Southern-Comfort Food doesn’t get any better than a delicious Chicken-Fried Chicken made with a buttermilk marinade and creamy gravy on top.
Jump to RecipeOne of the best parts of living in the South is definitely the food. And this recipe for chicken-fried chicken did not disappoint! I had never worked with buttermilk before, so it was new to us, and we will be using it again because it was delicious.
A few months ago we made a recipe for Southern-Fried Chicken that Justin’s grandma gave me, so I wasn’t sure this would be all that different, but it was. This chicken has a much crispier skin to it (even though it was made with skinless chicken breast) and it has a very different flavor because of the buttermilk. Not to mention the gravy recipes are very different as well. Both recipes are amazing, it just depends on what you are looking for at the time.
I couldn’t find buttermilk already made, so bought some powdered buttermilk and mixed up my own. In the end, I decided that was better since the powder will last much longer in the pantry than a can of milk would, and I don’t have any other recipes right now to use it up. It was really simple to mix the powder with some water and have buttermilk for the recipe.
TIP: Make sure you let the chicken marinate. Trust me on this one! The first time we made this, we loved the meal. The next time I forgot about the time it takes to marinade and made without letting it sit long enough, and it was very bland. When we made it again, and I let it sit overnight, it was delicious. So, don’t forget to let it marinate before cooking!

Buttermilk Chicken-Fried Chicken Step by Step
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 2 tbsp pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 lb chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp salt

Chicken
- 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 4 cups oil ( for frying)

Gravy
- 2 tbsp butter (unsalted)
- 3/4 cup onion (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt & Pepper

Preparation
Start by mixing up your seasonings: paprika, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and cayenne pepper. I used a fork to combine them together and get any lumps out.

Set that aside, then grab your boneless, skinless chicken breasts and put them on a cutting board and cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Use a meat tenderizer (or rolling pin, or skillet) to flatten into pieces that are about 1/4″ thick.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture.

Pour the buttermilk mixture into a large mixing bowl and add the flattened chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight), flipping occasionally.

When you are ready to start cooking, work on the gravy first. Heat the butter in a medium-large skillet over medium-high heat until the butter becomes foamy.
Add the chopped onion and cook for about 4 minutes, or until the onion is soft. If the butter starts to brown, turn the heat down to medium.

Then add the garlic and stir for about a minute.

Mix in 2 tbsp of flour and stir constantly until it’s fully absorbed which takes about 1 -2 minutes.

Add the milk while whisking constantly, then the cream and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 3 minutes, and add some salt and pepper, to taste. Lower heat to low to keep warm and stir occasionally.

Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and the remaining spice mixture in a large bowl.

Add 3 tablespoons of the buttermilk mixture from the bag and work it into the flour.

Take the chicken out of the bag, allowing the buttermilk to drip off. Coat the chicken with the flour mixture, flipping over and over until it is thoroughly coated. I also found it helped to use your hands to push the mixture into the chicken a bit to get it to stick. Put the coated chicken on a large plate and repeat with all of the chicken breasts.

Fill a large frying pan or wok with oil and heat over medium-high heat for a few minutes before adding the chicken. Once the oil is warm, put the chicken breasts in being careful to not knock off the breading. Let it cook for about 3-4 minutes without moving, until the bottom is golden brown.

Using tongs, very carefully flip the chicken over. You want to make sure that the breading stays as intact as possible. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the bottom is also a golden brown color.

Remove the chicken from the oil and place on a wire rack to allow the excess oil to drip off. Serve the chicken warm covered in gravy, and enjoy! Also, the gravy is delicious on mashed potatoes as a side.

Buttermilk Chicken-Fried Chicken Leftovers
Storage: Store the leftover chicken separately from the leftover gravy.
Reheating: I like to reheat the chicken-fried-chicken in an air fryer or in the oven until it’s just warm. The gravy can be reheated in a sauce pot on the stove.
Freezing: The chicken and gravy should be stored separately if freezing. Remember to leave room for the gravy to expand in the freezer.

Recipe
Originally Published On: April 12, 2019
Last Updated On: December 20, 2023

