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Country Fried Chicken

Country fried chicken with buttermilk-marinated, flour-cornstarch dredged pieces fried in a cast-iron skillet until deeply golden and shatteringly crunchy. Finished with a thick black-pepper country gravy poured over top for a classic Southern American comfort meal.
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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
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 3 lb bone-in chicken pieces
Buttermilk marinade
  • 2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp hot sauce
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
Dredge
  • 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
  • 0.33 cup flour
  • 2 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 0.5 tsp salt to taste
  • 1 tsp black pepper lots, to taste

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. Whisk buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, and black pepper together. Add the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  2. For deeper seasoning, marinate up to overnight in the fridge. Keep covered so the chicken stays submerged.
Dredge
  1. Whisk all dredge ingredients—flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, and black pepper—in a shallow bowl. Make sure the spices are evenly distributed.
  2. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk marinade and let excess drip off. Dredge each piece in the flour mixture, pressing to help it adhere.
Fry
  1. Heat vegetable oil to 325°F in a large cast-iron skillet. The oil should hold steady around 325°F before frying.
  2. Fry the chicken 12-15 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Make country gravy
  1. Melt butter in the skillet (or a saucepan) over heat, then whisk in flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden and smooth.
  2. Gradually add whole milk and chicken broth while whisking, then cook until thick. Season generously with salt and lots of black pepper.
Serve
  1. Serve the fried chicken smothered in country gravy. Finish with extra cracked black pepper if desired.

Notes

For best crunch, keep the oil at 325°F and avoid crowding the skillet so the crust stays shatteringly crisp. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 3 days; reheat in a 350°F oven until hot and lightly crisp. Freezing is not recommended for the fully fried texture, but you can freeze uncooked dredged chicken for later frying. Dietary swap: use buttermilk made with low-fat milk (or lactose-free milk) to reduce richness while keeping the marinade effect.