Martha Stewart’s buttermilk fried chicken brines a cut-up fryer overnight, marinates it in seasoned buttermilk, and shallow-fries it in a cast-iron skillet. Ten pieces, four servings, and about an hour of active work spread over two days.
The recipe is an exact match from marthastewart.com, a classic she made batch after batch at the fried chicken parties she hosted every summer. Her page even notes that Snoop Dogg calls it the best thing she has ever cooked for him.
Give the marinated pieces a full hour draining on a wire rack before they meet the flour, not a quick shake over the dish. The surface turns tacky as it drains and grips the dredge, while damp chicken sheds its crust straight into the hot oil.
Martha Stewart Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Course: ChickenCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings30
minutes30
minutes590
kcal1
hourSkillet-fried chicken the old way: a two-day soak, a cornmeal-spiked dredge, and a covered pan. The payoff is a shatteringly crisp, lightly spiced crust over juicy meat.
Ingredients
- For marinating:
1 whole fryer chicken, 2½ to 3 lb (1.1 to 1.4kg), cut into 10 parts
4 cups (960ml) low-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons coarse salt
1½ tablespoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- For dredging:
1½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- For frying:
Vegetable oil, about 3 cups (720ml) to start, plus more if needed
Directions
- Brine overnight. Place the chicken in a large bowl of cold salted water. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Marinate. Whisk the buttermilk with the salt, dry mustard, cayenne, and black pepper. Arrange the chicken snugly in a shallow dish, pour the marinade over to submerge, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Drain on a rack. About an hour before frying, lift the pieces onto a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.
- Mix the dredge. Shake or whisk the flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, and cayenne together in a paper bag or shallow dish.
- Heat the oil. Pour just under ¾ inch (2cm) of oil into a large cast-iron skillet and bring to 375F (190C) over medium. No thermometer? A cube of crustless white bread should turn golden within 1 minute.
- Dredge. Coat each piece thoroughly with tongs, shaking off excess flour for an even, lump-free crust. Rest the pieces on a rack-lined baking sheet.
- Set up to hold. Heat the oven to 200F (95C) and layer paper towels over a second wire rack in a rimmed sheet.
- Fry the first side. Working in batches, place pieces skin side down, dark meat first, in a single layer without touching. Cover and fry until crisp and golden, 4 to 5 minutes, keeping the oil between 330 and 340F (165 and 170C).
- Turn and finish. Turn carefully, cover again, and fry until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes more: 160F (71C) for breasts, 165F (74C) for thighs. Pull each piece the moment it’s ready.
- Hold and repeat. Keep finished pieces warm in the oven and bring the oil back to 375F (190C) before the next batch.
Notes
- Notes (from Martha’s original):
Alternative marinating method: divide the chicken and marinade evenly among large resealable bags, rest the bags on a rimmed baking sheet to catch leaks, and refrigerate as directed.
FAQs
Why does the chicken get both a brine and a marinade?
They do different jobs. The overnight soak in salted water seasons the meat and helps it hold moisture through the hot fry.
The buttermilk adds a light tang, but its real work is the lactic acid, which tenderizes the meat gently over the 4-hour soak. Acidic marinades made with vinegar or citrus can turn meat mushy, while buttermilk is mild enough to rest overnight.
Why does Martha fry this chicken in cast iron?
Cast iron holds heat better than any other pan, which matters most when cold chicken hits the oil. Thin pans drop hard and recover slowly, so the coating drinks oil instead of crisping.
The lid is part of the setup too, trapping heat so pieces cook evenly while cutting the spatter. She recommends a probe thermometer, since it tracks the oil without lifting the lid, the same tool that guards her deep fried turkey.
Why heat the oil to 375F but fry lower?
The 375F (190C) start builds in a buffer, not a frying temperature. Ten cold, wet pieces knock the oil down fast, and the head start keeps it from crashing too low.
The steady 330 to 340F (165 to 170C) zone cooks the inside through before the crust darkens. Hotter oil browns the coating in minutes while the thighs stay raw at the bone.
Why is the crust tearing off when I turn the pieces?
You turned too soon. The crust needs the full 4 to 5 minutes to set and release. Martha’s cue: pieces let go of the pan easily when they’re ready.
Force a stuck piece and the coating stays behind in the oil. Clumps of wet flour also blister and pop off as they fry, the reason the recipe wants an even, lump-free coat.
How does fried chicken store and reheat?
Better than most fried food, though the first-day crackle never fully returns. Refrigerate within 2 hours and it keeps 3 to 4 days sealed.
Reheat on a wire rack at 400F (200C) for about 15 minutes, never the microwave, which steams the crust soggy. Skip freezing, since the coating turns leathery after thawing. Her scalloped potatoes make a better make-ahead partner, since they actually improve on a reheat.
