Southern Fried Chicken Biscuits (Printable)
Crispy fried chicken with fluffy buttermilk biscuits for a hearty Southern comfort meal.
# What's Needed:
→ Fried Chicken
01 - 8 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken (legs, thighs, breasts, or mix)
02 - 2 cups buttermilk
03 - 2 teaspoons hot sauce
04 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
05 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
06 - 1 tablespoon paprika
07 - 2 teaspoons garlic powder
08 - 2 teaspoons onion powder
09 - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
10 - 2 teaspoons salt
11 - 1 teaspoon black pepper
12 - Vegetable oil for frying
→ Buttermilk Biscuits
13 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
14 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
15 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
16 - 1 teaspoon salt
17 - 1 tablespoon sugar
18 - 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
19 - 3/4 cup cold buttermilk plus extra for brushing
# How to Make It:
01 - Combine buttermilk and hot sauce in a large bowl. Add chicken pieces, turning to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight for maximum flavor penetration.
02 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Cut in cold butter using pastry cutter or fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk and stir just until combined—avoid overmixing.
03 - Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and pat into 1-inch thick rectangle. Cut rounds with biscuit cutter, rerolling scraps once. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet, brush tops with buttermilk. Bake 12–15 minutes until golden brown.
04 - Mix flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and black pepper in shallow dish. Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Press each piece into seasoned flour mixture, coating completely. Transfer to wire rack and rest 10 minutes.
05 - Pour 1 inch vegetable oil into large skillet or Dutch oven. Heat to 350°F. Fry chicken in batches, starting skin side down, until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F, approximately 15–18 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.
06 - Plate hot fried chicken alongside warm buttermilk biscuits. Serve immediately with optional honey, hot sauce, or gravy for dipping.
# Tips for Success:
01 -
- The buttermilk marinade makes the chicken incredibly tender while creating that iconic crust everyone fights over
- These biscuits are foolproof even if you've never made them from scratch before
02 -
- Letting the dredged chicken rest for 10 minutes before frying is the difference between coating that slides off and coating that sticks perfectly
- Hot oil prevents greasy chicken—don't rush the temperature check or your pieces will absorb too much fat
03 -
- Season your flour generously—most of it falls off during the dredge process so don't be shy with the spices
- Use a wire cooling rack over your baking sheet for biscuits so air circulates underneath and they stay crisp on bottom