Southern Fried Chicken Batter

Southern Fried Chicken Batter — crispy, flavorful, and just right! Here’s a classic Southern-style batter recipe to get that golden, crunchy crust:

Southern Fried Chicken Batter

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon paprika

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• 1 tablespoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano (optional)

• 1 ½ cups buttermilk (for marinating and dipping)

• 2 large eggs

Instructions:

1. Marinate chicken:

   • In a bowl or ziplock bag, marinate your chicken pieces in buttermilk for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. This tenderizes and adds flavor.

2. Prepare batter mix:

   • In a shallow dish or large bowl, whisk together flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, black pepper, and herbs.

3. Prepare wet mix:

   • In a separate bowl, beat eggs with a little buttermilk (about ¼ cup) to create a wet mixture for dipping.

4. Batter process:

   • Remove chicken from buttermilk marinade, letting excess drip off.

   • Dip chicken pieces first into the wet egg mixture, then dredge thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture. Press flour onto the chicken to create a thick coating.

   • For extra crispiness, double dredge by repeating the egg wash and flour step.

5. Fry:

   • Fry chicken in hot oil (350°F/175°C) until golden brown and cooked through (internal temp 165°F/74°C), about 12–15 minutes depending on piece size.