The faithful version of American fried chicken: pieces of chicken marinated in spicy buttermilk, coated in seasoned flour, then cooked in the air fryer with just enough oil to produce a golden, crunchy crust that clings well.
Ingredients
- 1.8 kg free-range chicken pieces with skin and bones, drumsticks and thighs
- 600 ml plain buttermilk
- 45 ml American vinegar-based hot sauce
- 260 g all-purpose wheat flour
- 40 g cornstarch
- 16 g fine salt
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp mild smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 35 ml neutral oil spray or sunflower oil
- 0.25 bunches fresh chives
Method
- Pat the chicken pieces thoroughly dry with paper towels. Place them in a large bowl, add the buttermilk, hot sauce, and some of the salt, then massage to coat the skin and joints well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight; the chicken should smell lightly of fermented milk and spices, without being submerged in an overly liquid marinade when it is time to coat it.
- Take the chicken out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking to avoid too great a temperature shock. Meanwhile, mix the flour, cornstarch, remaining salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and baking powder in a large dish. The breading should be evenly beige-orange, with no pockets of spices.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade one at a time, without rinsing them. Let them drain for a few seconds: the surface should remain moist but should not drip heavily. Discard the remaining marinade.
- Press each piece into the seasoned flour, using your fingers, especially around the bones and beneath the folds of skin. Turn several times until you have an irregular, firmly attached coating. For a more rustic crust, let a few drops of marinade fall into the flour and rub with your fingertips to create small clumps, then press them onto the chicken.
- Place the breaded pieces on a wire rack and let them rest for 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature. This is a key step: the flour should moisten in places and change from powdery white to slightly matte. If large patches of dry flour remain, mist them very lightly with oil just before cooking.
- Preheat the air fryer to 190 °C for 5 minutes. Lightly spray the basket with oil, then arrange the pieces in a single layer, skin-side up, without crowding them. Cook in several batches if necessary: air must circulate between the pieces so the crust can dry and crisp.
- Mist the surface of the chicken with oil until no white, floury areas remain visible. Cook at 190 °C for 12 minutes. The chicken should begin to brown on the ridges, and the skin should gently sizzle when you open the basket.
- Carefully turn the pieces with tongs without tearing off the crust. Mist any areas that are still dry, then continue cooking at 185 °C for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness. Drumsticks generally cook faster than thighs; remove each piece when the crust is golden brown and the juices escaping near the bone run clear.
- Check doneness with a thermometer in the thickest part, without touching the bone: aim for at least 74 °C, or 78 to 82 °C for even more tender thighs. If the crust browns too quickly before reaching this temperature, lower the heat to 175 °C and cook for a few more minutes.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a wire rack, never directly onto a plate, and let it rest for 5 to 8 minutes. The crust will finish drying, the juices will redistribute, and the crispness will be more pronounced in the first bite. Sprinkle with snipped chives only when serving if you want a fresh touch without masking the flavor of the fried chicken.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 539.6 kcal
- Protein
- 78.25 g
- Carbohydrate
- 31.46 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 1.99 g
- Calcium
- 303.67 mg
- Iron
- 1.23 mg
- Magnesium
- 36.84 mg
