Southern Fried Chicken Biscuits (Print Version)
Crispy fried chicken and flaky buttermilk biscuits come together for a comforting Southern classic.
# What You’ll Need:
→ For the Fried Chicken
01 - 8 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken (legs and thighs preferred)
02 - 2 cups buttermilk
03 - 2 teaspoons hot sauce
04 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
05 - 1 teaspoon paprika
06 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
08 - 1 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
11 - Vegetable oil, for frying
→ For the Buttermilk Biscuits
12 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
13 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
14 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
15 - 1 teaspoon sugar
16 - 3/4 teaspoon salt
17 - 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
18 - 3/4 cup cold buttermilk (plus more for brushing)
# Steps:
01 - In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce. Add chicken pieces, coating well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
02 - In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cold buttermilk and mix just until dough comes together. Turn onto a floured surface, gently pat to 3/4-inch thickness. Fold dough in half and pat out again; repeat twice for flakiness.
03 - Cut biscuits with a 2-inch cutter. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet, close together for soft sides. Brush tops with buttermilk. Bake at 425°F for 12–15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.
04 - In a shallow dish, mix flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Dredge each piece in seasoned flour, pressing to adhere. Let coated chicken rest for 10 minutes.
05 - Heat 1–2 inches of vegetable oil in a large, heavy skillet to 350°F. Fry chicken in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through (about 15–18 minutes for dark meat, 12–15 minutes for white meat). Drain on rack or paper towels.
06 - Enjoy hot fried chicken with warm, flaky biscuits.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The buttermilk marinade makes the chicken impossibly tender while creating that crust that shatters beautifully when you bite into it
- These biscuits come together in under 20 minutes and taste like they took years of practice to perfect
02 -
- Letting the oil get too hot will burn the outside before the inside cooks through
- Crowding the pan drops the temperature and makes everything greasy and sad
03 -
- Let the chicken rest on a wire rack instead of paper towels so the crust stays crispy
- Freeze leftover biscuits and reheat them in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes