Easy fried chicken with homemade potato wedges

Buttermilk chicken recipe

Fried chicken is loved around the world for its juicy flavourful meat and golden crunchy coating. Served for lunch, dinner - and at parties, picnics and every other occasion - fried chicken never fails to please. And any cut of chicken works as long as the flesh is full of flavour and super moist. To ensure the chicken is crispy on the outside yet retains its moisture you need to marinate it in buttermilk. Chicken marinated with buttermilk is generally known to be a product of the American South and has gained popularity around the world for its flavourful, juicy meat. So what does buttermilk do to chicken? The acidity in the fermented milk tenderises the chicken meat and infuses it with plenty of flavour. The chicken is marinated for at least 2 hours so the flavours develop, then it’s coated in flour and spices before it’s fried. The result is super crunchy and packed with irresistible flavours. And the best part is, making your own buttermilk southern fried chicken is so easy! Served with homemade potato wedges, salad and a creamy tartare-style sauce, it’s a winning meal.

Ingredients for buttermilk chicken recipe

All you need for the buttermilk chicken marinade is 1½ cups (375ml) buttermilk and 2 crushed garlic cloves. For this recipe, 8 chicken drumsticks are used. After they’re marinated in the buttermilk brine, they’re coated in a dry mixture of 1 cup (150g) plain flour, 3 tsp smoked paprika and 1 tsp of cracked black pepper. When frying, it’s important to use an oil with a high smoke point and rice bran oil is perfect for this. We’re using 1kg of Red Royale potatoes, cut into wedges, for the homemade potato wedges, and the creamy sauce is made using ⅔ cup (200g) whole egg mayonnaise, 1 tbsp drained capers, 1 tbs chopped dill and a finely chopped gherkin. For the salad, you can use a mix of salad leaves and add extras like cherry tomatoes and mushroom. You’ll also need some lemon wedges on the side to serve.

How to make buttermilk chicken

Chicken in buttermilk couldn’t be easier to prepare. Simply combine the buttermilk and crushed garlic in a large ceramic or glass dish. Avoid using stainless-steel bowls as the metal will react with the acidity in the buttermilk and could change the flavour of the recipe. Add the chicken to the buttermilk marinade and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 2 hours to allow the flavours to develop.

Prepare the dry mixture that you’ll use to coat the chicken. Combine the flour, paprika and pepper in a bowl and season. Then drain the chicken and dip each drumstick in the flour mixture, turning to coat. You can press the flour mixture into the chicken to make sure it sticks. Heat the rice bran oil in a large frying pan and add the chicken. Fry, turning, for 5 minutes or until they’re golden, then place them on the other lined tray. Bake the chicken for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

Prepare your sides

While the chicken marinates in the fridge, bake the potato wedges. First, preheat the oven to 200°C and line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. Then in a large bowl, combine the potato and 2 tbs olive oil and season. Place the potato on one of the lined trays and bake for 30 minutes or until tender.

Make the creamy sauce by combining the mayonnaise, capers, dill and gherkin in a small bowl. For next-level tartare sauce, starring Dijon mustard and more herbs, try our homemade tartare sauce.

Now get cooking

There are more ways to enjoy flavour-packed chicken. Try baking the chicken instead of frying, as seen in this Curtis Stone’s 'fried' chicken with iceberg wedge salad. Short on time? You can still have your southern fried chicken with slaw and corn with our tasty, clever cheats. And for more chicken drumsticks that can’t be beaten, try ginger beer BBQ chicken with pineapple or spice up your weeknights with curried chicken drumsticks with lentil and rice salad.