Pickle-Fried Chicken
Description
Leftover pickle brine adds enormous flavor to fried-then-baked breaded chicken thighs, while keeping them moist and juicy.
Ingredients
•
4 (5 ounce) chicken thighs
•
2 cups dill pickle juice
•
1 cup vegetable oil for frying, or more as needed
•
1 cup buttermilk
•
1 cup all-purpose flour
•
1 teaspoon salt
•
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
1
Place chicken thighs in a resealable plastic bag; cover with pickle juice. Seal and refrigerate for 3 hours.
2
Drain pickle juice from thighs. Cover chicken; refrigerate until ready to fry or up to 1 day.
3
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Set a wire rack over a baking sheet.
4
Heat 2 inches oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
5
Pour buttermilk into a bowl. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in another bowl. Dredge chicken in buttermilk, then toss in flour. Return to buttermilk and toss in flour a second time. Place chicken on the wire rack.
6
Fill Dutch oven with as many thighs as possible without crowding. Cook in the preheated oil until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer thighs to a nonstick baking sheet and repeat until all pieces are fried.
7
Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 5 to 8 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).