Air Fryer Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Air Fryer Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Recipe photo may include foods and ingredients that are not a part of this recipe and not included in the nutrition analysis.
Source: The Easy Air Fryer Cookbook. Recipe Credit: . Photo Credit: Renee Comet.
Summary

Is it possible to make fried chicken diabetes-friendly? Absolutely! Especially if you have an air fryer. This small appliance "fries" food with hot circulating air, so you can create the crispy, crunchy exterior or frying with a fraction of the fat and calories from traditional deep frying. This recipe creates juicy, flavorful fried chicken by marinating the chicken in buttermilk, then coating it in a cornflake crust. Then the air fryer works its magic and delivers this fried chicken that's crispy, tender, and loaded with flavor! Top this chicken with a reduced-fat Creamy Gravy and pair with a side of Southern Collard Greens for the ultimate southern comfort meal!

Looking for more diabetes-friendly air fryer recipes? Check out this article. 

  • Prep time
    25 min
  • Servings
    4 Servings
  • Serving size
    1 (4 ozs) piece of chicken
Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts

4 Servings

  • Serving Size
    1 (4 ozs) piece of chicken
  • Amount per serving Calories 160

  • Total Fat 3.5g
    • Saturated Fat 0.8g
    • Trans Fat 0g
  • Cholesterol 65mg
  • Sodium 190mg
  • Total Carbohydrate 7g
    • Dietary Fiber 1g
    • Total Sugars 0g
  • Protein 24g
  • Potassium 230mg
  • Phosphorus 185mg

Choices/Exchanges: 1/2 Starch, 3 Lean protein

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • low-fat buttermilk
    1/3 cup
  • hot sauce
    1/4 tsp
  • boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut in half lengthwise to make 4 equal portions)
    1 lbs
  • corn flakes
    6 tbsp
  • stone-ground cornmeal
    3 tbsp
  • garlic powder
    1 tsp
  • paprika
    1 tsp
  • salt
    1/4 tsp
  • coarse-ground black pepper
    1/4 tsp
  • nonstick cooking spray
    1
Directions

Directions

  1. In a small, deep bowl, stir together the buttermilk and hot sauce. Place the chicken in the buttermilk mixture. Allow to stand 15 minutes.

  2. Place the cornflakes into the work bowl of a food processor. Process until coarse crumbs form. Add the cornmeal, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper and pulse until evenly mixed. Pour the crumbs into a shallow bowl. (if you don't have a food processor, you can crush the cornflakes in a plastic bag with a rolling pin.)

  3. Drain the chicken, allowing the excess buttermilk to drip back into bowl. Coat the chicken pieces evenly in the cornflake mixture. Place the coated chicken pieces on a wire rack.

  4. Place the chicken in the air fryer basket. Spray with nonstick cooking spray for 2 seconds (do not crowd the chicken; cook in batches if all the chicken doesn't fit). Set the temperature to 375°F and air fry for 7 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces. Air fry for an additional 7–10 minutes or until the chicken is done and a meat thermometer inserted in the center registers 165°F.

Reviews
  • Recommended

    Made this last night and it turned out awesome. very crispy outside and moist inside. I used the recipe as printed, but I did add some Old Bay Seasoning to the dry mixture. I liked the addition. I will be making this recipe again and often.

  • Recommended

    Delicious! I about doubled the coating materials (to make enough for the whole family) and used chicken thighs instead of breasts. I chopped them up into small chunks so they were more like chicken nuggets. Followed the air fryer instructions and they came out perfectly. A satisfying crunch on the outside and juicy on the inside. Even my very picky husband said they were amazing asked for them again.

  • Recommended

    I made this last night and I loved it, I did increase the ingredients from what the recipe call, I did not think that it would be enough to coat all 4 chicken breast , I also used regular yellow corn meal because I could not find the stone ground. I also increased the cook time on the last two pieces I cooked because I very crisp chicken. It is a good recipe, and I will be making it again the taste is great

  • Recommended

    although it sounds really really great there is 2 problems for me with this recipe (1) i can't handle spicy food (2) not real keen on garlic

  • Recommended

    Tastes great. I didn't have corn meal on hand so substituded Frito corn scoops instead. The entire family loved it!

  • Recommended

    Haven't tried it yet. What temperature and for how long in a regular and/or convection oven?