Let’s not take the title of this recipe literal because if your momma is anything like my momma, she’s put the fear of God in you with that wooden spoon from when you were a kid and no one is raising a hand or a voice to her!!!

The weather is warming up and we are gearing up for picnics in the park, backyard barbecues, baseball, and all things summer! This fried chicken recipe will become a staple for your next home gathering and the leftovers complete the marriage of chicken and waffles for breakfast the next morning! 

Here’s what you’ll need:

3 pound whole fryer chicken, cut into 10 pieces (both breasts cut in half)

2 tablespoons kosher salt

3 teaspoons ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

3 cups of flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 large egg

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup water

hot sauce (optional)

Peanut oil for frying

I like to buy a whole chicken and butcher it myself because it is so much cheaper that way. You’ll see organic chicken breast at the grocery store for almost $10 and you can get a whole 3 pound chicken of the same price! You’re going to want to butcher this into 10 pieces. If you aren’t adventurous enough to do this on your own, you can buy a whole fryer chicken that has already been butchered for you. Or even ask the butcher to do it for you.

In a small bowl mix together all the seasonings. Season all ten pieces of the chicken all over and seal in an air tight container in the refrigerator overnight or at least 8 hours. Overnight is better though, trust me!

Let chicken stand covered at room temperature for 1 hour before frying. Whisk buttermilk, egg, and 1/2 cup water in a medium bowl. If you want spicy chicken, add hot sauce in the wet dredge.

Whisk flour, cornstarch, 1tbs salt, and remaining 1 tsp pepper in a baking dish.

Pour oil into a 10″-12″ cast iron skillet or other heavy straight sided skillet (non-stick) to a depth of 3/4″. Prop deep fry thermometer in oil so bulb is submerged.

Heat over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 350.

Meanwhile set a wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet.

Working with one piece at a time (use one hand for wet ingredients and one for dry) dip each chicken in buttermilk mixture, allowing excess to drip back into bowl.

Dredge in flour mixture; tap against bowl to shake off excess.

Place 5 pieces of chicken in skillet at a time.

Fry chicken, turning with tongs every 1-2 minutes and adjusting heat to maintain a steady temp of 300-325, until skin is deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part and it registers 165 degrees, about 10 minutes for wings and 12 minutes for breast, thighs, and legs.

Using tongs to remove chicken from skillet, allowing excess oil to drip back into skillet; transfer chicken to prepared wired rack.

Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

You can serve this with a side of my Chipotle Cheddar Mac & Cheese and my Creamed Corn Off the Cob from previous blog posts for the perfect summertime meal!

Masarap!