Honey-Brined Fried Chicken Breasts
Description
Give Chef John's recipe for honey-brined fried chicken a try for chicken that's crispy on the inside and surprisingly juicy on the outside.
Ingredients
•
3 cups cold water
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1/4 cup kosher salt
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1/4 cup honey
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4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
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1/4 cup buttermilk
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1 cup all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon black pepper
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1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
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1/2 teaspoon onion salt
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1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
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2 cups vegetable oil for frying, or as needed
Directions
1
Combine cold water, kosher salt, and honey in a large bowl; stir until salt dissolves. Place chicken breasts into the bowl and weigh them down with a plate to keep them completely submerged. Cover the entire bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2
Remove the bowl from the refrigerator. Drain and dry chicken, then transfer to another large bowl. Pour buttermilk over chicken and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
3
Combine flour, pepper, garlic salt, onion salt, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl.
4
Coat each chicken breast in flour mixture until very well covered on all sides. Place flour-coated chicken breasts on a cooling rack to dry for 15 minutes.
5
Meanwhile, heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a large skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
6
Working in batches, fry chicken breasts until browned and no longer pink in the center, 5 to 8 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
7
Transfer chicken to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.