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    Home » Recipes » Dinner Ideas » Buttermilk Chicken

    Buttermilk Chicken

    Published: Oct 21, 2023 Modified: Oct 21, 2023 by Isabel Laessig

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    Our tender and juicy Buttermilk Chicken recipe is an easy but delicious dinner idea. It’s perfect for a weekday family meal or Sunday supper. Ready with 5 minutes of prep and just 35 minutes in the oven, using simple ingredients!

    Three buttermilk roast chicken breasts close up

    Buttermilk Chicken Breast

    Quick and easy chicken recipes for dinner like this one are my favorite! You can find the time to make them even if you’re in a rush. Whether it’s a weeknight or Sunday night before a workweek, this buttermilk-baked chicken has your back.

    At the same time, chicken is a classic comfort food that is perfect for family dinner ideas. I make this buttermilk roast chicken for Sunday supper and my whole family loves it. Yours will, too!

    Buttermilk roast chicken on a cutting board with a serving fork and knife

    Baked Buttermilk Chicken Ingredients

    Chicken Buttermilk Marinade

    • Buttermilk
    • olive oil 
    • garlic 
    • black pepper
    • sea salt or fine sea salt
    • ground cumin
    • maple syrup
    Ingredients to make buttermilk roast chicken with labels

    Buttermilk Baked Chicken Ingredients

    • chicken breasts, approximately 3 lbs.
    • olive oil
    • pepper, cayenne pepper, and black pepper
    • kosher salt
    • onion powder
    • garlic powder
    Lemon juice in a measuring spoon over a measuring cup of milk

    Chicken in Buttermilk Marinade

    1. In a Ziploc bag large enough to hold the chicken breasts, add peeled garlic, maple syrup, salt, cumin, black pepper, and olive oil.
    2. Close the bag and use the heel of your hand to crush the garlic cloves, being careful not to pierce the bag. Add in the buttermilk and then the chicken.
    3. Seal the bag and mash everything around to make sure all parts of the chicken are covered with seasoned liquid.
    4. Leave the chicken marinating in the refrigerator overnight for best results.
    Chicken marinating in a plastic bag

    Buttermilk Chicken Recipe

    1. In a Ziploc bag large enough to hold all your chicken breasts, add the peeled garlic, maple syrup, salt, cumin, black pepper, and olive oil. Close the bag and use your hand to crush the garlic cloves, being careful not to pierce the bag.
    2. Add in the buttermilk and then the chicken. Seal the bag and mash everything around to make sure that all parts of the chicken are covered with seasoned liquid. Leave the chicken marinating in the refrigerator overnight in the bag on a deep plate, or at the very least out of the fridge for 30 minutes.
    3. When you are ready to roast, preheat the oven to 375°F or 190°C. Cover with foil and coat with olive oil in a baking pan that’s large enough for the chicken breasts to sit apart in a single layer.
    4. Take the chicken out of the bag and drain it well in a colander. Arrange the breasts in your prepared baking pan, skin side DOWN to coat them with olive oil. Now turn the breasts over, and sprinkle with a little more black pepper and some cayenne, along with onion powder and garlic powder.
    5. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven when golden brown and drizzle a little more olive oil on the breasts and roast for an additional 5-10 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove the chicken to a serving plate, but serve the pan juice alongside your chicken.
    6. It is fabulous on mashed potatoes or rice!

    Buttermilk Chicken Recipes Tips

    • Marinate our buttermilk chicken recipe the night before so all you have to do the day of is bake it in the oven. So easy!
    • If you have kids, you can use less cayenne pepper.
    • Put the marinating chicken in a deep plate, just in case the bag leaks. You do not want to be cleaning chicken juice and marinade out of your refrigerator.

    How to Make Buttermilk

    1. Combine milk or cream with lemon juice or vinegar in a large bowl.
    2. Stir the milk and lemon juice together in a measuring cup.
    3. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. When it is ready, the milk will be a bit thickened and you will see small curdled bits. These are fine to use. This substitute will not become as thick as regular buttermilk, but it works perfectly for making buttermilk roast chicken.

    Buttermilk Chicken FAQs

    What does buttermilk do to chicken?

    Because buttermilk is slightly acidic, it helps in tenderizing chicken. Trust us, once you try these buttermilk-baked chicken breasts and you see how tender and juicy they are, you will never go back to traditional roasted chicken.

    Can I substitute other pieces of chicken for the chicken breast?

    Absolutely! This recipe for baked buttermilk chicken works perfectly with chicken thighs or even a whole chicken. You will just have to make sure to adjust roasting times accordingly.

    How Long to Soak Chicken in Buttermilk

    We recommend soaking chicken in buttermilk overnight, but the buttermilk marinade for the chicken is good for up to two days of marinating in the refrigerator.

    What can I use if I don’t have buttermilk?

