| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 8 hr 40 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 cups buttermilk, shaken
- 1 shallot, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced crosswise
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 jalapeño pepper (with seeds), halved lengthwise
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 boneless chicken breasts
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 1/2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 2 (48-ounce) bottles canola oil
- Bunch of parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- For the marinade, in a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, shallot, garlic, jalapeño, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
- With a rolling pin or a meat mallet, pound the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of parchment paper until they are evenly 1/2 inch thick. Slice each chicken breast in half crosswise so you have 2 pieces approximately the same size.
- Add the chicken to the marinade, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours but not more than 24 hours.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, celery salt, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper and set aside.
- When ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Place a sheet pan with a baking rack on it in the oven.
- Pour the oil into a medium (9-inch round x 4 1/2-inch high) Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, fitted with a candy thermometer, until the oil is 2 inches deep. Heat the oil over high heat until the temperature reaches 350 degrees.
- Meanwhile, lift the chicken from the marinade, dredge it well in the flour mixture, submerge it again in the marinade, then dredge again in the flour mixture, dusting off the excess. Transfer the chicken to a plate or sheet pan until ready to fry.
- When the oil is 350 degrees, lower three pieces only(!) carefully into the oil with a slotted spoon and adjust the heat to keep the oil at 350 degrees. Don’t crowd the chicken! Cook for 5 minutes exactly, turning once to brown evenly. With the slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to the sheet pan in the oven to keep warm. Fry the remaining three pieces, sprinkle all the chicken with salt, and serve hot.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 1376 |
| Total Fat | 81 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 98 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 6 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Protein | 63 g |
| Cholesterol | 154 mg |
| Sodium | 1289 mg |
Reviews
Best fried chicken recipe ever! I make it every thanksgiving!!!
Thanks Ina!
Thanks Ina!
Excellent moist fried chicken. Can i freeze the cooked chicken? Thank you
Just DELICIOUS!!
Excellent! I’ve made this recipe twice and my family loved it both times. I enjoyed it so much tonight, I think I’ll invite friends over soon and enjoy it again. The shallots make this dish. Subtle, yet forward at the same time.
And yes, be sure to batter up the shallots from the marinade and brown them in the deep fryer, too!
We use this mostly with venison backstrap and it is da bomb!!! We also bread the onions and jalapeños (we use more and slice) from the buttermilk marinade and fry them, too! Total yum!!! We have made this 10+ times and it is perfect every time!!!! Thank you Ina Garten!! Another foolproof recipe!!!!!
Outstanding and easy!
I love Ina and I love this flavor in the recipe…but I struggle with the batter falling off the chicken, there’s a mushy layer between the chicken and the crunchy delicious outside. Please, someone tell me how to fix this!! I want to perfect fried chicken!
I’ve made this a few times, this as time for friends. Raves that day and for the last week. So moist and delicious. Made as written, just doubled the recipe for a crowd.
So yummy! Only marinated chicken for a few hours and it was fine. Used chicken cutlets so no pounding necessary; that said, should have cut back cooking time to keep chicken from drying out. Spritzed with olive oil and used air fryer for a healthier version. Crispy and tasty; a definite keeper!
First time ever making fried chicken! This recipe was amazing! Loved it the first time I tried it, and the second time around! Found myself craving this chicken after the first time I made it. Served it with a cheesy polenta. Soooo good!