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My Honey Butter Fried Chicken IS, my Holy grail recipe. It’s one of the recipes I’m known for and one of the recipes I am truly proud of. Frying chicken is controversial so let me give you my credentials. I’ve been frying chicken since I was 9 years old. (No, seriously). It took almost a decade to get it right. I experimented with everything from different flours, oils and methods and this is hands down, the best way to fry chicken if you like it crunchy and juicy. Honestly? I use this same recipe to deep fry pork chops, shrimp, salmon, anything really. Once you get the technique down, you can fry crab legs if you want. Like I always say- DO YOU. That being said, it takes some practice to get it right. I saved you 10 years of practice so if you take it slow… I promise it’ll work out.
P.S- The honey butter is my extra kick but this is also my regular fried chicken recipe so feel free to omit it. But why would you? 😉
Why everyone loves this Honey Butter Fried Chicken recipe:
- Its Crunchy and Juicy- Think Popeyes but better, the crunchiness is unmatched but not at the expense of the chicken being dry. If you eat the chicken right out of the oil, it melts in your mouth. The Honey butter drizzle will make your toes curl!!
- It’s memorable- This is one of the recipes I bust out when I am trying to put on a show, which is always 🙂 Anyone who has ever had my Honey Butter Fried Chicken can vouch for me!
Tips for Perfectly Fried Chicken:
- Choose the right cooking vessel– Personally, I prefer to fry chicken in a deep baking vessel, like a dutch oven or a deep fryer. The deeper your frying vessel the easier and more consistent your skin will be. If you use a shallow cooking vessel, the skin won’t be even.
- Make sure your chicken is at room temparture- When you’re frying chicken, your chicken MUST be at room temperature and you must pat your chicken dry. This is one of the key’s to frying in general. If your chicken is cold or wet, your flour will not cling to your meat.
- Season your wet and dry better- Season your flour and your wet batter with the same spices. Make sure you mix in your spices thoroughly!
- Let your chicken rest!!!- After you coat your chicken with both the wet and dry batter, set it aside and allow it sit on a cooling rack for a minimum of twenty minutes before moving forward. This helps the flour cling to the chicken, and it’s my secret to super crunchy pieces. You may notice the flour absorbing but thats how you know your on the right track!
- Invest in a thermometer– Please. It’s the best piece of kitchen equipment ever! I messed up hundreds of batches of fried chicken because my oil was too hot or not hot enough. Save yourself the headache and ensure your oil is consistently at 350 degrees. I linked the best thermometer here. Click this thermometer onto your dutch oven, which is my preferred vessel to cook fried chicken, and it will ensure your oil stays stabilized.
If you love this recipe, check out my other dinner recipes on my blog
Honey Butter Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 6-8 mixed pieces of chicken dark and white meat!
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- 5-6 cups vegetable oil for frying *you can use canola, or, corn oil*
- 1 1/2 packets of Sazon Seasoning if you can't find this, use 3 tbsps of paprika instead
- 2 tbsps garlic powder
- 2 tbsps salt
- 1 tbsps black pepper
- 1 quart buttermilk *you can use heavy cream as a substitute!*
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
For the Honey Butter Drizzle (optional)
- 2 tbps honey
- 1 tbps butter
Instructions
- In a large bowl, season chicken with cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Pour in buttermilk and 1 packet of sazon and mix. Let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and allow it to rest at room temperature for another hour before beginning the frying process
- In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, 1⁄2 pack sazon,1 tbsp of garlic powder, 1 tbsp of pepper and 1 tbsp of salt
- After the chicken is at room temperature , coat chicken in flour mix, and shake off any excess.
- Once the chicken is coated, let it get to room temperature for twenty minutes.
- Preheat oil to 350 degrees. You'll need to use 5-6 cups of oil.
- Drop the chicken in hot oil, flipping occasionally and allow the chicken to cook until there’s an internal temperature of 165 degrees or until golden brown.
- Combine melted honey and butter, then drizzle over chicken before serving. (optional)
