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Step aside, Kentucky Fried Chicken! KFC can't hold a candle to my Grandma's Legendary Southern Fried Chicken. Infused with a rich blend of herbs and spices and soaked in a brine that guarantees every bite is bursting with juiciness, this family favorite keeps folks lining up for seconds (and thirds!). Grandma's recipe has a way of making every meal feel like a special occasion.
In my family, food is an expression of love, and my Grandma’s Southern Fried Chicken is a cherished tribute to that tradition. This dish is steeped in family history and seasoned with more than just spices—it's cooked with genuine care, making it irresistibly delicious. One vivid memory sticks with me: a particular train journey back to our quaint town in Oklahoma during my elementary school days. My dad, a preacher, had planted our roots in this small community, and our trips to visit my grandparents in Austin, Texas, felt like voyages to an entirely different world.
Our family excursions to Austin were sacred, reserved for the simmering heat of summer and the festive chill of Christmas. One summer, with my dad unable to join us and my mom reluctant to tackle the long drive alone with her young daughters, she opted for an adventure on the Amtrak Train. We were bound for Temple, TX, a mere hour from our grandparents' embrace. The train, with its expansive windows, offered panoramic views of the landscape whizzing by—a thrilling spectacle for two wide-eyed little girls.
Money was tight, and the dining car was beyond our modest budget, so our meals were whatever we packed. On our return, however, Grandma sent us off with a treasure trove: a large container of her famed fried chicken and an assortment of accompaniments. She also packed a coffee can brimming with her homemade gingersnap cookies—those snaps were as much a part of our family’s culinary lore as the chicken.
The secret to her fried chicken passed down through generations and whispered like a culinary spell, lies in meticulously seasoning every layer and using crushed saltine cracker crumbs for that perfect, golden crunch. This chicken isn’t just food; it’s a slice of home, a crunchy, savory reminder of where you come from and what matters most.
Ingredients for Southern Fried Chicken
Chicken:
- Skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces (breast, thighs, legs, wings)
Dry Seasoning:
- Sugar
- Kosher salt
- Smoked paprika
- Ground white pepper
- Ground black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Dry mustard powder
- Dried thyme
- Onion powder
- Celery salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Brine:
- Dill pickle juice
- Frank's Red Hot Sauce
Coating and Dredging:
- Eggs
- Buttermilk
- Frank's Red Hot Sauce
- Flour
- Cornstarch
- Cracker meal (finely crushed saltine crackers)
Frying:
- Peanut or vegetable oil, like Soybean oil
Equipment Used
- Large Zip-Top Plastic Bag – For marinating the chicken.
- Mixing Bowls – Various sizes for preparing the dry seasoning, wet mix, and flour coating.
- Whisk – For thoroughly mixing ingredients in bowls.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons – For accurate measurement of ingredients.
- Deep Fryer or Large Dutch Oven or Deep Cast-Iron Skillet – For deep-frying the chicken.
- Cooking Thermometer – To monitor the oil temperature accurately.
- Tongs – For safely turning the chicken pieces while frying.
- Wire Rack – Placed over a baking sheet to hold the chicken after coating and after frying.
- Baking Sheet – To catch drips under the wire rack.
- Paper Towels – For draining the fried chicken.
- Kitchen Timer or Stopwatch – To track cooking time.
- Meat Thermometer (Instant-read preferred) – To check the internal temperature of the chicken.
Pro Chef Tips for Southern Fried Chicken
- Perfect Spice Blend: Start with a robust mix of spices and set half aside for double flavor impact on every piece.
- Marinade Magic: Soak the chicken in pickle juice and hot sauce to tenderize and infuse it with flavor, preparing it for the delicious journey ahead.
- Room Temperature Rule: Always let your chicken warm up a bit before frying. This ensures it cooks evenly and stays juicy.
- Double-Dip Coating: For that extra-crunchy exterior, coat your chicken twice—once in flour, then in a wet mix, and flour again.
- Rest Before Frying: Give your coated chicken some fridge time. This helps the breading adhere better and enhances crispiness.
- Steady Oil Temperature: Maintain oil at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for the perfect golden fry without the grease.
- Batch Frying: Avoid overcrowding. Cooking in batches ensures each piece crisps up perfectly.
- Wire Rack Cooling: Let fried chicken rest on a wire rack to keep the crunch around every edge.
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How to Make The Best Southern Fried Chicken
- Spice Mix Preparation: In a large bowl, combine your dry seasoning—sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, among other spices—to create a flavor base that speaks of generations of southern cooks. Scoop half of this mixture into a large zip-top plastic bag for the chicken and reserve the other half in the bowl for later dredging.
- Marinating the Chicken: Add your whole chicken, cut into pieces including both white meat and dark meat pieces, to the bag with half of the dry seasoning, pickle juice, and Frank's Red Hot Sauce. This old-school dish will sing with flavors after the chicken marinates. Ensure all pieces of chicken are well-coated, then let them rest under a plastic wrap covered dish or in the zip top bag in the refrigerator. Bringing the chicken to room temperature before cooking ensures even frying.
