Get the Recipe:
Sous Vide Buttermilk Fried Chicken
You'll never have to worry about a raw center in your fried chicken again when you combine two of my favorite cooking methods: sous vide and deep frying! After marinading in a classic buttermilk mixture, this chicken gets sous vided then deep fried for a better texture, better flavor, and to ensure it's completely cooked through. You can use this method on any cut of chicken you like, including wings, thighs, and breasts.
Ingredients
Buttermilk Marinade
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken pieces, bone-in or boneless; thighs, breasts, or wings
Dredge
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
For Frying
- canola oil or other high-heat oil for frying
- kosher salt
Equipment
- Chamber Vacuum Sealer optional
- Dutch Oven optional
Instructions
Marinade
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients.
- Add the chicken to your bag of choice and pour the marinade over top. Massage the chicken with the marinade so it is completely coated.
- Seal the bag using your air removal method of choice. I prefer to use a chamber vacuum sealer but a zipper top freezer safe bag will work well, too.
- At this point, you can freeze the chicken or let it marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours before cooking.
Sous Vide
- When ready to cook, preheat a water bath using an immersion circulator to 150 degrees F. Add the bag of marinated chicken to the water bath and cook for 2-4 hours.
- If sous viding in advance, refrigerate until ready to deep fry.
Deep Fry
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare your dredging station. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs. In another shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt, paprika, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Line a baking sheet with paper towels or have ready a wire rack set over a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Set aside.
- When ready to fry the chicken, remove the chicken from the bag and shake off excess marinade. Transfer the chicken to the shallow dish with the eggs. Discard the cooking bag and its contents.
- Turn the chicken so that it is completely coated with egg. Let the excess drip off and then coat each chicken thigh thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture. Gently shake to remove excess flour.
- Carefully place the chicken in the oil, frying in batches if necessary so as to not crowd the pan. Turn the chicken as needed, until the skin is golden brown on all sides, about 7 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to the wire rack or paper-towel-lined baking sheet. While hot from frying, sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Can I make this ahead of time?
- Yes! You can get the chicken in a marinade and sealed bag then freeze or refrigerate. In fact, I recommend making a double batch to use all your buttermilk and freeze one bag for later. You can also refrigerate in between sous viding and deep frying.
- Can I finish in the air fryer?
- It won't be quite as good, but yes! Spray the inside of the air fryer and the chicken with cooking spray first. Cook at 380 degrees F for 12 minutes, turning half way through.
- Can this be frozen?
- Yes. I recommend freezing before sous viding. You can sous vide the chicken from frozen.
- How do I reheat fried chicken?
- This is where the air fryer shines: it's perfect for reheating fried chicken! I like to reheat 380 degrees F for about 5 minutes. You can also reheat it in the oven at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes.
Calories: 444kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Monounsaturated Fat: 17g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 130mg, Sodium: 991mg, Potassium: 298mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 399IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 48mg, Iron: 2mg
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