Weeknight Buttermilk Fried Chicken
2 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon red hot pepper sauce
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 cup flour
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
Marinate the chicken in a mixture of the buttermilk, pepper sauce, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a large glass bowl. Let sit for 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator, turning the chicken pieces over at least once. Once ready to cook, remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and blot the excess liquid with paper towels. Mix the flour, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, breadcrumbs, granulated garlic, paprika, and black pepper in a large bowl. In a large frying pan, heat 1-inch of oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, toss the chicken in the flour, making sure the chicken is fully coated and dry. Fry the chicken 3 minutes on each side. Then transfer each piece of chicken to a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack and bake until the internal temperature is 170 degrees F, about 15 more minutes.