- Prepare for Frying: In another large bowl, create your milk mixture with buttermilk, hot sauce, and eggs (the egg mixture), and a little bit of cayenne pepper for that extra kick, if you choose. This wet mix will help achieve that crunchy coating we're after.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour (all-purpose flour for a perfect fry), cornstarch, and the remaining spice mix.
- Frying Setup: Pour peanut or soybean oil into a large deep fryer, cast iron skillet or deep skillet and heat over medium-high heat to precisely 325 degrees F. Use an instant-read thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oil, ensuring it's perfect for creating that golden crunch.
- Coating the Chicken: Pat chicken pieces dry to remove excess buttermilk, then dredge in the flour mixture, dip into the egg mixture, and then back into the flour mixture, ensuring a thorough coat. This unique method helps build up the iconic southern crunchy coating.
- Pro Chef Tip for Getting the Breading to Stick: Place all the breaded chicken on a wire rack-lined baking sheet, uncovered, and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight. Let the chicken have a little downtime after breading—it's crucial for those layers of seasoned goodness to dry out a bit and cling to each piece, creating that perfect crunchy armor once it hits the hot oil.
- Cooking the Chicken: When it’s showtime in the skillet, keep your cool and resist the temptation to flip those pieces too soon. Wait for that telltale golden halo to form around the edges, signaling it’s time to let the other side get its moment in the spotlight. And remember, friends don’t let friends crowd their skillet—give your chicken ample space to strut its stuff. If needed, fry in smaller batches to ensure each piece can really shine.
- Post-Frying: After each batch, let the cooked chicken rest on a wire rack over a baking sheet to keep it crispy. This also allows you to prepare the next batch without the previous one getting soggy.
- Serving and Storing: Serve your amazing fried chicken hot and crispy right out of the fryer for that perfect first batch experience. If you have leftover fried chicken, store it properly and enjoy it the next day—it reheats wonderfully, maintaining its delicious crunch and flavor.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH FRIED CHICKEN
Here are my favorite sides to serve with this amazing chicken:
Storing and Reheating Tips:
To keep the leftover magic of this southern fried chicken recipe, I cool it completely on paper towels, then tuck it away in an airtight container. Stored in the fridge, it stays ready to eat for up to five days. When the craving hits, you can eat it cold or hot (I love it both ways!) If you want it hot and crispy, reheat it gently in 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes until it's sizzling hot again.
Please let me know how this Fried Chicken turns out for you in the comments! I love hearing from you!
How to Make Grandma's Southern Fried Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 pieces skin-on bone-in chicken breast, thighs, legs
Dry Seasoning:
- 1 tablespoons sugar
- tablespoons kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoons ground white pepper
- 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard powder
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Brine:
- ½ cup dill pickle juice
- ¼ cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
Wet Ingredients for Dipping
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
Dredge:
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 cup cracker meal finely crushed saltine crackers
Oil for Frying
- 2 quarts peanut oil
Instructions
Season & Brine
- Begin by gathering your dry seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk them together thoroughly. Then, transfer half of this mixture into an extra-large zip-top plastic bag, setting aside the rest for later use.
- Next, place the cut-up chicken into the plastic bag, along with ½ cup of pickle juice and ¼ cup of Frank's Red Hot Sauce. Seal the bag securely and give it a good shake and squeeze to ensure every piece of chicken is evenly coated with the marinade. Stash the bag in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour or as long as 24 hours, flipping the bag occasionally to keep the marinade distributed evenly.
Breading
- When you're ready to bread the chicken, prepare your wet and dry coatings. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the buttermilk, another ½ cup of Frank's Red Hot Sauce, and 2 eggs. Whisk these ingredients together until smooth. In another bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, cracker meal, and the reserved dry seasoning.
- To coat the chicken, work with one piece at a time. Remove a piece from the brine, letting any excess liquid drip off, and then dredge it in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
- Dip it next into the buttermilk mixture, ensuring it's fully coated, then let the excess drip off before returning it to the flour mixture for a final coat. Press the flour mixture onto the chicken to ensure it's completely covered. Set the coated chicken on a wire rack placed over a sheet pan and repeat with the remaining pieces.
- If time permits, set the uncovered breaded chicken on a wire rack-lined baking sheet and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of an hour to help dry out breading.
Fry
- When ready to fry, remove chicken from refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature while the oil is heating.
- Pour about 2 inches of peanut oil into a large Dutch oven or a deep cast-iron skillet. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 325 degrees Fahrenheit, which should take about 5 minutes.
- Fry the chicken in batches. Carefully lower a few pieces into the hot oil and fry them, turning every 1 to 2 minutes until the crust is a deep golden brown and the chicken has cooked through approximately 6 minutes total. Use an instant-read thermometer to check that the thickest parts of the thigh or breast reach at least 165 degrees.
- As each batch finishes, transfer the fried chicken to a wire rack-lined baking sheet. Continue frying the remaining chicken, adjusting the heat as necessary to keep the oil temperature steady at 325 degrees.
- To keep the fried chicken warm while you finish cooking, transfer the batches to a wire rack-lined baking sheet and place them in a warm oven. Serve once all the chicken has been cooked and is piping hot.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is automatically calculated based on ingredient data and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient options are provided, the first listed is used for calculation. Optional ingredients and garnishes are not included in the nutrition analysis.
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