Description
Barefoot Contessa’s buttermilk fried chicken recipe delivers crispy, golden perfection with Ina Garten’s signature touch. Southern-style comfort shines through expertly seasoned chicken that promises delightful crunch and rich flavor you’ll savor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 boneless chicken breasts
- 475 milliliters (16 fl oz) buttermilk
- 440 grams (15.5 oz) plain flour
- 2.7 liters (91 fl oz) rapeseed oil
- 4 tsps baking powder
- 2.5 tsps smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 jalapeño pepper, halved lengthwise
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Marinade Preparation: Whisk buttermilk, shallot, garlic, jalapeño, sea salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl, creating a zesty flavor-infusing liquid.
- Chicken Preparation: Butterfly and slice chicken breasts into six uniform pieces, ensuring consistent thickness for even cooking.
- Marinating Process: Completely submerge chicken in the aromatic buttermilk mixture, seal, and refrigerate for 8-24 hours to enhance tenderness and flavor absorption.
- Dredging Station: Blend all-purpose flour, baking powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, celery salt, sea salt, and black pepper to create a complex seasoning coating.
- Equipment Setup: Preheat oven to 250°F and position a wire rack inside a baking tray to maintain chicken’s temperature and crispiness during cooking.
- Oil Heating: Fill a heavy-bottomed pot with rapeseed oil to 2 inches depth, heating to precisely 350°F using a digital thermometer for optimal frying conditions.
- Coating and Frying: Remove chicken from marinade, thoroughly coat in seasoned flour mixture, then carefully lower three pieces into hot oil, frying 5-6 minutes until golden-brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Batch Cooking: Transfer each batch to the oven rack, maintaining warmth and crispiness while completing subsequent frying rounds.
- Finishing Touches: Sprinkle additional sea salt over the chicken, garnish with freshly chopped parsley, and serve immediately for maximum flavor and texture.
Notes
- Marinate Smartly: Let chicken soak in buttermilk mixture between 12-18 hours for maximum flavor penetration and tenderness, avoiding over-marinating beyond 24 hours.
- Temperature Precision: Use a digital thermometer to monitor oil heat at exactly 350°F, ensuring crispy exterior without burning or undercooking chicken.
- Double-Dredge Technique: Re-dip and re-coat chicken in flour mixture after initial coating creates an extra crunchy, textured breading that locks in moisture.
- Batch Cooking Mastery: Fry only three pieces simultaneously to maintain consistent oil temperature and prevent overcrowding, which leads to soggy chicken.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 750
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 30 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg