Southern fried chicken has a golden brown super crispy outer crust and juicy-moist chicken inside. Get ready to indulge, this is simply the best-fried chicken you'll ever make! Plan it and make a great treat for weekend indulgence.
Into a large stainless steel pan, add crushed garlic, black peppercorns, bay leaves, fresh thyme, brown sugar, and salt. Add boiling water and stir until salt and sugar is dissolved. (if salt does not dissolve easily, you can place the pan on the stove and heat it until salt is dissolved completely).
Once salt is dissolved, add room temperature water. Keep it aside until it cools completely.
Score chicken pieces. Place chicken pieces in brine. Cover the top with grease-proof paper or cling film. Place it in the fridge for 6-8 hours.
Remove chicken from the brine, shake off liquids, and put it into a zip lock bag.
Pour buttermilk into zip-lock bags. Coat all chicken pieces well in buttermilk. The acidity in buttermilk will help tenderize the chicken and help with the flavors. Push air out of the bag and seal the chicken inside a zip lock bag. Place the butter-milked chicken in the fridge for another 8 hours.
Mix of plain flour, baking powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Remove chicken from buttermilk. Shake off excess liquids and dip in directly in the flour mix. Get your fingers in to coat the chicken well in the flour mix.
Heat oil in deep deep-bottomed pan to 350 degrees F.
Place chicken in hot oil without overcrowding the pan. Toss and cook until golden brown on all sides just for a few minutes.
Remove it onto a try baking tray. Arrange all fried chicken on a baking tray in one layer. Grab a few thyme leaves; dip in excess oil in the tray and sprinkle all over the chicken for one final aromatic flavor hit.
Place the tray in preheated oven at 325 degrees F. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the baking tray onto a wire mesh. Serve immediately with cabbage slaw and mashed potatoes.
It's best served immediately.
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Notes
Don’t skip any step mentioned in the recipe. Brining, butter milking, and coating with flour - each step adds to making the BEST fried chicken with a perfectly crispy outer crust and the juiciest moist chicken inside!
Score chicken pieces to ensure the flavor is added both inside and out.
We recommend you use vegetable oil or other flavorless oil like canola or peanut oil for deep frying.
Wait until oil is heated to 350 F before you start frying the chicken.
Do not crowd the pan while deep frying the chicken. Â
Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.