Smoked Buttermilk Herb Chicken Breasts Recipes

BUTTERMILK AND HERB MARINATED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper. Add chicken to marinade, turning to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate, up to overnight).
• Heat grill to medium; lightly oil grates. Lift chicken from marinade, shaking off excess; discard marinade. Grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of chicken registers 165 degrees, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Remove from grill. Tent loosely with aluminum foil; let rest 5 minutes before serving.

FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICHES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, shallot, garlic, jalapeno, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of parchment paper and, with a rolling pin or a meat mallet, pound them until they are evenly 1/2 inch thick. Slice each piece of chicken in half crosswise so you have 2 pieces approximately the same size. Place the chicken in the marinade, making sure each piece is well coated, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to (but not more than) 24 hours.
• When ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Set a wire rack on a sheet pan and place them in the oven.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, celery salt, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper and set aside.
• Pour oil into a medium (9-inch round by 4 1/2-inch high) Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, until it is 2 inches deep. Clip on a candy thermometer and heat the oil over high heat until it reaches 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, lift the chicken from the marinade, dredge it in the flour mixture, submerge it again in the marinade, then again in the flour mixture, lightly shaking off the excess. Transfer the chicken to a plate or sheet pan until ready to fry.
• When the oil is 350 degrees F, carefully lower 3 pieces only into the oil with tongs and adjust the heat to keep the oil at 350 degrees F. Don't crowd the chicken! Cook for 5 minutes, turning once to brown evenly. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to the sheet pan in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Sprinkle all the chicken with salt and keep warm for up to 15 minutes, until ready to serve.
• To assemble, place the bottom of each bun on a plate, spread with some of the Buttermilk Herb Mayo, then a lettuce leaf, 4 pickle slices, then a piece of chicken. Spread the underside of the top bun generously with more of the mayo and place on top of the chicken, mayo side down. Serve while the chicken is still warm.
• Whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar, scallions, parsley, chives, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

BUTTERMILK-BRINED ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• The day before you want to cook the chicken, remove the wingtips by cutting through the first wing joint with poultry shears or a sharp knife. Reserve for stock. Season chicken generously with salt and let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Stir 2 tablespoons kosher salt or 4 teaspoons fine sea salt into the buttermilk to dissolve. Place the chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and pour in the buttermilk. (If the chicken won't fit in a gallon-size bag, double up 2 plastic produce bags to prevent leaks and tie the bag with twine.)
• Seal the bag, squish the buttermilk all around the chicken, place on a rimmed plate, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. If you're so inclined, you can turn the bag periodically so every part of the chicken gets marinated, but that's not essential.
• Pull the chicken from the fridge an hour before you plan to cook it. Heat the oven to 425 degrees with a rack set in the center position.
• Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and scrape off as much buttermilk as you can without being obsessive. Tightly tie together the legs with a piece of butcher's twine. Place the chicken in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a shallow roasting pan.
• Slide the pan all the way to the back of the oven on the center rack. Rotate the pan so that the legs are pointing toward the rear left corner and the breast is pointing toward the center of the oven. (The back corners tend to be the hottest spots in the oven, so this orientation protects the breast from overcooking before the legs are done.) Pretty quickly you should hear the chicken sizzling.
• After about 20 minutes, when the chicken starts to brown, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and continue roasting for 10 minutes.
• Move the pan so the legs are facing the rear right corner of the oven. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes or so, until the chicken is brown all over and the juices run clear when you insert a knife down to the bone between the leg and the thigh. If the skin is getting too brown before it is cooked through, use a foil tent. Remove it to a platter and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

SMOKED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Combine water, kosher salt, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl. Stir until salt and brown sugar are dissolved. Place chicken breasts into brine, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat an electric smoker according to manufacturer's directions to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C) using maple wood chips.
• Remove chicken breasts from brine and rinse under cold water. Pat dry. Combine salt, black pepper, paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, and onion powder in a bowl. Sprinkle dry rub all over chicken breasts and place skin-side up on a grill rack in the preheated smoker. Place a drip pan underneath.
• Smoke chicken breasts in the preheated smoker until chicken is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 4 hours, adding maple wood chips as necessary to keep the smoke continuous. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

PAPRIKA-BUTTERMILK CHICKEN TENDERS

Steps:

• Combine the smoked paprika, granulated garlic and onion, and poultry seasoning in a small bowl. Season the tenders with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 the spices to the buttermilk in a shallow dish. Combine the remaining spices with the flour and poppy seeds, in a second dish.
• Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium to medium-high heat, about 350 degrees F.
• Using tongs dip chicken in the buttermilk, then the flour and repeat. Add the breaded tenders to the hot oil; do not crowd the pan. Cook the fingers in batches to a deep golden color, about 8 minutes per batch. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels. Serve warm or at room temperature with wedges of lemon to squeeze on top.

SMOKED BUTTERMILK HERB CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except for the chicken in a blender. Pulse until smooth. Pour over chicken and let marinate in a non-reactive covered dish or plastic zip top bag for 4-24 hours. The longer the brining time, the more flavor they will pick up.
• Remove chicken from the brine and pat dry on paper towels, otherwise the chicken may be too salty.
• Place breasts on the rack of a Weber grill fitted with the Smokenator 1000 filled to manufacturers directions with water/charcoal/wood chips once the temperature of the grill lid is stabilized around 215-230 degrees. Smoke for about 1 1/2-2 hours, being sure to keep the temperature steady and adding charocoal/wood chips as needed to keep a steady amount of smoke.
• Allow the breasts to rest for 5 minutes, then slice and enjoy!

BUTTERMILK HERB CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Mix together the first 9 ingredients. Place chicken breasts in freezer bag. Pour marinade over chicken and freeze.
• On serving day thaw chicken in refrigerator, discard marinade. Grill until chicken is cooked through.