What is the name of the crunchy coating commonly used on American fried chicken?

Seasoned flour is the crunchy coating commonly used on American fried chicken.

In a typical American fried-chicken recipe, chicken is dipped in a wet mixture such as buttermilk and then coated in flour seasoned with salt, pepper and other spices. The flour forms the crust when it contacts hot oil.

Some recipes use breadcrumbs, cornmeal or a liquid batter, but those are variations rather than the most characteristic coating of American-style fried chicken. The flour coating may be applied once or built up through repeated dipping.

The wet mixture also helps the flour adhere to the chicken. It should not be confused with the oil itself, which cooks and browns the coating but is not part of the crust.