Air Fryer Buttermilk Fried Chicken

This might be the best Air Fryer Buttermilk Fried Chicken! Tender, delicious, and this is guaranteed to be one of the best family meals. 

This is a great and versatile dish, you can use either chicken thighs or boneless chicken breast, and you will get the same great flavor. 

This is a top-rated recipe, so I recently updated it so that everyone can get the classic Fried Chicken flavor in the air fryer.

If you are looking for some great sides for this dish, my favorites are AIR FRYER COPYCAT MCDONALD’S FRENCH FRIES, AIR FRYER CARROT FRENCH FRIES, AIR FRYER EASY POUTINE FRENCH FRIES, and AIR FRYER SPICY FRENCH FRIES.

Air Fryer Buttermilk Fried Chicken

If you have ever gone to a traditional Southern Restaurant, you probably were served a proper Southern Fried Chicken.

They dredge it in buttermilk, which really adds a lot of flavors. And produces a tender piece of chicken, which makes for a great chicken sandwich.

This recipe will work, whether you use chicken breast, boneless, or bone-in chicken thighs. Today I used simple chicken breast so that I could make a sandwich! I mean, who doesn’t love a fried chicken sandwich. 

Buttermilk Fried Chicken is typically prepared but using a whole chicken and cutting it up. 

Ingredients Needed For Air Fryer Buttermilk Fried Chicken

• Chicken, pieces, or a whole one cut up
• Buttermilk
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Paprika
• Flour
• Baking Powder
• Garlic Powder

How to Brine and Marinate the Chicken

What does marinating chicken in buttermilk do?

Brining chicken is the key to getting a tender piece of fried chicken. The buttermilk is acidic and tenderizes the chicken. 

This is a great step before adding it to the flour mixture because it really does produce a great piece of tender chicken with a flaky and crispy coating. Many people like to add pickle juice, which produces a slight pickle flavor, but today, I am just giving you a simple recipe for Buttermilk Fried Chicken. 

How long to marinate chicken in buttermilk?

I usually like to marinate my chicken overnight, but you really do not need to. The recommended shortest time I would marinate would be 2 hours. That time will allow your chicken to become tender before flouring it.

How To Make Air Fryer Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Add your buttermilk to a large bowl, then mix in the salt, black pepper, and paprika. Mix well. Add your chicken and then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours. 

When it’s time to air fry the chicken, mix the flour with baking powder and garlic powder. 

Spray your air fryer basket with cooking spray, or use a piece of parchment paper and line your basket. 

Dredge your chicken into the flour mixture. As you dredge it into the flour mixture, place it into the air fryer basket.  Spray the chicken generously with cooking spray. Otherwise, you will get white spots or dried-out brown spots. It would be best if you sprayed the entire flour coating with cooking spray. 

Set the temperate to 380 degrees F, air fryer setting, for 16 minutes. Flip and respray the chicken halfway through the cooking process. 

How to Make Buttermilk

A lot of us do not have buttermilk in the house. Therefore, here is a simple recipe that shows you how to make your own. 

To make 1 cup of buttermilk:

• 1 cup of milk
• 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice

What is the safe internal temperature for chicken?

The USDA recommends that chicken is cooked when it reaches 165 degrees F. Check your chicken before removing it from the Air Fryer Basket using a meat thermometer.

How do you tell if fried chicken is done without a thermometer?

The key to knowing when fried chicken is completely done if you do not have a meat thermometer is to cut into the chicken.

Once the chicken is completely white and the juices run clear, you have a great cooked piece of fried chicken.

How To Serve Air Fryer Fried Chicken

Today, I made this into a sandwich, and here are some great toppings:

• Brioche or Hamburger Bun
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Red Onions
• Cole Slaw
• Pickles
• Cucumbers

Great Sauces For Fried Chicken

• CHIMICHURRI SAUCE
• HOMEMADE BLUE-CHEESE DRESSING
• GREEK YOGURT BBQ SAUCE
• CILANTRO-LIME SOUR CREAM CREMA
• TGIF CREAMY CUCUMBER-WASABI RANCH DIP
• SWEET AND SOUR DIPPING SAUCE
• RAISING CANE’S SAUCE

Don’t Forget To Pin-

Yield: 4 Servings

Air Fryer Buttermilk Fried Chicken

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This might be the best Air Fryer Buttermilk Fried Chicken! Tender, delicious, and this is guaranteed to be one of the best family meals. 

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 16 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 36 minutes

Ingredients

BUTTERMILK MARINADE:

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika

FLOUR MIXTURE:

• 2 cups of flour
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder

Other:

• 4 Boneless Chicken Breasts, or cut up chicken, chicken thighs, or legs
• Cooking Spray

Instructions

1. Add your buttermilk to a large bowl, then mix in the salt, black pepper, and paprika. Mix well. Add your chicken and then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours. 
2. When it's time to air fry the chicken, mix the flour with baking powder and garlic powder. 
3. Spray your air fryer basket with cooking spray, or use a piece of parchment paper and line your basket. 
4. Dredge your chicken into the flour mixture. As you dredge it into the flour mixture, place it into the air fryer basket.  Spray the chicken generously with cooking spray. Otherwise, you will get white spots or dried-out brown spots. It would be best if you sprayed the entire flour coating with cooking spray. 
5. Set the temperate to 380 degrees F, air fryer setting, for 16 minutes. Flip and respray the chicken halfway through the cooking process. 
6. Plate, serve, and enjoy!

 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 605Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 168mgSodium: 1820mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 61g