Cider Brined Fried Chicken Recipes

APPLE CIDER BRINED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix 2 tablespoons salt, 2 tablespoons pepper, 4 cups water, vinegar, and apple juice in a 2 gallon container. Add the chicken and allow to marinate for 30 minutes up to 3 hours in the refrigerator.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon pepper to the flour, mix well, and hold until ready to fry.
• In a cast iron skillet, add the oil and bring to 350 degrees F over high heat. Remove the chicken from the brine, pat dry with a paper towel, and dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour, coating well and tapping off any excess. Once all the chicken is floured, add to the oil, in batches, and cook until golden brown on both sides, 8 to 9 minutes per side. The internal temperature must be 165 degrees to be cooked thoroughly.

PICKLE BRINED FRIED CHICKEN WITH HOT HONEY SAUCE

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.

THE CRISPIEST FRIED CHICKEN RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Dry brine the chicken: In a small bowl, mix together the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon zest.
• Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and season with the salt mixture, evenly coating each piece.
• Line a large resealable container with paper towels and add the seasoned chicken. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
• 30 minutes before frying, remove the chicken from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature.
• Add the canola oil to a large Dutch oven and heat over medium heat until the temperature reaches 350°F (180°C). Place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and set nearby.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt.
• In a separate large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg whites, and vodka.
• Working with one piece at a time, coat the dry-brined chicken in the flour mixture, then in the buttermilk mixture, then again in the flour, shaking off any excess.
• Add 2-3 pieces of chicken to the hot oil and fry for 7-10 minutes, flipping once, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C) and the exterior is golden brown and crispy. Remove from oil, transfer to the wire rack, and season with salt. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Enjoy!

STOCK-AND-CIDER-BRINED CHICKEN OVER STUFFING

Steps:

• Make the brine: Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or similar pan over medium-low heat. Add onion, celery and carrots, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are all tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a plate, and cool to room temperature in freezer.
• While the vegetables cool, cut the bread into 3/4-inch cubes and spread into a single layer on a baking sheet. Allow to dry out overnight.
• Combine the stock and cider in a large measuring cup and pour 1 1/2 cups of the mixture into a plastic gallon-size zipper bag. Add vegetables, remaining salt, prunes, vinegar and chicken thighs. Seal bag, and massage everything around to dissolve salt and combine. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Cover and refrigerate remaining stock-cider mixture.
• To cook the chicken: Allow chicken to come to room temperature. Heat oven to 400. Scraping off brine and vegetables, remove chicken from bag, and set aside. Place brine with vegetables and remaining stock-cider mixture in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or similar pan, and bring to a boil.
• In a large bowl, combine cubed bread, vegetables and liquid, sage, parsley, thyme and greens, if using. Return pan to low heat, and add remaining 3 tablespoons butter to melt. Pack stuffing mixture into pan, and lay chicken thighs on top. Place pan onto a rimmed baking sheet to catch any overflow, and bake on lower rack for 50 to 55 minutes until chicken and stuffing are golden brown.
• Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

CIDER BRINED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together cider and salt until salt dissolves. Add chicken pieces and enough water to completely submerge and cover the chicken. Let soak 1 hour in the refrigerator. Chicken should be completely submerged in brine.
• In a large pot, heat vegetable shortening until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 325 degrees. Line a sheet tray with a wire rack.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cayenne and black pepper. In a paper bag, shake together flour and cornstarch. Drain chicken from brine and dip in batches first in egg mixture then in flour mixture to coat. Set on wire rack to let coating sit for 10 minutes. In 2 batches, fry chicken until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the piece. Remove from oil to drain on paper towel-lined plate.

PICKLE-BRINED FRIED CHICKEN

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.

CHILE APPLE BRINED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the cut-up chicken in the Chile Apple Brine and refrigerate overnight.
• To make the chicken fry mix, add the cornmeal, flour and Rib Rub to a large bowl.
• Drain the brined chicken well and add to the bowl with the chicken fry mix. Mix the chicken well with the breading to get a good coat. Let set in the mix for 20 minutes.
• In a large heavy pot, add the canola oil and heat over medium heat to 275 degrees F.
• Give the chicken a final mix and, using tongs, carefully place each piece of chicken into the hot oil. Fry until cooked through, about 14 minutes. Remove to a platter lined with paper towel and let drain before serving.
• Soak the chiles in hot water until softened. Transfer them to a food processor and process to a paste. Strain the paste, then transfer to a large container with a lid.
• Put the apples in a food processor, skin and core included, and pulse to chop. Transfer to the container with the chile paste and add the apple cider, molasses, salt, sugar, garlic and 8 cups (1/2 gallon water).
• Combine the salt, sugar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, anise seed and mustard in a bowl.

CIDER-BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH APPLES AND GREENS

Steps:

• Pat the chicken thighs dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
• In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the oil over medium. Cook the chicken thighs skin-side down, undisturbed, until the skin is golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip and cook until lightly browned on the other side, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons of fat from the pot, turn the heat to medium-low, then add the shallots and sage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to let the garlic burn.
• Add the cider, cider vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the cider has reduced slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot, skin-side up. Pour just enough broth around (not on!) the chicken to cover the sides of the thighs but not cover the skin on top.
• Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Partly cover and gently simmer until the thighs are cooked through and tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate or sheet pan (if you'd like to broil the chicken in the next step), raise the heat to medium, and add the kale and apple to the pot. Cook, tossing often, until all the kale is wilted, the apples are just softened and the liquid has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. While the greens cook, if you'd like to crisp the skin on the chicken, pop it under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Taste for seasoning, and stir in 1 or 2 more teaspoons cider vinegar to taste. Divide the chicken and kale mixture among shallow bowls; serve with crusty bread to mop up broth.