Classic Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Labor Day weekend, the first full one since CJ has a real home in Huntsville and Destiny has a real home in Birmingham and the family has settled into whatever this new shape is—the shape that doesn't include Marcus but that includes the people Marcus loved and is sustained by what Marcus was. I think about shape a lot. The family has a different shape now than it did before March 2018, and I have been learning this new shape the way you learn a new house: you bump into the corners for a while, and then you stop bumping, and then one day the house is yours and the shape of it is natural, and you can't quite remember the old shape anymore, or you can, but the old shape is a memory and the new shape is your life.

Calvin grilled on Monday. We had a proper cookout—CJ came down from Huntsville, Destiny drove over—and I made a full table of sides: potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans with brown sugar and bacon, corn on the cob, watermelon from the farmers market that was perfect because it was the end of the season and the last watermelons of summer are always the most honest ones, the ones that have had all summer to decide what they are. Calvin grilled chicken and burgers with equal attention and unequal skill—the chicken was better—and we sat in the backyard in the September afternoon and ate everything and the year was almost over and we were all still here.

After the kids left Calvin and I sat on the porch in the evening and I said, "We made it through the year." He said, "Yes." I said, "Not the same. But through." He said, "Not the same, but through," and we sat with that, letting it be what it was, not trying to make it more. A year and a half since March third. Through. Not the same. Still here. That is the whole report. That's everything.

Calvin grilled that Monday, and honestly the chicken was the best thing on the table — which felt right, because the chicken always is when someone puts real attention into it. For anyone who wants to carry that same cookout feeling into their own backyard, this classic buttermilk fried chicken is the version I keep coming back to: the long soak in buttermilk is what makes it honest, the way the last watermelons of summer are honest, the way a year you’ve actually lived through is honest. You don’t rush it. You let it be what it is.

Prep Time: 20 minutes + 8 hours marinating | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 8 hours 50 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 1/2 lbs bone-in chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks, breasts)
2 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon hot sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying (about 4 cups)

Instructions

Marinate the chicken. Combine buttermilk, hot sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl or zip-top bag. Add chicken pieces, turning to coat. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight for best results.
Make the dredge. Whisk together flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a shallow dish.
Dredge the chicken. Remove chicken from buttermilk marinade, letting excess drip off. Dredge each piece thoroughly in the seasoned flour, pressing firmly so the coating adheres. Set on a wire rack and let rest 10 minutes — this helps the crust set.
Heat the oil. Pour vegetable oil into a large cast-iron skillet or heavy Dutch oven to a depth of about 1 1/2 inches. Heat over medium-high until the oil reaches 350°F on a thermometer.
Fry in batches. Working in batches to avoid crowding, carefully lower chicken pieces into the hot oil. Fry skin-side down for 12–14 minutes, then flip and fry another 10–12 minutes, until deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Adjust heat as needed to maintain oil temperature.
Drain and rest. Transfer finished pieces to a clean wire rack set over a baking sheet. Let rest 5 minutes before serving so the juices redistribute and the crust stays crisp.

Nutrition (per serving)

Classic Buttermilk Fried Chicken — The Cookout That Carried Us Through