Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

Buttermilk marinated fried chicken with mashed potatoes and homemade gravy with fresh green beans.

This recipe for buttermilk fried chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans is a classic comfort food meal, featuring crispy, juicy chicken marinated in buttermilk and coated with a spiced flour mix. The creamy mashed potatoes are enhanced with butter, cream cheese, and garlic, while tender green beans are seasoned with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Topped with a rich brown gravy infused with Worcestershire sauce, this dish offers a satisfying blend of flavors and textures, perfect for a hearty, comforting dinner.

Servings

4

Prep Time

30 minutes + 4 hours marinating

Cook Time

90 minutes

Total Time

6 hours

Ingredients

For the Chicken

3-4 pounds chicken legs and thighs
3 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
3 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
4 teaspoons ground black pepper, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons onion powder, divided
1.5 teaspoons garlic powder, divided
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Peanut or vegetable oil for frying

For the Mashed Potatoes

3 medium red potatoes
3 medium Yukon gold potatoes
4 tablespoons salted butter, divided
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
2 cloves garlic, minced

For the Brown Gravy

2 cups chicken and beef broth (use boiling water with 1 tsp each chicken and beef Better than Bouillon)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1/4 cup cold water
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

For the Green Beans

Fresh green beans, two handfuls, trimmed
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Marinate Chicken

  • In a large bowl, mix buttermilk, hot pepper sauce, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and 2 teaspoons black pepper.
  • Add the chicken, ensuring it is well-coated. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Prepare Chicken Coating

  • In a separate bowl, combine flour, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne. Set aside.

Prepare the Potatoes

  • Peel and dice potatoes.
  • In a large pot with salted water, boil potatoes until fork-tender.
  • In a saucepan, warm 2 tablespoons butter, milk, heavy cream, and minced garlic.
  • Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and return to the pot.
  • Mash the potatoes with the warmed butter mixture and cream cheese. Cover and set aside.

Brown Gravy

  • In a saucepan, prepare the broth using Better than Bouillon.
  • Add Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a simmer.
  • Separately, mix cold water and cornstarch to form a slurry, then add to the broth, stirring until thickened.
  • Finish with unsalted butter and keep warm.

Fry the Chicken

  • Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing excess to drip off.
  • Coat each piece in the flour mixture and let them rest on a wire rack.
  • Heat about 1 inch of oil in a deep frying pan or Dutch oven to 350°F.
  • Fry chicken in batches until golden and cooked through (internal temperature 165°F).
  • Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a 200°F oven.

Green Beans

  • In a skillet, melt butter.
  • Add green beans and season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Sauté until tender.

Serve

  • Plate mashed potatoes and pour the brown gravy on top.
  • Serve with fried chicken and green beans on the side. Enjoy!

Combine the chicken with 3 cups buttermilk, 2 tablespoons hot sauce, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and 2 teaspoons black pepper in a glass or plastic bowl. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours to overnight.

Mix together 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon ground paprika, and 1 teaspoon ground cayenne in a bowl for coating the chicken.

Prepare the marinated chicken with the flour coating mixture with a sheet pan wire rack.

Remove chicken from the buttermilk marinade and drip excess, then using a tongs coat each piece in the flour mixture and place on a wired sheet pan rack to rest while preparing the potatoes.

Rest the coated chicken on the wire rack while preparing the potatoes, gravy, and frying oil.

Peel and large dice the potatoes. Prepare a large saucepan with salted water to boil the potatoes.

In a separate small saucepan, add 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons whole milk, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, and 2 minced garlic cloves and set aside. Also set aside 2 tablespoons cream cheese to warm to room temp to stir in mashed potatoes at the end.

Prepare the brown gravy in another saucepan by first making the chicken/beef broth using Better than Bouillon puree. Then stir in 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme.

Bring to a light boil and stir in the water and corn starch slurry to thicken.

Add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter to melt and set aside.

Heat about an inch of oil in a Dutch oven with a candy thermometer to reach 350 degrees.

Boil the potatoes and fry the chicken in a couple rounds about 10-15 minutes maintaining at least 320 degrees while frying and until internal temp with a probe thermometer reaches 165 degrees. Meanwhile, heat oven to 200 degrees to keep round 1 warm while frying round 2.

Heat the butter and milk mixture until just almost a boil while potatoes are boiling. Once fork tender, strain in a colander and return to pan on low heat to evaporate remaining water. Add the butter and milk mix to mash the potatoes. Stir in the cream cheese. Cover and set aside the potatoes. Sauté the green beans with butter, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder until tender.

Let the chicken rest about 5 minutes and dish up!