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When you’re craving something hearty, cozy, and downright delicious, this Chicken Fried Chicken always delivers. Crispy, golden chicken is soaked in a seasoned buttermilk marinade, fried to perfection, and smothered in rich homemade country gravy that takes it completely over the top. It’s a classic comfort food recipe that never fails to impress!
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“My husband and kids were in heaven my kids are crazy picky and they said it was the best meal they ever had! Thanks for sharing! Making again tonight” – Kelli
“This was d*mn good dare I say even better then Texas roadhouse? Yes it was great and easy !!” – Bryson
“My husband is quite literally the most picky eater ever. (Really it’s BAD)
and he loved this and the gravy 😀” – Catherine
Crispy, Cozy, and Smothered in Gravy
This is the kind of meal that makes your kitchen smell incredible and has everyone wandering in asking, “When’s dinner?” The chicken is seasoned with cozy, warm spices like paprika, black pepper, garlic, and just a hint of cayenne, giving it that classic comfort-food flavor without being too spicy. Soaking the chicken in a buttermilk marinade is my secret to keeping it extra tender, light, and perfectly crispy once it hits the pan. And then there’s the gravy… creamy, rich, and smothered over the top, turning every bite into pure, soul-satisfying goodness!
I like to whip up some fluffy mashed potatoes or homemade buttermilk biscuits to go with this dish, and it also tastes delicious with fresh or frozen corn (check out how to cook frozen corn the right way, peas, or a side salad. It also goes perfect with a side of asparagus, broccoli, or our Oven Roasted Vegetables. Enjoy!
🩷 Erica
What You’ll Need to Make Chicken Fried Chicken
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – pounded thin and evenly for even frying.
- Buttermilk – this helps to tenderize the chicken as well as give it a delicious flavor.
- Dry mixture – flour, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. This makes the dry crispy coating for frying.
- Wet mixture – milk and eggs combined to make a coating for the dry mixture to stick to.
- Oil – for frying.
Homemade Country Gravy
Country gravy is one of those simple made-from-scratch wonders that tastes like it took way more effort than it actually did. Skip the store-bought packets because everything you need is already right there in your skillet! Those golden drippings and crispy bits left behind after frying the chicken are pure flavor gold. Just scrape them up, add a splash of chicken broth, whisk in a little flour, and let it bubble away until it transforms into a rich, creamy, hearty gravy that is to die for!
How to Make Chicken Fried Chicken
- Prep & Marinate the Chicken
Gently pound each chicken breast until it’s even in thickness (about ½ inch thick). You want it flat, but not so thin that it tears. Place the chicken in a gallon-sized zip-top bag, pour in the buttermilk, press out the air, seal, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight for best results.
- Set Up the Dredging Station
In a shallow bowl or pie plate, whisk together the eggs and milk. In a separate shallow dish, mix the flour, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Remove about 4 tablespoons of the flour mixture and set it aside for the gravy.
- Coat the Chicken
Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and let the excess drip off. Dredge each piece in the flour mixture, shaking off any extra. Dip it into the egg mixture, then return it to the flour for a second coating. Set the coated chicken on a platter or parchment-lined surface until ready to fry.
- Fry Until Golden & Crispy
Pour oil into a large skillet until it’s about ¼ inch deep and heat to 350°F over medium-high heat. Fry the chicken in batches, about 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and keep warm in a 200°F oven while you finish the rest.
- Make the Country Gravy
Carefully pour off all but about ¼ cup of the oil from the skillet. Whisk in the reserved flour mixture and cook until the flour absorbs the oil. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to a simmer and gradually add milk until the gravy reaches your desired thickness. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve & Enjoy
Spoon the warm country gravy generously over the crispy chicken and serve right away.
Recipe Tips
- One thing I love about this fried chicken recipe is you don’t have to cook it for as long as you would have to cook whole chicken pieces. It only takes a few short minutes on each side to cook these chicken pieces all the way through. Make sure to butterfly (slice in half) large chicken breasts or pound them with a meat mallet until the breasts are about a half inch thick and they’ll cook up in no time!
- I like to use a cast iron skillet for this recipe. I think it produces the best crispy outside.
- Marinate or soak your chicken in the buttermilk mixture outlined in the recipe card below for at least three hours, preferably overnight. This ensures your chicken is full of tenderness and flavor.
