TL;DR
Get kitchen staples and gadgets delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
The Kitchn food writer Melissa Gaman describes using a small amount of buttermilk to coat seasoned chicken breasts before searing and roasting them. She says the method produced juicy, browned chicken, but it is a cooking tip from her experience—not a new study or a claim that the technique works identically in every kitchen.
The Kitchn food writer Melissa Gaman has shared a chicken-cooking method that uses two tablespoons of buttermilk to help spices coat boneless, skinless breasts before they are seared and roasted. Gaman says the approach resulted in chicken that was browned and juicy, offering cooks a way to use leftover buttermilk while changing how they prepare the meat’s surface.
Gaman describes turning to buttermilk while preparing dinner after realizing she had very little cooking oil left. She usually mixes spices with oil to coat chicken before cooking, but instead added a small amount of buttermilk to distribute the seasoning. The result, she reports, was good enough to become her new preferred approach. That account is a first-person cooking report, not a controlled comparison of buttermilk and oil.
Her method begins with 1½ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, patted dry and seasoned on both sides with kosher salt, pepper and dry spices. Gaman’s suggested combination is garlic powder, paprika and dried oregano, though she says other spice blends can be used. She then adds two tablespoons of shaken buttermilk and turns the chicken until it has a thin coating.
For cooking, the recipe calls for heating two tablespoons of olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. The chicken is seared for eight to 10 minutes total, turning halfway, until golden on both sides. The skillet then goes into a 400°F oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the thickest part of each piece reaches 165°F. Timing can vary with the size and thickness of the chicken, so the stated internal temperature is the recipe’s doneness check.
A Thin Coating, Not a Marinade
The practical appeal is that the method uses buttermilk in a different way from a long soak. Gaman says a light coating can carry dry seasoning across the chicken, while the dairy’s natural sugars brown during cooking. She describes the coating as creating a barrier between the meat and the hot pan, helping keep the exterior from becoming tough while the surface colors.
That may interest home cooks who have a small quantity of buttermilk left after baking, or who want an alternative to mixing spices with more oil. The advice also comes with a clear limit: buttermilk does not replace seasoning, and the recipe still uses olive oil in the skillet. The suggested quantity is modest; excess liquid can drip into hot oil and splatter.
Gaman says the cooked chicken does not retain a noticeable buttermilk flavor because the meat is not left to marinate. Her explanation links browning to the Maillard reaction, the set of reactions that produces browned flavors when food cooks. The source does not provide lab testing or a side-by-side tasting, so the reported tenderness and flavor should be understood as the writer’s kitchen experience rather than a measured result.
Products Worth Considering
Instant Pot Vortex Plus 10-Quart 7-in-1 Air Fryer Oven
Cuisinart Chef's Classic 7-Piece Stainless Steel Cookware Set
Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 12-Piece Stainless Steel Cookware Set
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Leftover Dairy to Dinner
The report grew out of a familiar kitchen problem: Gaman often has buttermilk left after making biscuits. She says her favorite biscuit recipe uses one cup, while buttermilk is typically sold in a quart container. Rather than freeze the remainder, she has been looking for straightforward ways to use it. The chicken idea emerged when she had run low on oil while preparing a meal.
Buttermilk is also commonly used in marinades. As Gaman explains, its acidity can affect proteins as the meat sits, while its thicker texture clings to food and carries flavor. Her quick-coating technique is different: it uses only enough liquid to cover the outside and does not rely on a prolonged marinating period. The article presents the distinction as a useful adaptation, not a replacement for every marinade or chicken recipe.
The technique is intended for boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked first on the stovetop and then in the oven. Gaman says both whole-milk and low-fat cultured buttermilk can be used. Whole-milk buttermilk may be thicker, so she notes that cooks might need a little more to achieve an even coat. The article does not give a revised measurement for that variation.
“I’ve found my new go-to method.”
— Melissa Gaman, The Kitchn food writer
What the Cooking Report Does Not Test
The source describes one cook’s experience and does not report a controlled comparison with chicken coated in oil alone, nor measurements of moisture, tenderness or browning. It is not clear whether results would differ substantially with other cuts, bone-in pieces, skin-on chicken, different pans or different spice mixtures. Gaman’s instructions are specific to boneless, skinless breasts cooked in a skillet and oven.
The report also does not establish whether the method saves oil overall: its recipe still uses two tablespoons of olive oil for the pan. Nor does it give a precise adjustment for thicker whole-milk buttermilk. The article offers a practical recipe and explanation, but no independent testing or broader evidence that the outcome is guaranteed.
Follow the Recipe’s Temperature Check
The source does not announce a follow-up test or a planned update. For cooks trying the method, the next step is to follow the recipe’s sequence: dry and season the chicken, apply only a light buttermilk coating, sear it in hot oil, then finish it in a 400°F oven. Use a food thermometer to check the thickest part and cook to 165°F, rather than relying on timing alone.
Handle raw chicken and the buttermilk-coated meat with care: keep raw poultry separate from ready-to-eat foods, wash hands and equipment after contact, and refrigerate chicken if it is not being cooked promptly. The reported recipe is most useful as a technique to try and assess in a home kitchen; the source provides no further evidence about performance across different equipment or ingredients.
Key Questions
What is the unexpected ingredient used on the chicken?
Buttermilk. Gaman tosses the seasoned chicken with two tablespoons, using just enough to coat it lightly before cooking.
Does the chicken need to marinate?
No. The method is a quick coating, not a long marinade. Gaman says the small amount is used to help spices cling to the chicken before it is seared.
How long does the chicken cook?
The recipe calls for searing the breasts for eight to 10 minutes total, then roasting them at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes more. Cook until the thickest part reaches 165°F; the timing can vary by piece.
Can low-fat buttermilk be used?
Yes. Gaman says both low-fat and whole-milk cultured buttermilk work. Whole-milk buttermilk may be thicker, and the amount needed for an even coating may vary.
Will the finished chicken taste strongly of buttermilk?
Gaman says the buttermilk’s flavor is not prominent after cooking. That is her account of this method; the report does not include a formal taste test.
Source: thekitchn.com
