Fried chicken is perhaps one of my favorite foods. Crispy, spicy, juicy all at the same time. I suspect many of you also enjoy fried chicken — well you’re in luck! This article is about how I make my delicious buttermilk dutch oven fried chicken.

Why Dutch Oven Fried Chicken?

Obviously, because it’s delicious! What makes it more tasty than some of the other methods you can use to fry check is the added weight of the lid and distribution of heat. I find that the chicken comes out with a nicer crisp and is somewhere in-between a pressure frying and pan frying. Generally, dutch oven fried chicken leaves the chicken juicier and crispier than pan frying, but you have to monitor heat closely.

Heating & Oil

Heating the oil is the most important part of cooking fried chicken, so important I’m going to discuss it prior to listing the ingredients…

It is extremely easy to over or under cook the chicken, so measure the temperature!

I personally check the oil regularly and complete the following pattern:

• Pre-chicken raise oil temperature to ~400 F (205 C)
• Remove when lightest piece of chicken is at or above 165 F (74 C)
• Repeat

I cannot stress how crucial temperature management is, if you get nothing else out of this post,

Always check your food temperature!

Temperature management will help you take out food just in time before it gets overcooked, as well as helping to avoid under-cooking food and getting sick.

Dutch Oven Fried Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Quart (1 Liter) oil, recommend corn or vegetable
• 4 – 8 lbs of boned chicken pieces (1.8 – 3.6 Kg)
• 1 Quart (1 Liter) Buttermilk
• 2 Cups (150g) flour
• 1 tsp (5g) baking soda
• Spices
  • 1 Tbsp (15g) garlic
  • 1 tsp (5g) onion powder
  • 1-2 tsp (5-10g) smoked paprika
  • 1 Tbsp (10g) paprika
  • 1 pinch MSG
  • 2 tsp (5g) Chipotle / Chili powder
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp freshly ground pepper

Directions

Step 1: Clean chicken

Step 2: Add chicken to large bowl, salt, and then pour buttermilk (or regular) over the raw chicken

Step 3: Leave chicken to soak for at least an hour (over night)

Step 4: Place dutch oven (5 quart / liter volume) on stove, turn on medium to high heat.

Step 5: Pour oil in the pot, such that there is three finger width from the top

Step 6: Leave oil to rise to ~400 F (205C) (complete steps 7 – 8 while warming)

Step 7: Mix flour, baking soda, and spices in a bowl

Step 8: Move chicken and flour mix into an assembly line near the now very hot oil

** Step 9: Ensure oil temperature to ~400 F (205 C), if not wait

** Step 10: Take soaked chicken, apply breading, and then drop in pot

** Step 11: Repeat step 10 until the pot is full (typically ~5 legs)

** Step 12: Cover and wait for 12 minutes

** Step 13: Remove lightest piece and insert thermometer near bone, check if greater than 165 F (74 C)

** Step 14: If proper temperature, remove all chicken and place on paper towels to absorb grease. If not the proper temperature, place chicken back and wait until desired temperature reached.

** Step 15: Repeat steps 9 – 15, until chicken is all cooked

Step 16: After the chicken is cooked salt & rotate the chicken (salting all sides)

Step 17: Enjoy!

I always enjoy this chicken recipe, it’s so good it melts in your mouth! Note: If you’d like to make it spicier simply add more chili powder, pepper, and / or hot sauce when soaking.

Finally, feel free to leave comments / suggestions; I’d love to improve the recipe.