Buttermilk Country Fried Chicken

The secret to this juicy and tender fried chicken lies in the simple buttermilk marinade. The crisp crust has a delicious hint of thyme.

Ingredients

Marinade

1

cup buttermilk

1

teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

1/2

teaspoon salt

1

garlic clove, minced

Chicken

2

lb boneless skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs

3/4

cup all-purpose flour

2

tablespoons cornstarch

1

teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1

teaspoon paprika

Oil for frying

Steps

• 1

  Place chicken pieces in a large resealable food storage bag. Add all marinade ingredients and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight to marinate.
  

  
• 2

  In pie pan, mix flour and all remaining chicken ingredients except oil. Heat about 1/2 inch oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
  

  
• 3

  Remove chicken pieces from marinade a few at a time, allowing excess to drip off. Roll chicken in flour mixture until well coated. Add chicken to hot oil in skillet, a few pieces at a time until all pieces are in skillet. Cover; cook over medium-high heat 10 minutes or until deep golden brown. Discard marinade.
  

  
• 4

  Uncover skillet. Turn chicken; cook 5 to 8 minutes longer or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F for breasts; 180°F for thighs). Drain chicken on several layers of paper towels. Serve warm, or refrigerate and serve cold.

Expert Tips

• Ground red pepper, or cayenne pepper, nicely spices this fried chicken. Add more, if you like.
• Cold fried chicken is a summertime favorite. Prepare this recipe the night before, cover and refrigerate it. The next day, pack the chicken in the cooler with potato salad and fresh fruit to take to a family picnic. Don't forget the lemonade and iced tea.