Not much to say about this fried chicken other than it was SO DAMN GOOD! The pickle brine gives the chicken so much flavor and keeps it incredibly juicy!
Now, there are several steps to this recipe and it does take some prep and planning ahead, however, I promise you it’s absolutely worth it! While it might not be a weeknight meal is the perfect weekend indulgence!
Pickle Brined Fried Chicken
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Deep Fry
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken Brine:
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3 cups dill pickle juice – I like Mt. Olive
- 3 cups buttermilk
For the Sandwiches:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley – chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 10 cups peanut or canola oil for frying
- 6 brioche buns
- 4 tablespoons butter – divided
For the Toppings
- lettuce
- Mikes Hot Honey
- dill pickle slices
- ranch or blue cheese dressing
- tomato slices
Instructions
- In a large zip lock bag submerge the chicken thighs in dill pickle juice. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or up to 18 hours.
- Drain pickle juice from the bag and rinse with cold water. Then add the buttermilk into the bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours.
- When you are ready to fry the chicken, stir together the flour, fresh parsley, garlic powder, paprika and pepper, on a plate or large bowl. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk (allow excess to drain off), then dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, turning it to completely coat (shake off excess).
- In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the oil to 345°F over high heat. Fry the chicken until it’s golden brown or it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 6 to 8 minutes. Work in batches of 2 and adjust the heat as needed to maintain the temperature around 325°F. Using a slotted spoon remove the chicken from the oil and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt as desired (I didn’t think it needed it).
- While the chicken rests, toast the buns. Heat a cast-iron skillet and melt the butter. Slice the buns in half horizontally. Smear the butter on the buns and place, butter side down, on the hot surface, working in batches if necessary. Toast until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Assemble with toppings of your choice and enjoy immediately!
Keywords: fried chicken, pickle, brined, southern
The best fried chicken!! “ So damn good “ No joke! Delicious!!
★★★★★
RIGHT!? Isn’t this the BEST! I even surprised myself with this one! LOL! Thank you so much for trying my recipes!!