Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Hot Honey
Crunchy, juicy and sweet-hot
Few things rival a piece of fried chicken that shatters at the first bite, and an overnight buttermilk brine is the secret to keeping the meat beneath that shell properly juicy. The twist here is a glossy hot honey drizzle, infused with chilli flakes and a splash of cider vinegar, that pours over the crust while it is still crackling. Sweet, salty and gently fiery, it turns a familiar plate into something you will think about for days.
Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Hot Honey
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin on, bone in
- 500ml buttermilk
- 2 tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 300g plain flour
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1.5 litres vegetable oil, for frying
- 150g runny honey
- 1 tbsp hot chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt
Method
- Mix the buttermilk with the salt, smoked paprika and garlic granules. Submerge the chicken, cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Combine the flour, cornflour, baking powder, black pepper and cayenne in a wide bowl.
- Lift each piece from the buttermilk, letting excess drip off, then press firmly into the seasoned flour. Spoon a little buttermilk into the flour and rub through to make craggy clumps for extra crunch.
- Set the coated pieces on a rack and rest for 15 minutes so the crust adheres.
- Heat the oil in a deep, heavy pan to 170C. Fry the chicken in two batches for 12-14 minutes, turning, until deep golden and cooked to 75C at the bone.
- Drain on a rack set over kitchen paper. Keep the first batch warm in a low oven.
- Warm the honey gently in a small pan with the chilli flakes and cider vinegar until just loosened, then remove from the heat to infuse for 5 minutes.
- Drizzle the hot honey generously over the hot chicken and finish with flaky sea salt. Serve at once.
3 The Story
Fried chicken has deep roots in the American South, where West African cooking traditions of seasoning and deep-frying met Scottish techniques for frying in fat. Over generations it became a cornerstone of Southern and African American home cooking, a celebration dish carried to church suppers and family gatherings. The buttermilk brine is more than a flavouring step: its mild acidity helps tenderise the meat and season it from within, while the tang balances the richness of the crust.
The craggy, shattering coating that distinguishes great fried chicken comes down to a few small choices. Cornflour lightens the flour so the crust stays crisp rather than bready, baking powder encourages a blistered surface, and a resting period before frying lets the coating bond to the buttermilk underneath. Frying at a steady temperature, neither too hot nor too cool, is what allows the inside to cook through while the outside develops that deep golden colour.
Hot honey is the modern flourish. The pairing of chilli heat with honey’s floral sweetness has long existed in various cuisines, but the bottled American condiment that popularised the name emerged from artisan producers in the United States in the 2010s, after which it spread quickly across menus for wings, pizza and fried chicken. Making it at home takes minutes: warming honey with chilli flakes coaxes out their warmth, and a little vinegar keeps the sweetness from cloying.
What makes the combination work so well is contrast. The salty, savoury crust and the sweet-hot drizzle play against each other, and the heat builds gently rather than overwhelming. Drizzling the honey while the chicken is hot lets it settle into the nooks of the crust without making it soggy, provided you serve promptly.
Thighs and drumsticks are the best choice for frying because their slightly higher fat content keeps them forgiving and moist, where breast meat can dry out before the crust is ready. Serve with something cool and sharp, such as a crisp slaw or pickles, to cut through the richness, and have plenty of napkins to hand.
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