- You can also fry the chicken pieces in a deep fryer until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165-degrees.
- No buttermilk? No problem, just combine 2 cups of whole milk with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to get a similar flavor. It won’t be exactly like buttermilk but it’s a great substitute when you are in a pinch.
If you are cooking in a smaller pan and have to do multiple batches, put the cooked chicken in the oven on warm while you make the other batches. To keep them crispy, place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and put the chicken on top. However, if you are only doing one batch, just transfer the finished pieces to a paper towel lined plate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fried chicken is usually made with whole, bone-in chicken pieces. Chicken fried chicken is boneless, skinless chicken pounded thin and breaded then fried. It is a callback to chicken fried steak.
If you want that perfect golden brown crispy crust you have to pay attention to your oil heat. When the oil is too hot, it will burn the outside before the inside is cooked. If your oil isn’t hot enough, the chicken will become laden with oil and will be soggy. You’ll know the oil is hot enough when it is shiny, but not smoking. The chicken should start frying right away when you place it in the pan.
Chicken is best when it is soaked in buttermilk before frying. It tenderizes the chicken and gives it a delicious flavor. It is also great as a coating before dredging the chicken in breadcrumbs or any other dry mixture.
Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil. These oils allow for even frying without overpowering the flavor.
The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the coating is golden brown and crispy. Since the chicken is pounded thin, it cooks fairly quickly.
More Chicken Recipes
Chicken is what’s for dinner! Versatile and inexpensive, ordinary chicken can be turned into something extraordinary with just a few simple ingredients and some imagination. Here are some more of our favorite chicken recipes:
This Chicken Fried Chicken is one of those meals that brings everyone to the table fast and leaves plates completely clean. If you make it, don’t forget to come back and leave a rating and comment. Your feedback helps other home cooks and means so much to me! 🍗💛
Chicken Fried Chicken with Country Gravy
Video
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, halved
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more if you like spicy
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- oil for frying, You can use peanut oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil
For the gravy:
- 1/4 cup reserved pan drippings
- 4 tablespoons reserved flour mixture
- 2 cups chicken broth , or stock
- 1/2 cup milk
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Pound each chicken breast half flat so it is even in thickness, do this carefully, you want it flat but not so thin that it tear (each chicken piece should be about the size of your hand or slightly smaller).Place chicken pieces in a gallon-sized Ziploc back and pour buttermilk over. Press as much air as you can out of the bag, seal, and place in refrigerator for at least 3 hours (or overnight).
- In a pie plate or shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and milk, set aside.In a separate shallow dish combine flour, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Stir until well combined and then remove about 4 tablespoons of the dry mixture and set aside (this will be used for the gravy later).
- Remove chicken from Ziplock, shake off excess buttermilk, and dredge each piece evenly with flour mixture. Once coated with flour, lightly shake off excess, dip in egg/milk mixture, then place in back in flour mixture, giving it a double coating of flour.Set chicken aside on a platter or on parchment paper until ready to fry.
- Add oil to a large skillet until it is about 1/4-inch full. Heat oil on medium-high heat until it reaches 350-degrees.Add each piece of chicken to the oil without overcrowding (you may have to do this in batches) for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through and crispy and golden on the outside. Place cooked chicken on a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet to catch excess oil. Place in warm oven (about 200-degrees) to keep warm until the rest of the chicken is done and you are ready to serve.
For the gravy:
- Drain off all but about ¼ c. of the oil from the pan. Whisk reserved flour mixture into the oil until the four has absorbed the oil. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Whisk constantly and reduce heat to a simmer. Once the gravy starts to thicken, slowly add milk (you may not need all of it) to thin to desired consistency, whisking constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over chicken.
Notes
- The 3+ hours it takes to marinate the chicken in buttermilk is not included in the preparation time of this recipe. Please plan accordingly.
- No buttermilk? No problem, just combine 2 cups of whole milk with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to get a similar flavor. It won’t be exactly like buttermilk but it’s a great substitute when you are in a pinch.
- Make sure to butterfly (slice in half) large chicken breasts or pound them with a meat mallet until the breasts are about a half inch thick and they’ll cook up in no time!
