Mamaw’s Southern Buttermilk Chicken

Description

This recipe was given to me from a friend’s housekeeper, who was kind to share it with me. It was passed down through her family. Chicken would be fried early in the morning or night before, then placed in the oven to finish while at church, then served for Sunday lunch. It is the best fried chicken around! Love and thanks, Maxine!

Ingredients

  • 1 (3 pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
  • 2 quarts buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®)
  • 2 tablespoons crushed garlic
  • 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
  • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon ground dried sage
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder

Instructions

  1. Rinse the chicken
  2. and cut the chicken breast halves in half horizontally to make 10 pieces in all. Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Combine the buttermilk
  3. hot pepper sauce
  4. and garlic in a large plastic zipper bag. Add the chicken pieces
  5. and squeeze the air out of the bag
  6. close it
  7. and refrigerate overnight.
  8. The next day
  9. preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  10. Heat the vegetable oil in a large
  11. deep-sided skillet over medium heat until the oil shimmers but doesn’t smoke. Whisk together the flour
  12. brown sugar
  13. salt
  14. black pepper
  15. sage
  16. paprika
  17. and garlic powder in a large bowl. Remove 2 or 3 pieces of chicken at a time from the buttermilk mixture
  18. and press into the flour mixture until well coated. Shake off excess flour.
  19. Fry 2 or 3 pieces of coated chicken at a time in the hot oil until the crust is golden brown
  20. 3 to 5 minutes (chicken meat may still be pink inside). Drain on paper towels
  21. and place into a 9×13-inch baking dish.
  22. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 1 hour.

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr 20 mins

Total Time: 9 hrs 50 mins

Servings: 10

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