Bobby Flay Classic Fried Chicken is an easy dinner of buttermilk-soaked bone-in pieces dipped in a hot, crispy cornstarch batter and fried until golden. That makes it a perfect summer potluck or Sunday dinner crowd-pleaser, since the light, crunchy coating holds up for hours after frying.
The key technique is the wet batter made from equal parts flour and cornstarch, which fries up lighter and crispier than a standard flour dredge. Whisking in cold water with baking powder creates tiny air pockets that puff in the hot oil and lock in a shattering crunch.
What sets this version apart is the overnight buttermilk marinade spiked with hot sauce, sugar, and salt to season the meat all the way through. Most fried chicken recipes just soak in plain buttermilk, but the sugar here helps the batter brown faster and develop a deeper color.
Bobby Flay Classic Fried Chicken
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes25
minutes845
kcalA whole chicken cut into pieces, marinated overnight in seasoned buttermilk, coated in a spiced flour-cornstarch batter with smoked paprika, and deep-fried until golden. Finished with a sprinkle of fine sea salt right out of the oil.
Ingredients
- For the Marinade:
3 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Few dashes hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into 8 or 10 pieces
- For the Batter:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon chile de arbol powder
1/4 teaspoon chile de arbol powder
- For Frying:
10 cups canola oil
Fine sea salt
Directions
- Make the marinade:In a large bowl, mix the buttermilk, sugar, salt, and hot sauce until combined. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.
- Dry and rest the chicken:Remove the chicken from the buttermilk marinade and pat completely dry. Place on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before frying.
- Mix the batter:In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and chile de arbol until combined. Slowly whisk in the cold water until smooth. Let the batter sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Fry the chicken: Heat the canola oil to 350 degrees F in a large Dutch oven. Dip half the chicken pieces into the batter, let the excess drip off, and carefully transfer to the oil. Fry at 300 to 325 degrees F, adjusting the burner as needed, until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 12 minutes. Drain on paper towels, transfer to a wire rack, and season with fine sea salt. Bring the oil back to 350 degrees F and repeat with the remaining chicken.
FAQs
How long should you marinate the chicken in buttermilk?
Soak the chicken in buttermilk for at least four hours, though overnight gives the best results for flavor and tenderness. The acid in buttermilk breaks down the surface proteins, so the meat stays juicy even after deep frying. Adding sugar, salt, and hot sauce to the marinade seasons the chicken well below the skin.*
Why does this batter use cornstarch instead of all flour?
Cornstarch mixed with flour creates a coating that fries up thinner, lighter, and crunchier than all-purpose flour alone. The starch molecules form a brittle shell in hot oil, which is why Asian-style fried foods often use cornstarch in the batter. Equal parts of each gives the best balance of structure and crispness for this recipe.
What oil temperature works best for frying chicken?
Start at 350 degrees and let the oil drop to between 300 and 325 once the chicken goes in. That lower range cooks bone-in pieces all the way through without burning the batter on the outside. Use a clip-on thermometer and adjust the burner as needed to hold the temperature steady for both batches.
Can you use a cast iron skillet instead of a Dutch oven?
A deep cast iron skillet works if the oil reaches halfway up each piece, though a Dutch oven holds heat better. Make sure the pot holds at least 10 cups of oil with room for chicken to float without crowding. Frying in too little oil drops the temperature fast and produces a greasy, soggy coating.
How do you keep fried chicken crispy after cooking?
Set the fried pieces on a wire rack over a baking sheet so air moves under them and the coating stays crisp. Season with fine sea salt right out of the oil while the surface is still hot and slightly tacky. Hold the chicken in a 200 degree oven uncovered if you need to wait before serving.