Creamy Buttermilk Chicken-Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 2 tbsp pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 lb chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp salt
- 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 4 cups oil ( for frying)
- 2 tbsp butter (unsalted)
- 3/4 cup onion (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt & Pepper
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine paprika, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and cayenne pepper
- Flatten chicken breasts with meat tenderizer between two pieces of plastic wrap until about 1/4" thick
- In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, 1 tbsp salt, and 2 tbsp of spice mixture (reserve the rest for later)
- Place the chicken in the mixture
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (up to overnight), turning occasionally
- When you are ready to cook, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until foamy
- Add the onion and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until soft
- Add the minced garlic for another 1-2 minutes
- Whisk in the flour, stirring constantly, until it’s fully absorbed
- Pour in the milk and cream and bring to a simmer
- Let the gravy simmer for about 3-4 minutes, until thickened
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste
- Lower the heat to low to keep the gravy warm while frying the chicken, stirring occasionally
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, 1 tbsp salt, and remaining spice mixture
- Add 3 tbsp of buttermilk from the bag and work it into the flour
- Remove the chicken from the bag, allowing excess buttermilk to drip off, and coat heavily with the flour mixture
- Set the chicken on a large plate and continue with remaining chicken
- Carefully add the chicken to the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown
- Flip with tongs, being careful not to knock off breading, and cook another 2-3 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through
- Place the chicken on a wire rack to allow any excess oil to drip off
- Serve warm with gravy
Notes
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Other Fried Food Recipes
- Fried Chicken and Waffles
- Southern Fried Chicken with Gravy Sauce
- Creamy Buttermilk Chicken-Fried Chicken
- Fried Tilapia Sandwich
- Pan-Fried Pork Chops with Easy Brown Gravy
- Crispy Fried Mozzarella Cakes Recipe with Fresh Cheese
- Fried Eggs Over-Hard Recipe
- Chicken Schnitzel
- Salmon Cakes with Buttermilk Sauce
- Potato-Crusted Pork Chops
- Parmesan-Crusted Chicken with Balsamic Ketchup
- Homemade Chicken Tenders
What is the difference between fried chicken and chicken-fried chicken?
Chicken-Fried Chicken is a type of fried chicken. It’s considered chicken-fried chicken when it is pounded down into a thin piece and then coated and fried. Regular fried chicken is not pounded but cooked as it is.
This recipe sounds delicious! I’m always looking for new dishes to make — especially around this time of year. Can’t wait to try this one! Thanks for sharing : )
I hope you enjoy this as much as my family did! We will definitely be making it again soon.
This is one of my favorite dish! I’m sure my kids will also love it!
I hadn’t had it before making this, but we will be making it again. My boys both loved it, and they are picky eaters!
Yum, this sounds so amazing! I think my entire family will love this dish!!
We all did! Even my picky boys ate all of theirs.
This is a fried chicken that anyone who loves chicken would want. If it tastes half as good as your pictures that is a great recipe and the cook is successful.
Thank you! It was delicious and my whole family ate it!
Mmm this look so yummy! My fiancé would love for me to to make this dish for him!!
You should give it a try! It’s a pretty easy meal to prepare.
Looks so yummy!!! I’ll have to try it this way
It really is! I hope you get a chance to try it out.
This creamy buttermilk fried chicken looks so delicious and really tempting.It makes me feel so hungry. I will definitely try to make this recipe. I am sure my husband will love this so much.
And the best part is that it is pretty easy to make as well!
I love chicken fried steak. And while I like the idea of chicken fried chicken I haven’t liked as much when I had it. But this looks delicious. Maybe I should try making it on my own,
I’ve actually never had chicken fried steak, but I want to try it since I liked this so much!
This is definitely a dish that my two boys will enjoy the most when I make it for dinner! Thanks for the lovely recipe! It looks so good and it’s definitely a must try!
Both of my boys enjoyed it and they are picky eaters. I hope yours like it as well!
This looks delicious. Believe it or not, I’ve never had chicken fried steak. I will definitely have to make this soon!
I’ve never had chicken fried steak either, and this was one of the first times I had chicken fried chicken!
This is such a tasty dish. I would love to make this for my family.
You should try it! It’s pretty easy and so yummy.
Oh this looks so delicious! I will give this a try for my family.
I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine did!
I just had country fried steak the other day for the first time and it was so good, so now I totally need to try this!! Looks so good!!
Oh man, I love country fried steak, too! They are both such wonderful southern comfort food meals.
Its been a really long time since we had chicken fried chicken. Will be making this creamy buttermilk chicken fried chicken tonight. 😍😋
I hope you enjoy! It’s delicious, just make sure you give it plenty of time to marinade for the most flavor.
OMG, this looks absolutely delicious 😍 My husband loves chicken, will surely try making this dish for him ☺
I’ve had a few family members request I make it when I go visit next month. It’s a winner and I bet your husband would love it, too!
This looks so good! Looks like a classic diner meal that I have never had!
It’s totally a classic diner meal and a very Southern meal at that. It’s delicious, you should give it a try!
Mmm this looks good – so I am wondering if you could use this to make chicken-fried steak too? (which I see in previous comments you’ve never had) – it is an acquired taste but I used to have it on spring break a lot!
I don’t see why not. But, again, I haven’t had it so not sure what it’s supposed to taste like!
I love buttermilk fried chicken! This is something in the south that we make all the time.
Definitely a very Southern meal, but that’s why I love it! Comfort food at it’s finest 🙂
This is definitely a recipe I am going to have to try with my daughter. She would love something like this. It does look pretty darn delicious. Yummy!
My boys devour this when I make it. They aren’t always so sure about the gravy on top, they prefer to dip, but they love the flavor of the chicken.
This is one of my absolutel favorite southern dishes! Oh my goodness. Your version looks like it would be so amazing!
Mine too! I like this one so much, it’s actually spoiled me from getting it out at restaurants because this one tastes better to me.
Great recipe! One of my favorite dishes, I’m using your recipe again this weekend!!
Awesome, I’m so glad to hear you enjoy it!