Juicy, Crispy Buttermilk Sous Vide Fried Chicken

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I took the entire summer of 2017 perfecting my classic southern buttermilk fried chicken recipe.

My husband helped me perfect sous vide fried chicken in just 4 tries. Am I a little jelly? Yeah, I'll admit it.

We love sous vide cooking at home and have been doing it for many years, making all types of delicious sous vide recipes...

...Turning a tough eye of round roast into something as tender as filet mignon (I'm not joking!), making the most perfect steaks, and of course, perfectly cooking fried chicken.

The Best Sous Vide Fried Chicken!

I call this the perfect beginner's fried chicken because you'll end up with great results every time.

My biggest problem was undercooking the chicken and trying not to burn the crust while trying to get that undercooked chicken to temperature.

 Hey, I was used to my mama's chicken, so doing it myself...well, it took some time to figure out. 

None of that is a worry in this recipe at all!

Why You'll Love this Recipe

• It's foolproof - chicken cooked in the sous vide water bath will always be cooked through so you never have to worry about undercooked chicken.
• You'll get perfectly crispy chicken skin every time - Cornstarch and baking powder are my secret to crazy-crispy fried chicken. The baking powder makes little bubbles in the crust, and the cornstarch creates a thin web in the hot oil, trapping those bubbles and giving you that shatteringly crispy crunch.
• This recipe works with dark and white meat - Sous vide chicken at 155ºF for a couple of hours, and you’ve got perfection. The slow, gentle cooking kills all the bacteria while keeping the meat juicy. Plus, it breaks down the tendons, making the chicken super tender.

Ingredients Needed

Bone-in, Skin-On Chicken Parts - this recipe works with the whole chicken, any piece you want to use.

Buttermilk Brine

• Buttermilk or a Buttermilk Substitute - the lactic acid in buttermilk is what we're looking for: we want that acid to help break down the protein bonds in our chicken!
• Spices - I love smoked paprika, minced garlic, a little cayenne or chipotle powder for their warmth, and thyme.
• Hot Sauce - always! The spice and acidity from the hot sauce is so needed, and very noticeable when it's missing.

Dredge/Crust Ingredients

• All Purpose Flour
• Cornstarch and Baking Powder
• Spices - you'll want to use powdered and dried spices and herbs for the crust, fresh garlic and herbs will burn in the hot oil.

How to Make Sous Vide Fried Chicken

Marinate and sous vide the chicken

Step 1 | Brine the chicken in that buttermilk goodness. Mix up the ingredients, then let the chicken marinate for at least 2 hours, up to overnight if you can. The buttermilk does more than tenderize—it soaks up all that flavor, which gets even better as it cooks.

Step 2 | Move the chicken from the buttermilk to the sous vide bag.
Seal up the chicken in the bag, remove the air, and drop it into your water bath at 155ºF for 2-4 hours.

Don’t go over 4 hours, though—anything longer, and the texture can turn mushy, especially with chicken breasts. Keep it in that sweet spot for the juiciest results!

Dredge the sous vide chicken

Step 3a | Take the chicken out of the bag and pat it dry with paper towels.
Next, whip up a bowl of dry dredge mix and another bowl of seasoned buttermilk. Important: Don’t use the buttermilk from the chicken—let’s avoid cross-contamination!

Dip the chicken in buttermilk, coat it in seasoned flour, give it a shake to remove the excess, and let it rest while you finish the rest. This lets the coating set for that perfect crispy crunch!

Step 3b | Here’s where the double dredge magic happens for that thick, crunchy crust. It’s totally optional, but come on—who doesn’t love a crispy crust? Let the first dredge set for a few minutes, then dredge the chicken back into the flour, shake off the excess, and we’re ready to fry up that crispy goodness!

Time to Fry

Step 4 | Fill a 4.5-5qt Dutch oven with high-heat oil like vegetable or peanut oil, about halfway, and heat it to 350ºF. Carefully drop in 2-3 pieces of chicken and fry until the crust is golden brown and crispy, about 5-7 minutes.

Step 5 | Remove the chicken from the hot oil and place it on a wire rack over a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper while it's still hot for extra flavor!

Step 6 | Serve your crispy fried chicken with classic sides and sauces like lemon garlic aioli, hot honey, or classic hot sauce.

