Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus 4–24 hours marinating)
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours (with a 4-hour marinate)

Quick Ingredients

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (about 3 lb)
2 cups buttermilk, 1 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp hot sauce, 4 garlic cloves, 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp cayenne
2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup cornstarch, 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp cayenne
2 to 2 1/2 qt peanut oil (for frying)
Hot honey: 1/2 cup honey, 1 tbsp hot sauce, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, pinch of salt
To serve: dill pickle chips, warm buttermilk biscuits (store-bought or homemade)

Do This

1. Whisk buttermilk, salt, hot sauce, garlic, and spices; submerge chicken and marinate 4–24 hours.
2. Warm honey with hot sauce, red pepper flakes, vinegar, and a pinch of salt; keep warm.
3. Mix flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and spices for the dredge.
4. Lift chicken from buttermilk; dredge in flour, dip back in buttermilk, dredge again. Rest 10–15 minutes on a rack.
5. Heat 1/2–3/4 inch peanut oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet to 350°F.
6. Fry in batches, 8–10 minutes for wings and breasts, 12–15 minutes for thighs and drumsticks, keeping oil 325–340°F.
7. Drain on a rack, drizzle with hot honey, and serve with dill pickles and warm biscuits.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Ultra-crispy, craggy crust from a smart double-dredge with flour and cornstarch.
Balanced sweet heat: buttery hot-honey drizzle complements savory, juicy chicken.
Peanut oil and cast-iron skillet deliver even browning and restaurant-quality crunch.
Comforting sides—dill pickles and warm buttermilk biscuits—make it a complete, crowd-pleasing meal.

Grocery List

Produce: Garlic (4 cloves), fresh dill (optional, for garnish), dill pickle chips
Dairy: Cultured buttermilk, unsalted butter (for biscuits, optional)
Pantry: Bone-in chicken pieces, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, honey, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, apple cider vinegar, peanut oil, baking powder, baking soda (for biscuits), kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne

Full Ingredients

Chicken & Buttermilk Brine

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (about 3 lb total: 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 breasts halved crosswise, 2 wings)
2 cups cultured buttermilk
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon hot sauce
4 garlic cloves, smashed
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Seasoned Flour Dredge

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For Frying

2 to 2 1/2 quarts peanut oil (enough for 1/2–3/4 inch depth in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet)

Hot-Honey Drizzle

1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Pinch of kosher salt

For Serving

1 cup dill pickle chips
Flaky sea salt, for finishing (optional)
Fresh dill fronds, for garnish (optional)

Optional: Quick Buttermilk Biscuits (makes 8)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
3/4 cup cold buttermilk, plus 1–2 tablespoons as needed

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Brine the chicken in buttermilk

In a large bowl, whisk the buttermilk, kosher salt, hot sauce, smashed garlic, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours, turning once midway if possible.

Step 2: Make the hot honey

Combine honey, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, apple cider vinegar, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat, stirring, just until fluid and steamy (2–3 minutes). Do not boil. Keep warm on the lowest setting or rewarm before serving.

Step 3: Optional—bake the biscuits

Heat oven to 450°F. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in cold butter until sandy with pea-sized bits. Stir in buttermilk just until a shaggy dough forms. Pat to 3/4-inch thickness, cut 2 1/2-inch rounds, and place on a parchment-lined sheet. Bake 12–15 minutes until golden. Reduce oven to 250°F to keep biscuits warm while you fry.

Step 4: Mix the seasoned dredge and set up

In a wide bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, kosher salt, paprika, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne. Place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet for the dredged chicken. Set another rack over a sheet and place in the 250°F oven for holding fried pieces.

Step 5: Double-dredge and rest

Remove chicken from the buttermilk, letting excess drip. Dredge each piece in the seasoned flour, pressing firmly. Dip quickly back into the buttermilk to moisten, then dredge a second time, pressing to create a thick, craggy coating. Arrange on the rack and let rest 10–15 minutes; this hydrates the flour and improves crunch.

Step 6: Heat the peanut oil

Pour 1/2–3/4 inch peanut oil into a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Heat over medium-high to 350°F. Adjust the burner to maintain 325–340°F during frying. Keep a thermometer clipped to the pan for accuracy.

Step 7: Fry in batches

Fry dark meat first. Add thighs and drumsticks skin-side down without crowding. Fry, turning every 2–3 minutes, 12–15 minutes total or until deeply golden and 175–185°F internal. Wings and halved breasts take 8–10 minutes (breasts to 160°F; they’ll carry over to 165°F). Transfer to the warm rack in the oven to keep crisp while you finish remaining pieces.

Step 8: Drizzle and serve

Season fried chicken lightly with flaky salt, if desired. Arrange on a platter with dill pickle chips and warm biscuits. Drizzle hot honey over the chicken just before serving, and garnish with fresh dill fronds. Serve extra hot honey on the side.

Pro Tips

Rest the coated chicken before frying—those 10–15 minutes create the coveted crunchy, craggy crust.
Cornstarch and a touch of baking powder in the dredge maximize shatter and lift.
Keep the oil between 325–340°F. If it drops, the crust absorbs oil; if it’s too hot, the crust browns before the meat cooks through.
Fry in batches and avoid crowding; crowding cools the oil and leads to soggy crust.
Drizzle hot honey at the last moment so the crust stays crisp.

Variations

Extra-Spicy: Double the cayenne in the dredge and add 2 tablespoons hot sauce to the hot honey.
Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and replace cornstarch with potato starch for excellent crunch.
Sandwich-Style: Use boneless thighs, fry as directed, then tuck into split biscuits with pickles and hot honey.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Marinate chicken up to 24 hours. Hot honey keeps in the fridge for 2 weeks; rewarm gently. Leftover fried chicken: cool completely, refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days. Recrisp on a wire rack over a sheet pan at 400°F for 12–15 minutes. Biscuits are best fresh but can be frozen unbaked; bake from frozen at 450°F for 14–18 minutes.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate for 1/4 of recipe (2 pieces chicken, 1 biscuit, hot honey): 840 calories; 45 g protein; 50 g fat; 58 g carbohydrates; 1,520 mg sodium. Values will vary with oil absorption and biscuit size.

Hot Honey Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Biscuits