Southern Buttermilk Chicken Recipe

Why You’ll Love This this Southern Buttermilk Chicken

This buttermilk chicken practically cooks itself while you binge-watch your favorite show, transforming ordinary chicken breasts into something that tastes like it came straight from your Southern grandmother’s kitchen.

The creamy mushroom sauce gets all bubbly and golden, creating this incredible gravy that’ll have you licking the casserole dish when nobody’s looking.

You get crispy, tender chicken without any of the messy deep-frying nonsense, just pop it in the oven and let the magic happen.

Ingredients List

This Southern buttermilk chicken recipe calls for just a handful of simple ingredients that you probably already have sitting in your pantry and fridge right now.

• 4-6 chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1 can Campbell cream of mushroom soup

Now let’s talk about making this recipe a little friendlier to your waistline and overall health:

• Swap out that margarine for real butter or olive oil – your taste buds and your body will thank you for ditching the processed stuff
• Go for organic chicken breasts when possible, and if you’re feeling fancy, free-range chicken makes everything taste better
• Try whole wheat flour instead of white flour for a bit more fiber and nutrients
• Look for low-sodium cream of mushroom soup, or better yet, make your own if you’re feeling ambitious
• The buttermilk is actually one of the healthier players here – it’s got probiotics and less fat than regular milk, so don’t feel guilty about that tangy goodness

Step by Step Directions

This Southern buttermilk chicken recipe delivers tender, flavorful chicken with a creamy mushroom sauce that’s ready in just over an hour.

• Preheat your oven to 425°F and melt the margarine in a 9×13 inch baking dish.
• Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl for dredging.
• Dip each chicken breast in 1/2 cup of the buttermilk, then coat thoroughly in the flour mixture.
• Place the coated chicken pieces in the baking dish with the melted margarine.
• Bake exposed for 30 minutes, then flip the chicken and bake for another 15 minutes.
• While the chicken finishes cooking, mix the cream of mushroom soup with the remaining 1 cup of buttermilk.
• Pour the soup and buttermilk mixture over the chicken and bake for a final 15 minutes until bubbly.
• If the margarine starts to burn during cooking, reduce the oven temperature slightly to prevent scorching.
• For an even more convenient cooking method, consider using a premium stainless slow cooker to achieve similarly tender results with less hands-on attention.

Substitutions and Variations

• Double the buttermilk marinade time – let those chicken pieces swim in buttermilk for a few hours or overnight in the fridge, because patience really does pay off with extra tender meat.
• Make it dairy-free – use plant-based milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice as your buttermilk substitute, and coconut cream soup instead of the dairy version.

Additional Things to Serve With This Dish

This creamy, comfort-food masterpiece practically begs for some equally satisfying sides to round out the meal.

• Mashed potatoes – because that buttermilk gravy situation happening in the pan needs somewhere to go, and fluffy spuds are basically edible sponges for all that goodness.
• Green beans or broccoli – something green to balance out all the rich, creamy indulgence, though if we’re being truthful, we’re mostly here for the chicken.
• Buttermilk biscuits – doubling down on the buttermilk theme never hurt anyone, plus you’ll want something to soak up every last drop of that mushroom sauce.
• Roasted carrots or sweet potatoes – the natural sweetness plays really nicely against all that savory, creamy flavor.
• Simple salad with vinaigrette – sometimes you just need something crisp and acidic to cut through all the richness, even if it feels a little like putting a band-aid on a very delicious problem.
• Mac and cheese – okay, this might be overkill on the comfort food scale, but sometimes you just have to lean into what makes you happy.

Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)

Getting this buttermilk chicken just right is totally doable once you know a few insider secrets.

• Don’t skip the buttermilk soak – that tangy acid is doing serious work breaking down the chicken fibers, making everything tender and flavorful, though honestly, even 15 minutes is better than nothing if you’re in a rush.
• Pat that chicken dry before dredging – excess buttermilk will make your flour coating gummy and weird, and nobody wants soggy chicken skin when they’re dreaming of golden crispy goodness.
• Use a meat thermometer – chicken breasts are sneaky little things that can go from perfectly juicy to rubber boot status in about 3 minutes, so aim for 165°F internal temp and call it a day.
• Let the margarine get properly melted and hot – cold fat means the coating won’t crisp up right, plus you’ll get uneven browning that looks like you gave up halfway through.
• Save some of that seasoned flour – sprinkle a tablespoon or two into the soup mixture for extra thickening power, because runny gravy is basically a crime against comfort food.
• Check your oven halfway through – every oven runs a little different, and burning the bottom while the top stays pale is the kind of kitchen tragedy that haunts you for weeks.
• Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving – the sauce needs a moment to settle, and the chicken will stay juicier if you’re not cutting into it immediately like some kind of impatient food savage.

Nutritional Facts

• Calories: 385-420 per serving
• Protein: 32-35g (excellent source for muscle maintenance and growth)
• Carbohydrates: 18-22g (primarily from flour coating and soup base)
• Fat: 22-26g (mix of saturated and unsaturated fats from margarine and chicken)
• Saturated Fat: 6-8g
• Cholesterol: 85-95mg
• Sodium: 890-1,100mg (relatively high due to canned soup and added salt)
• Fiber: 1-2g
• Sugar: 3-5g (natural sugars from buttermilk)
• Calcium: 180-220mg (significant boost from buttermilk)
• Iron: 2-3mg
• Potassium: 420-480mg

Health Notes:

• High in complete protein with all essential amino acids
• Buttermilk provides probiotics and calcium for bone health
• Moderate calorie density makes it filling without being excessive
• Consider using low-sodium soup and reducing added salt to cut sodium content
• Rich in B-vitamins, particularly niacin and B6 from chicken

Fun “Did You Know?”

While buttermilk might seem like an old-fashioned ingredient, it’s actually a powerhouse of culinary science that transforms ordinary fried chicken into something extraordinary.

I find it fascinating that buttermilk’s acidity breaks down tough protein fibers, creating incredibly tender meat. Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left after churning butter, but today’s cultured version packs even more flavor punch.

The lactic acid doesn’t just tenderize—it also helps the flour coating stick better, creating that perfect crispy crust we all crave. It’s amazing how one ingredient can work such magic in your kitchen!