The Best Southern Fried Chicken Recipe to Try With Your Family

The South generally has its own way of making food taste fabulous! For example, the best southern fried chicken recipe recipe creates a crispy, crunchy, and super tasty meal. It pairs so well with any kind of food, and kids love it. Mine simply can’t get enough!

What I truly love about this easy southern fried chicken recipe for beginners is that it doesn’t stop at crispy and crunchy. In fact, the best homemade southern fried chicken recipe ideas typically add a bit of spice in the coating that makes you want to keep eating. This simple southern fried chicken recipe meal is no different!

That said, this quick southern fried chicken recipe recipe doesn’t have an overwhelming amount of spice. Instead, this family friendly southern fried chicken recipe offers just enough to enhance the flavor of the chicken and enjoy the crispy coating.

Perhaps that’s why fried chicken in general is a favorite dish for millions of households. Hopefully, you’ll find that this variation works beautifully for your home after trying it!

Whether it is for a weekly meal, a picnic, or a party, this healthy southern fried chicken recipe version will be a hit and a family favorite. It’s crispy, spicy, moist, and has great flavor!

Scroll to bottom for printable recipe card.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Making the best southern fried chicken recipe recipe is super easy to follow 
• Most people think this easy southern fried chicken recipe for beginners tastes great
• Cooking this simple southern fried chicken recipe meal will make your kids happy 
• This quick southern fried chicken recipe recipe works great for lunches sand dinners 
• You can easily adapt this family friendly southern fried chicken into a healthy southern fried chicken recipe version 
• Simple homemade southern fried chicken recipe ideas and variations make it even better

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

• White Boneless Skinless Chicken Tenderloins: These very healthy tenderloins are easy to cook and absorb flavor easily. If you want a healthier and cheaper alternative, try darker meat instead.
• Buttermilk: Adding buttermilk gives your chicken that rich flavor that you want without adding a lot of calories. If, for whatever reason, you want an alternative, mix vinegar or lemon juice with milk. 
• Salt and Pepper: Every pantry should have salt and pepper, and this simple meal asks you to sprinkle a little on top of your chicken, to taste. Bored with these spices? Try dill, cumin, and cayenne for a sodium-free alternative.
• Eggs: Cracking a few eggs makes it easier for your coating to stick to your chicken and absorb its flavors. Out of eggs? Applesauce, silken tofu, or flaxseed can work well, too. 
• Oil: Any great fried chicken meal needs a frying oil! While olive oil works really well, canola oil is a little healthier. Vegetable oil is another great alternative. You can also skip the pan and air fry your chicken, but it’s not as crispy.

How to Make It

The only part of the best southern fried chicken recipe recipe you might hate? Soaking the chicken in buttermilk for an hour. We suggest prepping your kitchen while you wait.

This easy southern fried chicken recipe for beginners also includes mixing the eggs and milk in a bowl after you take out the chicken to add a little more texture and depth.

Put your flour, salt, and pepper evely on two plates. Why two? It’s going to be a lot easier to coat your chicken if you split it up like this, and you’ll see why soon!

Here’s the fun part! Wash your hands (please!) and then coat the chicken in the eggs. Really let it soak into the chicken to get it fully coated.

Back and forth we go! Put the chicken on the flour and back into the eggs again. Why? You’re blending the two to help the breading stay on even better!

Looking ready to cook!

Pour about an inch or two of oil (your preference) into a skillet and cook your chicken 3-4 minutes per side on medium-high heat. Don’t go too hot! You’ll burn the skin without cooking the interior.

Your family is going to love this!

Tips for Success

• Brine the chicken beforehand to add flavor and texture 
• Keep the oil temperature between 325 and 350 degrees
• Don’t cook over high heat to give the meat time to fully cook 
• Sprinkle some spices on top as it fries to add more flavor 
• Use as little grease as possible to keep it from being soggy

Storage & Reheating

The best southern fried chicken recipe recipe is very easy to store. Wait for the chicken to cool completely and then place it into a Ziploc bag or an airtight container. This easy southern fried chicken recipe for beginners can be stored for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Note, too, that this simple southern fried chicken recipe meal is freezer friendly. Cool the chicken to room temperature and transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to three months.

When thawing this quick southern fried chicken recipe recipe, keep it in the fridge overnight and recook at 350 degrees on a baking pan, cover with foil, and cook for 10 minutes. It creates a nice crispy fried chicken that any man will love!

Serving Suggestions

• Serve this healthy southern fried chicken recipe version with mashed potatoes and coleslaw
• Pat down the outside of your southern style fried chicken to get rid of the grease
• Save the legs for kids when serving this family friendly southern fried chicken recipe
• Use the freshest cuts to make a healthy southern fried chicken recipe version
• Try fun homemade southern fried chicken recipe ideas, such as serving with rice or couscous

Notes

This meal is perfect for a busy summer day when you just want something quick and easy to make for your kids! It’s also an amazing bachelor or bachelorette meal.

Rather than standing over the stove for hours to make something you might not complete, you spend no more than 35 minutes cooking truly delicious chicken. Honestly, if you take your time with it, this recipe is basically restaurant-level good.

Here’s how good it is: it’s so good that my daughter demanded to learn how to cook it for her and her girlfriends.

SAVE this recipe on Pinterest for later 🙂

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