This is the easiest Louisiana fried chicken you’ll ever make. It’s simple, juicy, succulent, and requires only a few ingredients.
Anything Louisiana is delicious, so it is no surprise that the fried chicken is so tempting.
Louisiana Fried Chicken
To start off with this juicy and succulent Fried Chicken recipe, let us just say that Louisiana Fried Chicken is the perfect meaning of soul food with simplicity. And of course, anything from Louisiana is dear to us simply due to the closeness of the culture to the Haitian culture.
The base ingredient in this heavenly flavor is paprika and Jacmel Seasoning. The smoky flavor gives this recipe an added touch that is not normally found in fried chicken.
It’s probably one of the best versions of fried chicken simply because it gives you the feeling of eating fried chicken from your favorite restaurant.
Fried chicken can be fairly complex to make, but what makes this Louisiana Fried Chicken even more appealing is the simplicity and the quickness to make it. It can all be done within 45 minutes to an hour.
What Makes this Recipe So Great?
- Tastefully crispy and yet juicy and tender.
- The perfect comfort food.
- Extremely simple and quick to make.
- Perfectly seasoned.
Key Ingredients You’ll Need To Make This Recipe
- Chicken – Your favorite chicken pieces. We used a 5 ½ lb. bird and cut it up into pieces.
- Buttermilk – For coating and to maintain tenderness.
- All-Purpose Flour & Cornstarch – All-purpose flour for a crispy outer layer, and the cornstarch to make it crunchy.
- Spices – Our Jacmel Seasoning Blend, paprika, kosher salt, and Dave’s Carolina Reaper, or you can use Tabasco sauce. But be mindful, Dave’s Carolina reaper is extremely spicy. A few drops (about 3-4) are all you need.
- Vegetable Oil – Peanut oil or vegetable oil for frying.
Difference Between Our Louisiana Chicken Vs Other Fried Chicken Recipes
Our Louisiana chicken has an abundant amount of paprika and peppers similar to what you would find in Creole cuisine. The cooking process is practically the same as other
fried chicken.
Because Creole cuisine is very close to Haitian cuisine, the seasoning base we used for this is from our Jacmel seasoning as the ingredients used are typically the same ingredients found in Creole seasoning.
Should I Use Buttermilk In My Louisiana Chicken Recipe?
The short answer is yes. Though it can be substituted, I would recommend it due to several factors. The acidity brings added flavor and helps retain moisture and tenderness. If you do not have buttermilk at home, don’t worry. I am sure you have vinegar and milk. A cup of milk and a tablespoon of vinegar mix throughout and let stand for 5 minutes will do the trick.
How To Get A Perfectly Crisp Chicken?
This is for any fried chicken not just Louisiana fried chicken. Your oil needs to be at the perfect temperature in order to get that perfectly crisp outer layer that’s also crunchy. Your oil should not fall below 325F. If your oil is too hot, the chicken will burn, and it will remain raw on the inside. The opposite will happen if your oil is not to temperature. Highly recommend using a deep fryer as it has a temperature regulator.
The cooked chicken should have an internal temperature of 165F instantly when you check the thickest part of the meat with an instant thermometer. Raw chicken will cause you to be sick or have food poisoning.
How Long Should I Fry My Chicken?
It depends on the pieces. Dark meat takes about 12-14 minutes to deep fry, while white meat (depending on the thickness) takes about 10-12 minutes.
How To Make The Best Louisiana Fried Chicken With Haitian Seasoning?
Preparing the chicken: Our Poulet en Sauce recipe has detailed steps to clean the chicken. You can use any piece of chicken you’d like.
Marinating the chicken: After cleaning the chicken, prepare the buttermilk brine. In a large bowl add the 3 eggs, buttermilk, paprika, hot sauce (we used Dave’s Carolina Reaper), and Jacmel Seasoning Blend. Stir it well to combine, then add the chicken. Be sure to coat the chicken well, and allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes, but longer if possible as the flavor will amplify.
Flour Mixture: In a large bowl, add the all-purpose flour, Jacmel seasoning paprika, and cornstarch. Whisk well to combine.
Bread and fry the chicken: Working in small batches, or 3 pieces at a time, dip the chicken in the flour mixture. Coat the chicken on all sides (see notes below) and place it on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes before frying.
When ready to fry, dip the coated chicken in the hot oil. Fry about 3 pieces of chicken at a time. Do not overcrowd the pan as this will reduce the oil temperature.
Remove the cooked chicken from the oil and either place it on a paper-toweled plate or a clean cooling rack with a tray underneath. The cooling rack will allow the excess oil to drain. Repeat the process with the remaining pieces.
