Picnic Fried Chicken

Total Time

Prep: 30 min. + marinating Cook: 40 min.

Makes

6 servings

Updated: Sep. 07, 2022
For our family, it's not a picnic unless we have fried chicken! Chicken, deviled eggs and potato salad are all musts for a picnic as far as my husband is concerned. This is a golden oldie recipe for me—I've used it any number of times. —Edna Hoffman, Hebron, Indiana

Ingredients

  • 1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 pounds), cut up
  • 3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk
  • COATING:
  • 1-1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • Oil for frying

Directions

  1. Pat chicken pieces with paper towels; place in large flat dish. Pour buttermilk over chicken; cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
  2. Combine coating ingredients in a shallow dish or large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken pieces, 1 at a time, and turn to coat. Lay coated pieces on waxed paper for 15 minutes to allow coating to dry (this will help coating cling during frying).
  3. In a Dutch oven or deep skillet, heat 1/2 in. oil over medium heat to 350°. Fry chicken in batches, uncovered, turning occasionally, until coating is dark golden brown and meat is no longer pink, 7-8 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

Test Kitchen Tips
  • Acidic buttermilk tenderizes the chicken, but plain yogurt will work, too.
  • For a crispy coating that stays put after frying, allow excess buttermilk to drip off before coating chicken in the flour mixture.
  • To keep fried chicken crunchy, we recommend storing it on a wire rack. No more soggy bottoms!
  • Nutrition Facts

    5 ounces cooked chicken: 623 calories, 40g fat (7g saturated fat), 106mg cholesterol, 748mg sodium, 26g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 1g fiber), 38g protein.