake off excess, and return to wire rack.
  5. When oil is hot, carefully place half of chicken in pot, skin side down, cover, and fry until deep golden brown, 7 to 11 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain oil at 325 degrees. (After 4 minutes, check chicken pieces for even browning and rearrange if some pieces are browning faster than others.) Turn chicken pieces over and continue to cook until breast pieces register 160 degrees and thighs and/or drumsticks register 175 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes. (Smaller pieces may cook faster than larger pieces. Remove pieces from pot as they reach correct temperature.) Drain chicken briefly on paper towel–lined plate, then transfer to clean wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in oven.
  6. Return oil to 375 degrees (if necessary) over medium-high heat and repeat with remaining chicken. Serve.

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