Crispy Double Fried Chicken Drumsticks
You soak these fried chicken drumsticks in a buttermilk mixture for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Dredge them in seasoned flour. Dip them in cool water. Dredge them in the flour again. That second dredge is what makes the crust crackly. Fry at 350°F for about 5 minutes, pull them out and let them rest, then fry them again for another 2 to 3 minutes, until they reach 165°F to 180°F inside. The part you may not have seen before is the water. The drumstick goes into plain cool water for the second coat, not back into the buttermilk, and then back into the flour. You get a little more flour on it and a crunchier crust, and once they are on the rack they stay crunchy. If you want to make a whole chicken this way, here is my Homemade Fried Chicken.
Quick Look: Crispy Double Fried Chicken Drumsticks
- Method: Soak in buttermilk. Dredge in flour. Dip in cool water. Dredge in flour again. Fry at 350°F. Rest. Fry again
- Soak: At least 2 hours. Overnight is best
- Oil: 350°F, about 2 inches deep
- First fry: About 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until the coating begins to turn golden
- Second fry: Another 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown and crispy
- Temperature: 165°F internal minimum. USDA says 165°F for all poultry. I like my dark meat around 175°F to 180°F
- Servings: 12 drumsticks
- The one thing that matters most: Put them on a wire rack after each fry. Never a plate or paper towels. The bottoms stay crispy
Why This Recipe
- Crackly crust. Flour, cornstarch and baking powder for the first dredge. Then a dip in cool water and a second dredge. That double coat of flour is what makes the crust crackle.
- Water, not buttermilk, for the second coat. Going back into the buttermilk gives you a thicker, bready crust. Plain water gives you a thin, crackly one.
- Double fry. The first fry cooks the chicken through. The second fry crisps the outside and pulls some of the oil back out of the coating.
- Buttermilk overnight. The soak has salt, hot sauce and smoked paprika in it, so the chicken is flavored inside and out, and the crust is only half the seasoning.
- Drumsticks. We love dark meat. It stays moist at 175°F and up, you can hold it in your hand, and 12 of them fit in a couple of batches.
I serve these with a dipping sauce and whatever sides are going. My Baked Mac and Cheese on the Grill is the one I would put next to them, and my Smoked Baked Beans if the smoker is already running.
Key Ingredients
Three short lists. The soak seasons the meat, the flour builds the crust, and the frying list is just oil and a bowl of water. Nothing here is hard to find.
For the Buttermilk Marinade
- Chicken drumsticks, 12. Skin on.
- Buttermilk, 2 cups. Covers all 12 drumsticks in a large bowl.
- Hot sauce, 1 tbsp. A little heat in the soak.
- Kosher salt, 1 tbsp.
- Black pepper, 1 tsp.
- Garlic powder, 1 tsp.
- Smoked paprika, 1 tsp.
- Cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp.
For the Seasoned Flour
- All-purpose flour, 3 cups.
- Cornstarch, 1/2 cup. This is what puts the crackle in the crust.
- Kosher salt, 1 tbsp.
- Black pepper, 2 tsp.
- Garlic powder, 2 tsp.
- Onion powder, 2 tsp.
- Paprika, 2 tsp.
- Smoked paprika, 1 tsp.
- Cayenne pepper, 1 tsp.
- Baking powder, 1 tsp. It makes small bubbles in the coating as it fries, and that is more surface to get crunchy.
For Frying
- Vegetable or peanut oil. Enough to fill your pot or skillet about 2 inches deep.
- Cool water. A bowl of it, for the dip between coats of flour. Cool, not warm, so the first coat does not turn to paste.
My Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Fried Chicken Nuggets get a buttermilk soak and a cornstarch flour too. Those are the boneless version of this.
Substitutions or Additions
The soak, the water dip and the two fries do not change. Everything below swaps around them.
- Thighs or wings. Soak them in the buttermilk for 2 hours or more, then the same dredging steps and the same double fry. Check the internal temp, because wings will be done sooner. If you want wings on the grill instead, my Pineapple Habanero Wings are the ones.
- Hot honey. If you love hot honey, toss these drumsticks in it right out of the second fry, the way I do my nuggets.
- Extra spicy. Add more cayenne to both the buttermilk and the flour.
- No buttermilk. Stir 1 tbsp of vinegar or lemon juice into 2 cups of whole milk and let it sit 10 minutes. It will not taste exactly like buttermilk, but it works.
- Sweet heat glaze. If you want a sweet and spicy glaze on these, here is my Sweet Heat Glazed Fried Chicken Recipe.
- Smoke then fry. You can smoke the drumsticks before you coat and fry them. That is my Smoked Then Fried Chicken Lollipops.
- Air fryer. I do not recommend it. You will not get the crackly crust. If you do, skip the second dredge and the water dip and spray the flour with oil before it goes in.
How to Make Crispy Double Fried Chicken Drumsticks (Step by Step)
Soak the drumsticks. Whisk the buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika and cayenne together in a large bowl. Add the drumsticks and toss until every one is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or better yet, overnight.
Make the seasoned flour. In another bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, smoked paprika, cayenne and baking powder. Whisk until the seasoning is even all the way through the flour.
