Southern Fried Chicken Biscuits (Printable)

Crispy fried chicken with soft, buttery biscuits offering a comforting Southern-inspired meal.

# What You Need:

→ For the Fried Chicken

01 - 8 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken (legs, thighs, breasts, or a mix)
02 - 2 cups buttermilk
03 - 2 teaspoons hot sauce (optional)
04 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
05 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
06 - 1 tablespoon paprika
07 - 2 teaspoons garlic powder
08 - 2 teaspoons onion powder
09 - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
10 - 2 teaspoons salt
11 - 1 teaspoon black pepper
12 - Vegetable oil, for frying

→ For the Buttermilk Biscuits

13 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
14 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
15 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
16 - 1 teaspoon salt
17 - 1 tablespoon sugar
18 - 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
19 - 3/4 cup cold buttermilk (plus extra for brushing)

# How To Make It:

01 - In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk and hot sauce. Add the chicken pieces, turning to coat thoroughly. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight for best results.
02 - Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Add cold butter and use a pastry cutter or fingers to work it in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk just until combined; do not overmix.
03 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Use a round cutter to cut biscuits, rerolling scraps if needed. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush tops with extra buttermilk. Bake 12-15 minutes until golden. Cool slightly before serving.
04 - In a shallow dish, mix flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off. Dredge each piece in the seasoned flour, pressing firmly to adhere coating. Place on a wire rack and rest for 10 minutes.
05 - Fill a large, heavy skillet or Dutch oven with 1 inch of vegetable oil. Heat to 350°F. Fry chicken in batches, skin side down first, until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F), about 15-18 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.
06 - Serve the hot fried chicken with freshly baked buttermilk biscuits while warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The buttermilk marinade makes the chicken impossibly tender, almost like it's been braised instead of fried
  • That spicy flour crust creates the most satisfying crunch echo youll ever hear in your kitchen
  • Homemade biscuits are easier than you think and theyre the perfect vehicle for mopping up every last drop of honey butter
02 -
  • That 10-minute rest after dredging isn't optional, the coating needs time to dry out and adhere or it'll slide right off in the oil
  • Use a thermometer instead of guessing, oil that's too cool makes soggy chicken and oil that's too hot burns the crust before the meat cooks through
  • Don't crowd the pan, lowering the oil temperature is the quickest way to ruin a batch of fried chicken
03 -
  • Let your fried chicken rest on a wire rack instead of paper towels, the air circulation keeps the crust crisp all over instead of creating soggy spots
  • Grate frozen butter into your biscuit flour instead of cutting it in cubes, it distributes more evenly and you don't have to work the dough as much

Return