Southern Spicy Fried Chicken

This spicy fried chicken recipe is finger-licking good! It's a keeper and a must-try.

Ingredients :

• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 quart buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• vegetable oil for deep frying

Directions :

1. Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper; place them in a deep-sided baking dish.
2. Whisk buttermilk, hot pepper sauce, and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper together in a large bowl; pour over chicken, tossing to coat all sides. Cover the dish with plastic wrap; marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
3. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture; shake off excess. Discard remaining buttermilk mixture.
4. Place flour, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag; shake well to combine. Place 2 or 3 pieces of chicken at a time into the plastic bag and shake well to coat chicken pieces with seasoned flour.
5. Heat oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
6. Gently place chicken pieces into hot oil and fry until chicken is cooked through and golden brown, about 8 to10 minutes for breasts and wings, and 13 to 15 minutes for thighs and drumsticks. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Drain fried chicken on paper towels.