Pairing Suggestion
This Louisiana Fried Chicken recipe will steal the show at any dinner party or weekend/weeknight dinner. How could anything compete with crunchy golden skin and soft, juicy meat? Make some of Savory Thoughts’ signature sides for a spread:
Instant Pot Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
Southern Style Mashed Potatoes
More Fried Chicken Recipes To Try
Once you’ve made this Louisiana fried chicken, I recommend you try this Gluten Free Fried Chicken, this Japanese Fried Chicken, or this Haitian Fried chicken next.
How To Store & Reheat
Cool leftover fried chicken on a cooling rack over a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Carefully transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined airtight container. The chicken will stay crisp because the paper towels absorb dampness.
When ready to reheat, simply transfer the chicken onto a baking sheet, cover it with aluminum foil, and reheat in the oven for about 15-20 minutes at 400F. You can also reheat the chicken in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The chicken will last about 4 days in the fridge.
Yes. Place the cooled chicken in an airtight container or freezer-safe container. The chicken will be kept in the freezer for about 3 months.
Louisiana Fried Chicken
Equipment
- Deep fryer you can also use a deep cast iron skillet or Dutch Oven
- Whisk
- Tongs
- Spider Strainer
- Cooling racks with trays
Ingredients
- Desired Chicken pieces; We cut up a 5 ½ lb. chicken into individual pieces
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 Quart Reduced Fat Cultured Buttermilk
- 3 Tbsp. Paprika; Plus 1 Tbsp. for the flour mixture. You can also use smoked paprika which will provide depth of flavor.
- ¼ Cup Jacmel Seasoning; Plus 2 Tbsp. for the flour mixture
- 2 Tbsp. Kosher Salt; For the buttermilk mixture
- Few Drops Hot Sauce; We used Dave's Carolina Reaper
- 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ Cup Cornstarch
- Oil For Deep Frying; You can use Vegetable oil, Canola oil, or peanut oil.
Instructions
- Preparing the chicken: Clean the chicken thoroughly and cut the chicken into pieces if using a whole chicken. Marinating the chicken: After cleaning the chicken, prepare the buttermilk brine. In a large bowl add the 3 eggs, buttermilk, paprika, hot sauce (we used Dave’s Carolina Reaper), and Jacmel Seasoning Blend. Stir it well to combine, then add the chicken. Be sure to coat the chicken well, and allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes, but longer if possible as the flavor will amplify. Flour Mixture: In a large bowl, add the all-purpose flour, Jacmel seasoning, paprika, and cornstarch. Whisk well to combine.
- Bread and fry the chicken: Working in small batches, or 3 pieces at a time, dip the chicken in the flour mixture. Coat the chicken on all sides (see notes below) and place it on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes before frying. When ready to fry, dip the coated chicken in the hot oil. Fry about 3 pieces of chicken at a time. Do not overcrowd the pan as this will reduce the oil temperature. Remove the cooked chicken from the oil and either place it on a paper-toweled plate or on a clean cooling rack with a tray underneath. The cooling rack will allow the excess oil to drain. Repeat the process with the remaining pieces.
Video
Notes
Pro Tips
- When breading the chicken, allow the chicken to stay on the rack or plate for at least 5 minutes. This will help the breading/flour properly stick to the chicken.
- Preparation is key when it comes to making fried chicken. Before frying, have the paper toweled plates or cooling rack/tray ready. Have paper towels ready for easy cleanups and have an instant thermometer ready.
- Highly recommend you use a deep fryer, a deep cast iron skillet, or a Dutch oven. It’s very common for oil to splash when frying chicken. To avoid an overflow and splatter, do not use a shallow pan.
- To remove the chicken from the hot oil, I highly recommend you use a spider strainer or tongs.
- Always monitor your oil. I like to deep fry chicken at 350F temperature. Do not let the oil temperature reduce below 325F as this may cause your chicken to be raw, or unevenly cooked.
Ana says
This came out perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy inside, with just the right kick of spice. It’s comfort food at its finest—delicious, satisfying, and full of flavor!
Mirlene says
Thank you very much, Ana
Catalina says
I made the Louisiana Fried Chicken last night, and it was absolutely phenomenal! The seasoning blend was perfect—just the right amount of spice and crunch
Mirlene says
Thank you, Catalina
Mahy says
If there is one thing that I’ve been craving since my travel days, it would be LFC! So I am going to print this recipe, and then I am going to make a few buckets of this chicken for myself!!
Mirlene says
Thank you, Mahy!
Meg says
The thing I have never done before is add cornstarch to the flour mixture. I bet that makes a big difference with crispiness you get. Your fried chicken looks absolute perfection!
Mirlene says
Thank you very much. Appreciate it.