Brined Fried Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• Mix water, kosher salt, white sugar, garlic, sage, basil, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a large pot over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the salt and sugar are dissolved completely, about 20 minutes.
• Remove pot from heat and cover with a lid. Cool brine at room temperature for 2 hours before refrigerating to cool completely.

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup water with remaining brining ingredients in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring just until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Combine brine mixture with remaining cold water in a large bowl or deep baking dish. Add chicken to bowl, making sure chicken is covered with the brining liquid. Store in fridge at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Remove chicken from brining liquid and pat dry. Combine flour, cornmeal, salt, and red pepper flakes in a shallow dish. Whisk eggs in another shallow dish. Coat chicken in flour mixture, then eggs, and again in flour mixture. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with a cooling rack.
• Heat oil to 350 degrees in a large pot. Working in 2 batches, fry chicken for 15 minutes, turning once, until chicken is deep golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve hot or cold.

Steps:

• Combine the sugar, vinegar, pickling spices, bay leaf, 1/4 cup salt and 2 cups cold water in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring, until the salt and sugar dissolve. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice. Remove the brine from the heat and pour it over the ice to cool to room temperature. Add the chicken skin-side down, being sure to keep the chicken submerged. If the chicken is not completely covered in brine, add more cold water. Cover the pot and let sit for at least 1 hour at room temperature or refrigerate up to overnight.
• When you're ready to fry the chicken, pour enough oil into a large Dutch oven to reach about a third of the way up the side and deep enough to submerge the chicken. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and line 2 rimmed baking sheets with wire racks.
• Remove the chicken from the brine and place in a large bowl with the buttermilk. Put the flour in a large paper bag. Season the flour with the dill, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and remaining tablespoon salt. A few pieces at a time, transfer the chicken to the bag with the flour and shake well to coat. Place the coated chicken on the wire rack-lined cookie sheet.
• Fry the chicken in batches until golden brown and the internal temperature measures 165 degrees F, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Remove to another wire rack-lined baking sheet and transfer to the oven while you cook the rest of the chicken. Let cool slightly before serving with the Hot Honey Sauce.
• Stir together the honey, butter, hot sauce, paprika and cayenne in a small saucepot over medium heat. Heat and stir until smooth and all ingredients are combined.

Steps:

• Drain the juice from the jars of pickles into a baking dish or bowl. Add the chicken and flip to coat. Let brine, refrigerated, for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking sheet with a cooling rack. Fill a Dutch oven halfway with oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 320 degrees F.
• In 3 bowls or baking dishes, set up a breading station. In the first dish, mix the flour with the salt, paprika and pepper. In the second dish, mix the hot sauce, mustard and eggs. Put the cracker crumbs in the third dish.
• Dredge each chicken piece first in the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, then in the crackers. Place the breaded chicken pieces in the oil a few at a time. Don't overcrowd the pan; the pieces should not be touching in the oil. Fry, turning occasionally, until the chicken is a deep golden brown and fully cooked to 165 degrees F when checked with a thermometer, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet and place in the oven until ready to serve.

Steps:

• Place chicken pieces in a bowl and toss them with buttermilk, 2 tablespoons salt and a healthy grind of black pepper. Cover and marinate for at least an hour and up to a day.
• Combine flour, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper in a large bowl or, ideally, a paper bag large enough to accommodate the flour and the pieces of chicken.
• Pour oil into a large, heavy-bottomed cast-iron skillet with high sides and a lid, to a depth of a few inches. Heat oil over medium-high heat to 350 degrees.
• Set a rack on a baking sheet or tray. Place the chicken pieces in the paper bag filled with the flour mixture and shake well to coat, or toss them in the bowl with the flour mixture to achieve a similar result.
• Shake off excess flour and fry the pieces of chicken skin-side down, in batches so as not to crowd the pan, for about 5 to 15 minutes, covered by the lid. Remove the lid, turn over the chicken pieces, and cook for about 5 to 15 minutes more, uncovered, until they are cooked through and a deep golden brown. Color is as or more important than time: Watch your chicken and get it out when it's golden brown.
• Remove chicken to the rack to drain and rest, sprinkle with salt and serve warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Toss together chicken pieces, black pepper, salt, paprika, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, white pepper, and cayenne in a large bowl to coat.
• Stir in buttermilk until chicken is coated. Refrigerate for 6 hours.
• Combine flour, salt, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, white pepper, and onion powder in a large shallow dish.
• Remove chicken from the buttermilk and dredge each piece in the seasoned flour. Shake off any excess and transfer to a plate.
• Heat peanut oil in a large Dutch oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Add all the chicken to the pan and cook for 10 minutes.
• Turn chicken pieces and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
• Remove chicken from the oil and transfer to a cooling rack set over a paper towel lined baking sheet. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Make the brine: Combine cola, salt, thyme, garlic and hot sauce in a large metal bowl and stir until the salt has dissolved. Add the chicken thighs, cover and refrigerate 3 to 5 hours.
• Make the seasoned flour: In a wide, shallow bowl or pan, combine the flour, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put the peanut oil in a large heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until it reaches 375 degrees on a candy thermometer. While the oil heats, remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Dredge the thighs in the flour and shake to remove excess.
• Working in batches of 2 or 3 at a time, carefully lower thighs into the hot oil. The oil temperature will plummet when the cold chicken goes into the pan; turn up the heat and carefully monitor the temperature. Cook for a little more than 3 minutes on one side, a little more than 3 minutes on the other, and then a final 3 minutes on the first side. Remove to a wire rack or paper towel to drain.
• The juices should run clear when the chicken is poked with a knife. If necessary, transfer the browned chicken to a baking sheet and bake until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees on a instant-read thermometer. Serve hot or at room temperature with hot sauce.

Steps:

• Add the chicken thighs and 1/2 cup pickle brine to a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours, turning the bag occasionally to marinate evenly.
• While the chicken marinates, prepare the pickle mayonnaise: Finely chop 8 dill pickle coins. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, capers and chopped pickles; season generously with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• When ready to cook the chicken, pour the buttermilk into a wide shallow bowl. In a separate wide shallow bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, onion powder and 1 tablespoon each salt and pepper; whisk to combine.
• In a large Dutch oven or deep cast-iron skillet, add 2 inches of oil and, over medium-high, heat to 325 degrees, about 5 minutes.
• Working with one piece at a time, remove the chicken from the brine, transfer to the buttermilk and turn to coat. Lift chicken from the buttermilk, allowing the excess liquid to drip off, then add it to the flour mixture and turn to coat, patting extra flour mixture on top to ensure the chicken is well coated on all surfaces. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Working in two batches, add the chicken to the hot oil and cook, turning every 1 to 2 minutes, until crust is deep golden and chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes total. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to cool and season with salt and pepper. (An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the thickest part of the thigh should read at least 165 degrees.) Repeat with the remaining chicken, adjusting the heat to ensure that the oil maintains a temperature of 325 degrees.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large, preferably nonstick, skillet over medium. Add 2 buns, split-side down, and cook until warmed and toasted, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining butter and buns.
• Make the coleslaw by tossing the cabbage with half of the pickle mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper. Slather the remaining pickle mayonnaise on the bottom of the buns and top with the chicken, red onion, remaining pickles and coleslaw. Serve with hot sauce, if using.