Buttermilk-brined chicken, seasoned, breaded and fried to order in cast iron, the Hoosier standard threading Upland South and Black migration cooking through Indianapolis neighborhood rooms.

Indiana fried-chicken culture pulls from the Upland South and the Black South, transmitted through both white-flight migration and the Great Migration into Indianapolis neighborhoods. The pan-fried, cast-iron preparation predates the pressure-fried fast-food version and survives at independent rooms across the city.

Where to eat Hoosier fried chicken in Indianapolis

2 editor picks for Hoosier fried chicken in Indianapolis, ranked by editorial score. All Indianapolis signature dishes · Hoosier fried chicken across every city.

More places near Workingman's Friend and The Eagle Mass Ave

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Make it at home

Serves 45 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds, cut into 8 pieces
  • 4 cups buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons hot sauce
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Vegetable oil for shallow frying, plus 1/4 cup rendered bacon fat if you have it

Method

  1. Whisk buttermilk, hot sauce and 1 tablespoon kosher salt in a large bowl. Add the chicken, turn to coat. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
  2. In a wide shallow dish, whisk the flour, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne and remaining 1 tablespoon salt.
  3. Lift a piece of chicken out of the buttermilk, let excess drip off, then press hard into the flour mixture, coating heavily. Set on a rack. Repeat for all pieces.
  4. Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil plus the bacon fat in a heavy cast-iron skillet to 325 F.
  5. Fry the chicken in batches, dark meat first, 12 to 14 minutes per side. The internal temperature should hit 165 F at the bone.
  6. Drain on a rack set over a sheet pan, not on paper towels. Rest 5 minutes before serving.

Editor tip. Don't crowd the pan. Two pieces at a time in a 10-inch skillet, and let the oil come back to temperature between batches; that's the difference between crisp skin and pale, greasy skin.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg.