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Country Fried Chicken

Country fried chicken with a shatteringly crisp, deeply golden crust and rich country gravy. Bone-in chicken is marinated in buttermilk, then dredged and pan-fried to 165°F before serving smothered in peppery gravy.
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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
Calories: 1250
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
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 1 tsp black pepper lots, to taste

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Marinate
  1. Whisk buttermilk with hot sauce, salt, and black pepper until combined. Add bone-in chicken pieces and cover, then marinate 1 hour (up to overnight) in the refrigerator.
Dredge
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, and black pepper in a shallow bowl. Set aside for dredging.
  2. Remove chicken from the buttermilk marinade and let excess drip off. Dredge each piece in the flour mixture, pressing to adhere so a thick coating forms.
Fry
  1. Heat vegetable oil to 325°F in a large cast-iron skillet. Fry chicken 12–15 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through to 165°F internal.
Make gravy
  1. Melt butter in the same skillet (or a saucepan) and whisk in flour. Cook 1–2 minutes, then gradually add whole milk and chicken broth while whisking to smooth out any lumps.
  2. Cook the gravy until thickened, stirring frequently. Season with plenty of salt and black pepper.
Serve
  1. Serve the fried chicken smothered in country gravy. Finish with cracked black pepper if desired.

Notes

For maximum crunch, keep the oil steady at 325°F—if it drops, extend frying a few minutes; if it rises, lower heat to prevent over-browning. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat in a 400°F oven until hot and crisping again. Freezing: chicken and gravy do not freeze as well (texture can soften), but you can freeze cooked chicken only for up to 2 months and re-crisp in the oven. Dietary swap: use gluten-free 1:1 flour and cornstarch in the dredge for a gluten-free option (check labels on spice blends).