- I like to use a cast iron skillet for this recipe. I think it produces the best crispy outside.
- You can also fry the chicken pieces in a deep fryer until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165-degrees.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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My husband is quite literally the most picky eater ever. (Really it’s BAD)
and he loved this and the gravy 😀
WOw, that is a HUGE compliment! Thank you so much! I am thrilled that your husband loved it!
This came out delicious I did add a few extra spices but it was fantastic!
First time really frying anything. Such a fun experience. Could you recommend a measurement of how much salt and pepper to add to the batter mixture? My crispy outside came out bland when I tried spotting it. However the country gravy more than made up for the flavor! Also…any tips on how to keep the fried coating from falling off the bottom of the chicken? Seemed to happen when I placed mine on the rack.
I usually start with a teaspoon of salt and a half teaspoon of pepper. As for the breading, it can be tough to keep it on when moving. Make sure you touch it with the tongs as little as possible. It might also be that the pan wasn’t quite hot enough when you first fried that side. The batter sticks much better if it hits the hot pan and immediately starts sizzling. Hope this helps!
Great recipe! Enjoyed very much
I liked this recipe, and for two of us it made three dinners with mashed potatoes for a side dish. I had to babysit the iron skillet as I kept it on high after putting the chicken in. I had to do three batches and when you put the chicken in, it drops the oil temperature to below 300 degrees. But I had a meat thermometer and made sure to go above 165 temperature internal, which did take a little more cooking time for me than 4 minutes per side. I didn’t put much salt and pepper in the batter mix, and will do so next time (1 tablespoon) because it did at least need some salt. Overall the recipe was very good and I will definitely make it again.
This was delicious. The chicken was incredibly tender and moist. I especially loved the gravy. I made some mashed potatoes too and this gravy was amazing on them. The only complaint was from my husband. He loved it, but wished the breading didn’t fall off so easily. Regardless, the whole family devoured it! Thanks for sharing a great recipe ^_^
I always put the chicken or fish or whatever I bread in the freezer or refrigerator for a bit to help the breading set good onto the meat. I did notice some of the breading on the bottoms stay on the plate when I put it in the oil after refrigerating, but will spray the plates with pam next time to keep that from happening. The top side coating didn’t come off hardly as I didn’t have in the pan to use for gravy.
it was delish
Mmmm…Mmmmm… good very southern recipe as I’m from Texas and this taste just as good as I imagined and better than resturant style chicken fried chicken. I’m want to just thank you for sharing this with me and my family. The absolutely love it and this is one of the many meals that we never have leftovers left. Thank you!
My husbands favorite! I add 2 teaspoons of baking powder to the flour mix to help crisp up the coating. Also, just a fun fact I learned , to help me you know when the oil is ready for frying the chicken, put the end of a wooden spoon ,or chopstick, into the oil, it should bubble moderately at the correct temp, excessive bubbling means it is to hot, no bubbles to cool.
I like the way you show the video and help me with the ingredients
Could you use the left over buttermilk for the gravey?
I don’t like to use the leftover buttermilk because its been sitting with raw chicken.
Have you ever tasted buttermilk? A gravy made from buttermilk would taste pretty terrible. Gravy is made with regular milk. You could however use the left over (from the carton, not the buttermilk the chicken was sitting in) to make some delicious biscuits!
I love this recipe. Every time my sister in law comes over I ask her what she wants for dinner and she says Chicken fried Chicken.
My family and I love this recipe
This was d*mn good dare I say even better then Texas roadhouse? Yes it was great and easy !!
Fantastic! This was such an easy and delicious meal. I have to admit, I was nervous to try it but I am so glad I did.. the chicken was juicy and tender inside and crispy outside. Mashed potatoes and gravy and sautéed zucchini with onions and green chiles, and a biscuit to top it off. My family loved it. I definitely recommend this recipe.
Can you use low-fat buttermilk it’s all I could find ?
Thank you
I haven’t tried it that way! Let us know how it turns out if you try it!
Sure, it’s often all that’s available, and works just fine.
This recipe came out amazing..My family also loves chicken thighs..can it be used with boneless, skinless thighs, also??
I haven’t tried it that way, but I think it would! Sounds yummy!
This is a family favorite!! It’s such a comforting meal..it’s nice & crispy & the gravy is amazing!