Every President’s Day, my feeds fill up with quotes and flag graphics, but what I really remember is my mom in the kitchen and our family orbiting around her. Long Southern weekends meant she was hauling out the cast‑iron skillet and soaking chicken in buttermilk “since everyone’s here anyway,” filling the house with the smell of hot oil and Sunday supper.
This buttermilk skillet fried chicken is my way of turning those memories into a President’s Day tradition—a simple, slightly indulgent meal that brings everyone to the table. Piled on a big platter with your favorite Southern sides, it makes the holiday feel less like a history lesson and more like coming home.
Buttermilk Skillet Fried Chicken (Serves 4–6)
Ingredients
For the buttermilk soak
- 3 pounds bone‑in, skin‑on chicken pieces (mix of thighs, legs, breasts)
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce (mild or Louisiana‑style)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon or yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
For the seasoned coating
- 1½ cups all‑purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch (for extra crunch)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
For frying and finishing
- Peanut, canola, or vegetable oil, enough to come about ½ inch up the side of a large cast‑iron skillet
- Flaky sea salt or kosher salt, for sprinkling at the end (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until smooth. Add the chicken pieces, making sure they are fully submerged, then cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
- When you’re ready to fry, remove the chicken from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 20–30 minutes while you prepare the coating and heat the oil. This takes the chill off so the chicken cooks more evenly.
- In a shallow dish, mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and black pepper until everything looks evenly combined. This seasoned flour will build your crunchy crust.
- Pour oil into a large cast‑iron skillet until it reaches about ½ inch up the sides, then heat over medium to medium‑high until the oil reaches around 325–350°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, a pinch of flour should sizzle on contact without browning instantly.
- Working one piece at a time, lift the chicken from the buttermilk, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, then press it firmly into the flour mixture, turning to coat and pressing so the crust clings well. Shake off any loose flour and set the coated chicken on a rack or tray while you dredge the rest.
- Fry the dark meat pieces first (thighs and legs), placing them in the hot oil without crowding the pan. Cook 6–8 minutes per side, turning occasionally, until the crust is a deep golden brown and the internal temperature at the thickest part reaches 165°F. Adjust the heat as needed to keep the oil in the 325–350°F range.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet so the crust stays crisp while you fry the remaining pieces. Repeat with the white meat, which may cook a bit faster, again checking for an internal temperature of 165°F.
- While the chicken is still hot, sprinkle lightly with flaky salt if you like, then let it rest 5–10 minutes before serving so the juices settle and the crust firms up. Serve piled high on a platter with lemon wedges, hot sauce, and your favorite Southern sides.
On President’s Day, I think less about speeches and more about that hot skillet of cornbread my mom would pull from the oven, edges still sizzling in bacon drippings. She’d cut big wedges and pass them around, and somehow that simple, golden bread made the day feel a little more special—our own small, Southern way of celebrating home and country at the same time.
Southern Skillet Cornbread (No Sugar)
Ingredients
- 1½ cups yellow cornmeal (not self‑rising)
- ½ cup all‑purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1¾ cups buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons melted butter, slightly cooled
- 2 tablespoons bacon drippings or vegetable oil, for the skillet
Instructions
- Place a 10‑inch cast‑iron skillet on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 425°F so the pan gets good and hot.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until everything is evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and buttermilk until smooth, then whisk in the melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until the batter comes together; it should be pourable but thick. Do not overmix.
- Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven, add the bacon drippings or oil, and swirl to coat the bottom and sides. The fat should shimmer. Immediately pour in the batter; it should sizzle as it hits the pan.
- Return the skillet to the oven and bake 18–22 minutes, until the top is deep golden, the edges are crisp, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cornbread cool for about 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve warm with butter and a drizzle of honey if you like (even though the bread itself is savory).
