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This extra-crispy bourbon fried chicken is the most flavorful and crispiest chicken that I’ve tasted in a long time. It’s my ‘go-to’ chicken for picnics, parties, and family dinners.
There is nothing more satisfying and delicious than biting into a piece of fried chicken that has a perfectly salty, crunchy coating and a flavorful and juicy interior. As humans, we are programmed to crave such fatty, salty goodness. I like to think that it’s biological to crave fried chicken.
This recipe uses simple pantry ingredients and packs a punch of flavor.
For the juiciest and most tender chicken, a full-fat buttermilk marinade is the way to go. You’ll want to marinate the chicken for at least four hours, but the longer the better.
The buttermilk breaks down the protein fibers in the meat, thus making it very tender. By adding seasoning to the buttermilk, you’ll be adding tons of flavor.
Cleanup on this recipe is easier than you think because both the marinade and dredge ingredients go into zip-top bags.
First, make the marinade by combining the buttermilk, eggs, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a large bag. Toss in the chicken and allow it to marinate in the refrigerator for at least four hours, but overnight is even better.
Then in another zip-top bag, add all of the dry ingredients and shake to combine.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, shake off the excess liquid, and toss it into the bag of dry ingredients. Shake it in the breading and pat the coating onto the chicken.
Fry those beautiful chicken pieces until they’re golden brown and crispy.
This chicken is best eaten hot from the fryer, but sometimes you’re going to have leftovers.
So, how do you reheat the chicken without it becoming a tough, rubbery weapon? First, whatever you do DO NOT MICROWAVE THE CHICKEN. The meat will be tough and rubbery and the coating will be greasy and soggy.
Instead, wrap the pieces in foil and bake them in a 400-degree oven for about 20 minutes. The coating won’t be as crunchy, but the meat will retain its moisture and flavor.
I like to serve Extra Crispy Bourbon Fried Chicken with Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad, Vinegar Based Cole Slaw, Cheddar Jalapeno Bread, and Red Velvet Cupcakes for dessert.
PrintThis extra-crispy bourbon fried chicken is moist, flavorful, and tender with a crispy, crunchy exterior. It’s perfect for Sunday family dinners, barbecues, picnics, or parties.
For the marinade:
For the dredging mixture:
In a large ziplock bag, pour in the buttermilk, eggs, bourbon, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken pieces and zip the bag securely.
Use your hands to massage the marinade into the chicken pieces. Refrigerate for 4 or more hours.
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a wire rack over the baking sheet. Set aside.
In a large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven, pour enough peanut oil to reach about 1-inch in depth. Use a thermometer to heat the oil to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, in another large zip lock bag, combine the flour, cornstarch, Old Bay Seasoning, poultry seasoning, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, white pepper, and cayenne pepper. Shake to mix thoroughly.
Use one piece of chicken at a time. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk marinade. Shake off any excess liquid.
Add the chicken piece to the bag of coating and shake well. Press the coating onto the chicken. Tap off excess breading.
Place the chicken on the wire rack over the prepared baking sheet and repeat the process with the remaining chicken. Allow the chicken to sit for 10 minutes for the breading to ‘adhere’ to the meat.
Fry 3-4 pieces of chicken at a time. Don’t overcrowd the skillet or Dutch oven.
Try to keep the temperature as close to 350 degrees as possible.
Fry each piece of chicken for 12-15 minutes until the chicken turns a beautiful, deep golden brown, turning each piece halfway through until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees.
Use a spatula or wire spider to remove the chicken and place on the prepared baking sheet and rack. Keep warm in the preheated oven while you fry the remainder of the chicken. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before serving.