Crispy Buttermilk Pickle Brine Fried Chicken

Pickle Brine Fried Chicken

If you love the tang of dill pickles and the crunch of good fried chicken, this recipe is going to be a favorite. The buttermilk pickle brine gives the chicken a juicy, tender bite while the seasoned coating fries up crisp every time. It’s simple, it uses ingredients you already have, and it tastes like the kind of comfort food you make on a slow weekend at home. This is the kind of fried chicken that pops with flavor and makes the whole kitchen smell amazing.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This fried chicken turns out juicy, crispy, and packed with flavor. The pickle brine tenderizes the chicken while the buttermilk adds richness. The seasoned flour mixture gives you that crunchy coating everyone wants in a fried chicken dinner. It’s simple homestead cooking that tastes like you spent all day on it.

What You’ll Learn

• How pickle brine tenderizes chicken
• How long to marinate chicken in pickle brine
• How to season flour for fried chicken
• How to fry chicken without it getting greasy
• What oils work best for frying

Serve your chicken along side potato salad, baked beans and a slice of espresso chocolate cake for a full comfort meal.

What Is Pickle Brine Fried Chicken

Pickle brine fried chicken uses leftover dill pickle juice mixed with buttermilk to marinate chicken. The brine tenderizes the meat and adds a tangy flavor that pairs perfectly with a seasoned flour coating. It does require a little planning ahead, but the flavor payoff is worth it.

What Can I Do With Leftover Pickle Juice

Use leftover pickle brine to flavor and tenderize chicken. Mix it with buttermilk and let the chicken soak before frying. It’s a simple way to use every part of your pantry staples.

Ingredients You Need

• chicken breast

• buttermilk

• flour

• dill pickle juice

• Italian breadcrumbs

• powdered sugar

• garlic powder

• salt & pepper

• paprika

• baking powder

• peanut oil (to fry chicken)

What Does Soaking Chicken in Pickle Juice Do

Pickle juice helps break down the chicken so it becomes tender and juicy. If your chicken sits in the brine for a day or more, you may notice a slight green tint. This is normal and comes from the brine reacting with the meat.

What Kind of Pickle Juice Should I Use

This recipe uses dill pickle juice. You can use sweet relish brine if you prefer, but we have not tested the flavor using sweet pickle juice. Dill gives the best balance of tang and salt.

What Chicken Cuts Work Best

Thinly sliced chicken breasts and chicken legs work great. You can also use skin on or skinless chicken thighs. Choose the cuts you like or use what you have on hand.

How to Season the Flour Mixture

Seasoning your dredge is important for flavor. We use Italian breadcrumbs, paprika, salt, pepper, powdered sugar, garlic powder, and baking powder. If you like, add onion powder for extra depth.

How to Keep Fried Chicken From Being Greasy

Deep fry the chicken until golden brown. Place the cooked chicken on a baking sheet with a cooling rack so excess oil can drip off. Make sure your oil stays at 350F and avoid crowding the pan. Cook in batches for best results.

What Oil Should I Use

We use peanut oil because it gives a clean fry and great crisp. You can use vegetable oil or another neutral oil if peanut oil is not an option.

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Crispy Buttermilk Pickle Brine Fried Chicken

This crispy buttermilk pickle brine fried chicken turns out juicy, tender, and full of flavor. The dill pickle brine helps soften the chicken while the buttermilk adds richness. A seasoned flour and breadcrumb coating gives you that perfect crunch every time. It’s simple homestead cooking that uses pantry staples and tastes like comfort food made from scratch.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6

Author: Regina Sober

Equipment

• Marinade Container
• Cutting board
• Knife
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• Cooling rack
• 2 Tongs
• Baggy rack holder
• Digital Meat Thermometer

Ingredients

• 3 boneless chicken breast: trimmed butterflied & no skin
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup pickle juice
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 ½ tsp paprika
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• peanut oil to fry chicken

Instructions

• Take your chicken breasts and trim any fat off the chicken. You will want to cut the chicken in half (butterfly) so that it is not as thick. This will assist in cooking the chicken evenly.
• Portion and place the chicken into zip style bags using a holder to keep the bag open.
• Place 1 cup of pickle juice and 1 cup buttermilk into each bag. Remove any air and gently move around to mix and then seal.
• Put the full bags into a bowl and place into the fridge and let sit at least an hour, overnight is even better for the chicken to infuse the flavors.
• FREEZING: If you made extra, now is the time you can place any extra in the freezer. Be sure the bag is not FULL and bulging as liquid expands and it could cause the bag to explode. Chicken will need to thaw before you use it.
• When you are ready to fry the chicken remove it from the refrigerator as you prepare and gather everything for the next steps..
• Get a large pan and fill it 1 inch deep with your peanut oil.
• We need to get the temperature up to 350℉.
• While the oil is heating, in a bowl add the flour, breadcrumbs, powdered sugar, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper and mix together.
• Drain the marinade from the chicken and discard. Dip each piece of chicken in the breadcrumb mixture, coating completely, and then carefully add to the fryer.
• Fry for 3 to 5 minutes, each side, making sure the temperature of the chicken is 165℉.
• Place chicken on a wire cooling rack that you have in a baking sheet and allow the chicken to cool, and repeat cooking the rest of your chicken.
• Cook the remainder of the chicken.
• Serve with baked beans, potato salad and your favorite biscuits.

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