Crispy Golden Fried Chicken Breast (Printable)

Juicy marinated chicken coated in crispy seasoned breadcrumbs, fried until golden brown

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 5 oz each

→ Marinade

02 - ½ cup buttermilk
03 - 1 large egg
04 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
05 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
06 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - 1 teaspoon paprika

→ Coating

08 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
09 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
10 - ½ teaspoon kosher salt
11 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

→ For Frying

13 - 2 cups vegetable oil for shallow or deep frying

# How to Make It:

01 - If chicken breasts are thick, place them between sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound to an even thickness of about ⅝ inch using a meat mallet.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika until well combined.
03 - Submerge chicken breasts in the marinade, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours for deeper flavor penetration.
04 - In a shallow dish, combine flour, breadcrumbs, salt, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Remove chicken from the marinade, allowing excess liquid to drip off.
05 - Dredge each marinated chicken breast in the flour-breadcrumb mixture, pressing firmly so the coating adheres evenly on all sides. Shake off any excess.
06 - Pour vegetable oil into a large skillet or frying pan to a depth of about ½ inch. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and reaches 350°F.
07 - Carefully place coated chicken breasts in the hot oil. Fry for 5 to 7 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy, and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
08 - Transfer fried chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Allow to rest for 2 to 3 minutes before serving to lock in juices.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The buttermilk marinade does something almost magical to the chicken, keeping every bite ridiculously juicy even if you overcook it by a minute.
  • You probably have most of these ingredients sitting in your pantry right now, which makes this perfect for those nights when takeout sounds good but homemade sounds better.
02 -
  • If the oil is not hot enough when you add the chicken, the coating will absorb grease instead of sealing itself and you will end up with soggy breading.
  • Do not crowd the pan because the temperature drops fast and you lose that satisfying crunch.
03 -
  • Mixing panko and regular breadcrumbs together gives you the best of both worlds, big crunch from the panko and better adhesion from the finer crumbs.
  • Letting the coated chicken rest for 5 minutes on a wire rack before frying helps the breading set so it does not fall off in the pan.

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