    You can mix milk or cream with one teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to make your own homemade buttermilk for your buttermilk-marinated chicken.

    Chicken Breast Temperature and Cook Times

    Chicken should always read between 165°F and 175°F on a meat thermometer. Always use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is done cooking in the oven.

    Boneless Chicken Breasts (Large)375°F20 to 30 minutes
    Bone-in Chicken Breasts (Large)375°F35 to 40 minutes

    For more chicken recipes and inspiration on how to cook chicken perfectly, follow my Chicken Temperature Chart!

    Four buttermilk roast chicken breasts on a white platter with herbs

    Favorite Chicken Recipes

    • Grilled Chicken Breast
    • Fried Chicken Wings
    • Chicken Alfredo Recipe
    • Chicken Mushroom Recipe
    • Peach Chicken

    📋 Recipe

    Four buttermilk roast chicken breasts on a white platter with herbs

    Buttermilk Chicken

    Isabel Laessig
    Our tender and juicy Buttermilk Roast Chicken recipe is an easy but delicious dinner idea. Ready in just 40 minutes using simple ingredients!
    4.44 from 87 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 35 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories 442 kcal

    Equipment

    • Aluminum foil
    • Baking sheet
    • Large zip-loc bag
    • Deep dish for marinating chicken

    Ingredients
      

    For the marinade

    • 2 cups Buttermilk
    • ¼ cup olive oil plus more for roasting
    • 2 cloves garlic peeled
    • ½ tablespoon black pepper freshly ground
    • 1 tablespoon sea salt or 1½ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

    For roasting

    • 6 chicken breasts with skin or chicken pieces of your choice, approximately 3 lbs.
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 pinch Cayenne pepper sprinkle cayenne pepper and extra black pepper
    • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    Cooking Conversions

    See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!

    Instructions
     

    • In a Ziploc bag large enough to hold all your chicken breasts, add the peeled garlic, maple syrup, salt, cumin, black pepper and olive oil. Close the bag and use the heel of your hand to crush the garlic cloves, being careful not to pierce the bag.
      ¼ cup olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, ½ tablespoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 6 chicken breasts, 1 tablespoon maple syrup
      Chicken marinade in a plastic bag
    • Add in the buttermilk and then the chicken. Seal the bag and mash everything around to make sure that all parts of the chicken are covered with seasoned liquid.
      2 cups Buttermilk
      Chicken marinating in a plastic bag
    • Leave the chicken marinating in the refrigerator overnight in the bag in a deep plate, or at the very least out of the fridge for 30 minutes.
    • When ready to roast, preheat the oven to 375°F or 190°C. Cover with foil and coat with olive oil a baking pan that's large enough for the chicken breasts to sit apart in a single layer. Take the chicken out of the bag and drain it well in a colander.
      2 tablespoons olive oil
    • Arrange the breasts in your prepared baking pan, skin side DOWN to coat with olive oil. Now turn the breasts over, sprinkle with a little more black pepper and some cayenne, along with onion powder and garlic powder.
      ½ tablespoon black pepper, 1 pinch Cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
      Four seasoned chicken breasts on a baking sheet lined with foil
    • Roast for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle a little more olive oil on the breasts and roast for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.
    • Remove the chicken to a serving plate, but serve the pan juice alongside your chicken. It is fabulous on mashed potatoes or rice!
      Four buttermilk roast chicken breasts on a white platter with herbs

    Notes

    Marinade: We recommend marinating the buttermilk chicken recipe the night before so that all you have to do the day-of is bake it in the oven.
    To make this recipe keto, leave out the maple syrup.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 442kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 51gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 153mgSodium: 1801mgPotassium: 972mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 214IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 116mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword baked buttermilk chicken breast, Buttermilk Chicken, buttermilk chicken breast, chicken buttermilk
    Did you try this recipe?Tag #SundaySupper on social and leave a comment below!
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    Isabel, AKA Family Foodie

    About Isabel Laessig

    Hi! I’m Isabel Laessig, also known as Family Foodie, creator of Sunday Supper Movement and author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook. Sunday Supper is my mission to bring family back around the dinner table. Join me in making family meal-time a tradition to celebrate!

    » About Me

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Linda says

      June 12, 2021 at 9:39 am

      You say to use chicken skin on. But all pictures show skinless chicken breasts. I love crunchy crust. So please explain?

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        June 22, 2021 at 3:46 pm

        Hi Linda! We did photograph ours with skinless chicken breasts at the time, but you can make them with the skin if you’d like. It’s entirely up to what you prefer.

        Reply
    2. Andre’a says

      November 30, 2022 at 6:59 am

      When do you add the syrup? It’s not listed.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        December 01, 2022 at 12:33 pm

        Hi Andre’a! Sorry for the confusion. You would add it with the marinade in the bag. Enjoy!

        Reply

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