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. The chicken is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, thanks to a buttermilk marinade and a flavorful coating of spices and flour. The mashed potatoes are creamy and rich with butter, cream cheese, and garlic, while the green beans are perfectly tender with a savory seasoning of salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. To complete the dish, a brown gravy made with Worcestershire sauce and spices is poured over the chicken, creating a mouth-watering combination of flavors and textures. This dish is sure to satisfy your cravings and leave you feeling satisfied and full.

Ingredients

Chicken

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

Mashed Potatoes

  • 3 medium red potatoes and 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes
  • 4 tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons cream cheese, room temp
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Brown Gravy

  • Chicken and beef broth (2 cups boiling water with 1 tsp each chicken and beef better than bouillon)
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
  • 1/4 cup cold water and 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch for slurry
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Green Beans

  • 2 handfuls of fresh green beans, trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Peel and large dice the potatoes. Prepare a large saucepan with salted water to boil the potatoes.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Heat about an inch of oil in a Dutch oven with a candy thermometer to reach 350 degrees.
  8. Boil the water to cook the potatoes.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. Cover and set aside the potatoes.
  12. Sauté the green beans with butter, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder until tender.

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!