Dredge in flour. Take a drumstick out of the buttermilk and let the excess drip off. Lay it in the seasoned flour and coat it all over.
Dip in water. Dip the floured drumstick in the bowl of cool water. Not back in the buttermilk. Just the water, in and out, so the first coat gets wet enough to hold the second.
Dredge again. Straight back into the flour. Press the flour onto the drumstick so it stays on when it hits the oil.
Rest on a wire rack. Set the coated drumsticks on a wire rack while the oil heats. Repeat with all 12. The coating sets up a little while it sits, and that helps it stay on in the oil.
First fry. Heat about 2 inches of oil to 350°F in a heavy pot or deep cast iron skillet. Add the drumsticks in batches and turn them every couple of minutes. Cook about 5 minutes, until the coating begins to turn golden brown. Lift them out and set them back on the wire rack. I let the oil come back to 350°F before the next batch goes in.
Second fry, then rest. Bring the oil back up to 350°F. Return the drumsticks and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown and crispy and at least 165°F inside. Back onto the wire rack to cool a few minutes, then serve with your favorite dipping sauce and sides.
The USDA says to cook chicken to at least 165°F, and that is where I start pulling them off the rack to check. Since these are drumsticks, I usually take them to about 175°F to 180°F. Dark meat cooked past 165°F gets more tender and comes off the bone easier. Most likely yours will get there on the second fry. Check the thickest part of the drumstick, away from the bone, and check more than one if the batch came out of the oil at different times.
Tips From Miguel
The crust is the whole recipe. Every one of these is about keeping it on the chicken and keeping it crisp.
Always use a wire rack. When the chicken comes out of the oil, it goes on a rack. Paper towels or a plate and the bottom will not be as crispy.
Soak the night before. You grab the chicken out of the fridge when you are ready to cook, and it tastes better for the extra time.
Water, not buttermilk, for the second dredge. That is what gets you the crackle on the crust.
Press the flour on. After the second dredge, press the flour onto the chicken so it stays on when you fry it.
Let the oil reach 350°F. Before the first fry, before the second fry, and between batches.
Do not overcrowd the pot. Fry in batches. Too much chicken at once drops the oil temperature and the chicken absorbs more oil.
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge: 3 to 4 days in an airtight container with a paper towel in it to catch the moisture that comes off the crust.
- Freezer: Up to 3 months, drumsticks wrapped individually. The crust will not be as crispy when you reheat it.
- Reheat: Oven or air fryer at 375°F on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes. You can microwave it, but the crust goes soft.
- Make ahead: Soak the chicken in the buttermilk the night before. Do not coat it ahead of time. The flour turns gummy on the chicken, and gummy flour slides off in the oil.
- Leftovers: Shred the meat off the bone for sandwiches, or chop it up and put it on a salad. The crust is best the day it is fried, so I eat the leftovers as meat, not as fried chicken.
More Chicken Recipes to Try
Crispy Double Fried Chicken Drumsticks FAQs
Why fry chicken drumsticks twice?
To get the crackle on the crust. The first fry, about 5 minutes at 350°F, cooks the chicken through. The second fry, another 2 to 3 minutes at the same temp, crisps the outside and lets some of the oil come back out of the coating. One long fry gets you a dark crust before the inside is done. Two short ones get you both.
Why do you dip fried chicken in water?
The water is the wet layer that holds the second coat of flour. You can dip the chicken back in the buttermilk instead, but that builds a thicker, bready crust. Plain water gets you the thin, crackly one.
How long do you fry chicken drumsticks?
About 5 minutes the first time, a short rest on the rack, then another 2 to 3 minutes. Always use a thermometer. The thickest part needs to read at least 165°F, and I like my dark meat closer to 175°F to 180°F.
What temperature should you fry chicken drumsticks?
350°F. Make sure the oil is back at 350°F between batches and before the second fry. Lower than that and the coating soaks up oil instead of crisping.
Can I make fried chicken ahead of time?
Yes. Soak the chicken in the buttermilk the night before, then dredge and fry when you are ready to eat. Leftover fried chicken reheats in the oven or air fryer at 375°F for about 10 to 15 minutes, on a rack if you can.
Crispy Double Fried Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the hot sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika and cayenne. Add the drumsticks and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, smoked paprika, cayenne and baking powder until the seasoning is evenly distributed.
- Lift a drumstick from the buttermilk and let the excess drip off. Dredge it in the seasoned flour until completely coated.
- Dip the floured drumstick in a bowl of cool water, then immediately dredge it in the seasoned flour again, pressing the flour firmly onto the chicken. Set it on a wire rack. Repeat with all 12.
- Heat about 2 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 350°F. Fry the drumsticks in batches, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes, until the coating begins to turn golden brown. Remove to a wire rack.
- Bring the oil back to 350°F. Return the drumsticks and fry another 2 to 3 minutes, turning as needed, until golden brown and extra crispy. The thickest part should read at least 165°F; take dark meat closer to 175 to 180°F for tenderness.
- Rest on a wire rack to drain and cool slightly. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and sides.
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Latest Chicken Recipes
