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Southern Fried Chicken

Name: Southern Fried Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 5 h
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 3 lbs whole chicken pieces; 2 cups buttermilk; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp paprika; 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper; salt to taste; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 4 cups vegetable oil for frying

Southern Fried Chicken reads sourness 5.0, allium 4.3 and heat 3.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Southern main, about 5 hr. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 4.1 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 1.3 / 10
Sour & Bright — 5.0 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.0 / 10
Rich & Fat — 4.0 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Sourness 5.0 · Allium 4.3 · Heat 3.9 · Richness 3.8 · Salinity 3.5 · Funk & Ferment 3.2 · Warm Spice 2.6 · Umami 2.4 · Sweetness 1.2 · Bitterness 0.9 · Earthy 0.8 · Herbaceous 0.7 · Floral 0.7 · Nutty 0.6

What's in it (10)

3 lbs whole chicken pieces
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 cups vegetable oil for frying

Time & effort: about 5 hr (20 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 160.3 kcal, 14.6 g protein, 7 g fat, 10 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (4 steps)

Soak chicken pieces in seasoned buttermilk for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Dredge in a flour mixture seasoned with garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
Fry in hot oil at 350°F, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Drain on a wire rack and serve hot.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Buttermilk Fried Chicken — Southern
Chile Colorado (Red Chile Sauce from Chimayo Pods) — New Mexican
Pork Vindaloo — Indian
Amba (Fermented Green Mango and Fenugreek Pickle) — Iraqi
Blackened Chicken Sandwich with Comeback Sauce — Southern

Keep reading: what sourness, allium, heat mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.