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Learn how to make buttermilk for fried chicken with ingredients you have in your kitchen!
If you’re craving delicious tender, crispy fried chicken but you have no buttermilk, chances are you’re looking for the best substitutes for buttermilk in fried chicken and we’ve shared those here.
However, if you also want to learn how to make a simple buttermilk recipe that you can use for frying chicken, then you’ll be glad you came here.
Can I use butter and milk to make buttermilk?
No you cannot. Due to the name, many people still think that buttermilk is a combination of butter and milk. However it is not.
Buttermilk is basically a fermented dairy product. It is generally skimmed milk that has had cultures added to it, that has been allowed to ferment until it gets a tangy acidic taste and thickens.
Buttermilk is used for many cooking purposes. One such purpose is to tenderize foods like raw meat, due to its acidity. Therefore a combination of butter and milk will not work as these two ingredients have no acidity and cannot thus tenderize chicken.
This is why we will show you how to use two simple ingredients to make a simple homestyle buttermilk in minutes!
How to make buttermilk for fried chicken
While there are many homemade buttermilk substitutes out there, not every one of them is ideal for frying chicken. This is why we’re sharing how to make buttermilk specifically for fried chicken here.
To make buttermilk for fried chicken, you will need:
- Milk – Whole milk, 2% milk are the best options, but some people choose to use almond milk, soy milk or even coconut milk to make this homemade buttermilk.
- Lemon or lime juice – Freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice is the best option here as has no preserves compared to the bottled lime juice. But they both can work.
To make buttermilk for frying chicken, simply pour your milk into a container or jar.
Note: If you want to make 1 cup of buttermilk, then you will need 1 cup of milk. Similarly if you need 2 cups of buttermilk because you’re frying a large batch of chicken, then you will need to cups of milk.
Next, squeeze 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for every cup of milk, mix well, then microwave for 30 seconds until the milk and lemon mixture is warm.
Lastly, cover your jar or container and set the mixture aside for 10 minutes or more while the liquid thickens and or curdles.
Finally, use this homemade buttermilk recipe to marinate your chicken before frying. A 1:1 conversion of store bought buttermilk to homemade buttermilk is ideal for fried chicken recipes.
Variations for homemade buttermilk for frying chicken
Another effective variation of buttermilk for fried chicken is a mixture of milk and vinegar. Like the milk and citrus juice mixture, pour 1 cup of milk into a jar, then mix in 1 tablespoon of vinegar if you need 1 cup of buttermilk. Mix well, microwave for 30 seconds then let site for 10 minutes or until the mixture curdles.
And if you have no milk but you have some yogurt on hand, you can make a homemade buttermilk replacement by using greek yogurt and lemon or lime juice.
To make this variation, use 1 of a cup of yogurt and the juice of a large lemon, plus your favorite seasonings. Mix everything well, then marinate your chicken for anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours.
This type of marinade with gently tenderize your chicken so you have really tender fried chicken every time! A 1:1 conversion is ideal here.
When it comes to making delicious fried chicken, using a buttermilk marinade will make the recipes a whole lot better. But, you don’t have to put off making fried chicken if you have no buttermilk.
These methods above show you exactly how to make a few simple diy buttermilk recipes with ingredients you may have inside of your fridge right now.