Chef's Tips 

• Don't have buttermilk? Try using full-fat sour cream or plain yogurt instead.
• After the sous vide bath, make sure to pat the chicken before frying with paper towels. It’s crucial for getting that crispy, golden skin when you fry it. If there's any moisture left on the skin, it’ll turn soggy when it hits the oil. So, get your chicken nice and dry—trust me, it's worth the extra few seconds!
• This is a big one—overcrowding the fryer can lead to soggy chicken. Fry the chicken in batches, giving each piece enough space to cook evenly. If the oil temperature drops, your crispy crust will suffer, and we don’t want that! Keep the oil at the right temperature, and you'll be golden (literally!).
• Did you forget to thaw your chicken? No worries! You can sous vide frozen chicken—just be sure to add 30-60 extra minutes to the cooking time.

Recipe Variations

• I personally love a double dredge, which gives us a thicker, crunchier crust. It can be a little trickier to get a crispy thin crust when you have sous vide chicken, so if you want a crispy crust I say double dredge is the way to go! 
• Boneless chicken works great in this recipe, whether that's the thighs or chicken breasts. They make an amazing fried chicken sandwich!

Juicy, Crispy Sous Vide Fried Chicken Recipe

By: Eden Westbrook

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Sous vide fried chicken is a game-changer, especially if it's your first time making it! We marinate the chicken in a rich, tangy buttermilk brine, then cook it low and slow in a water bath until it’s tender and juicy. After that, we finish it off by deep frying it in a Dutch oven to get that perfect, crispy, golden crust. It’s the best of both worlds—juicy inside, crispy outside, and totally foolproof!

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Brining Time: 2 hours hrs

Cook Time: 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 4 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

8 pieces

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Ingredients 

Buttermilk Brine

• ▢ 4 cups buttermilk
• ▢ 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• ▢ 4 garlic cloves, smashed or minced
• ▢ 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• ▢ 2 teaspoons black pepper
• ▢ 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

For Dredging

• ▢ 8 pieces of bone-in, skin-on chicken, mix of thighs, breasts, drumsticks, and/or wings
• ▢ 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ½ cup cornstarch
• ▢ 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons onion powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, adjust to your spice preference
• ▢ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper

Buttermilk Dip

• ▢ 1 cup buttermilk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ Vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions 

Brine the Chicken

• In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, kosher salt, smashed garlic, smoked paprika, black pepper, hot sauce, and thyme. Stir well.
  4 cups buttermilk, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 4 garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 2 teaspoons hot sauce, 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• Add the chicken pieces to the brine, ensuring they are fully submerged. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight if possible, to allow the flavors to infuse the chicken.
  8 pieces of bone-in, skin-on chicken

Sous Vide the Chicken

• Fill your sous vide container with water and set the immersion circulator to 155°F (79°C).
• After the chicken has finished brining, remove it from the buttermilk, letting any excess liquid drip off.
• Place the chicken in vacuum-seal bags, 2-3 pieces per bag. Seal each bag and cook the chicken sous vide for 2 hours.
• Once cooked, carefully remove the chicken from the bags and pat dry with paper towels to remove any moisture (this helps achieve crispy skin).

Prepare for Frying

• In a shallow dish, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper for the dredge.
  3 cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup cornstarch, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper
• In a different shallow dish, whisk together the buttermilk, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper to create the dipping mixture.
  1 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Dip each piece of chicken in the spiced buttermilk, then coat it in the seasoned flour. Give it a little shake to get rid of the excess and let it rest on a plate or baking sheet while you finish up the rest.

Double Dredge (Optional for Extra Crunch)

• For an extra crispy coating, you can double dredge the chicken. After the first dredge, let the chicken rest for a few minutes, then dredge it again in the flour mixture. Shake off the excess flour, and it’s ready for frying!

Fry the Chicken

• Fill a 4.5-5qt Dutch oven with vegetable oil, about halfway, and heat it to 350°F (175°C). Carefully place 2-3 pieces of chicken into the hot oil and fry for about 5-7 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and crispy.
  Vegetable oil
• Remove the chicken from the hot oil and place it on a wire rack over a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with a little salt while it’s still hot.
• Serve the fried chicken with sauces and sides.

Last step!Be sure to snap a pic and share on Instagram #sweetteaandthyme and tag me at @sweet_tea_thyme so we can all see!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1 piece, Calories: 313kcal (16%), Carbohydrates: 14g (5%), Protein: 25g (50%), Fat: 6g (9%), Saturated Fat: 3g (19%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.001g, Cholesterol: 17mg (6%), Sodium: 600mg (26%), Potassium: 336mg (10%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 2g (2%), Vitamin A: 150IU (3%), Vitamin C: 2mg (2%), Calcium: 80mg (8%), Iron: 3mg (17%)