The Best Brined Fried Chicken
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My brother has been making this brined fried chicken recipe based on the Yard Bird restaurant’s chicken for years, and it is some of the best fried chicken I have ever had. The bone-in, skin on pieces of chicken are lightly dredged in the seasoned flour that relies on the crispy skin for a satisfying crunch.
I know that brining the chicken requires a little foresight and preparation, but it is well worth the time! It makes for incredibly juicy and flavorful fried chicken. In this recipe both the brine and the flour are highly seasoned before the chicken is fried in lard for added flavor. If you’re looking for a more traditional buttermilk Southern fried chicken recipe I recommend giving this recipe a try.
I share tips for troubleshooting fried chicken to make sure it’s perfect every time as well as serving suggestions for sides. Since I use a whole chicken broken down into pieces in this recipe I also include steps to make this recipe using chicken thighs and drumsticks based on preference.
The Best Brined Fried Chicken
Table of contents
Why Brine Chicken?
The process of soaking the chicken in a saltwater solution before cooking keeps the meat moist and infuses it with flavor. The salt in the brine solution draws out moisture from the chicken, which is then reabsorbed along with the salt, sugar and flavors from the added spices. This results in chicken that is juicy and flavorful and seasoned throughout.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Chicken – This recipe uses a whole chicken, broken down into parts before they are brined. I break down the chicken into wings, drumsticks, thighs, and then I cut the breasts into 2 pieces each so they aren’t quite so large. Discard the backbone or save for stock. Buying whole is cheaper per pound than buying in individual pieces plus you get a variety. The bone-in, skin-on pieces are dredged in a seasoned flour and fried until cooked through and tender.
- Spices – Both the brine and the flour are seasoned with a combination of paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper to infuse the chicken with plenty of flavor.
- Lard – Lard is made from 100% animal fat (typically pork). It has a high smoke point and is stable for frying. It’s melted slowly until it’s brought up to a temperature of 325ºF (170ºC) for frying the chicken. The only drawback is it can be expensive to get so much of it. The good thing is that because it is such a stable oil it can be saved and used again for frying or cooking.
How to Make Brined Fried Chicken
Step 1: Make the brine.
Bring 2½ quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sugar, salt, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Bring to a boil for about 5 minutes then remove from heat and let cool completely. Add 3 cups of ice cubes and an additional 2 cups of cold water to chill the brine.
Step 2: Brine the chicken.
Add the chicken pieces to a large container and pour the brine over the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
Step 3: Heat lard.
Add the lard to a Dutch oven (or large cast iron pan) and slowly melt the lard until it reaches 1-inch (2.5cm) up the side of the pot, and heat to 325ºF (170ºC).
Step 4: Remove chicken.
Remove the chicken from the brine.
Step 5: Make dredge.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour with the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, pepper and cayenne.
Step 6: Dredge chicken and fry.
Working in batches, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, and shake off any excess. Add to the heated lard. Fry, until the chicken is golden brown on all sides, about 10 to 12 minutes total for the thicker pieces (the timing will vary depending on the cut) and about 8 for the drumsticks and wings.
Step 7: Let drain.
Remove the fried chicken from the oil and place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet or a paper towel lined plate to drain the excess oil. Serve hot.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
Swaps and substitutions
- If you don’t want to use a whole chicken, you can substitute 10 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks or a combination of both.
- Vegetable shortening can also be used in place of the lard for frying. It’s a semi-solid fat with a high smoke point and low water content which makes it a good choice for frying. Shortening is 100% fat (made from Soybean, palm, or cottonseed oil) and a neutral flavor. A neutral oil like vegetable oil can also be used.
Serving Suggestions
I love pairing Southern fried chicken with the following sides:
- Buttermilk biscuits
- Watermelon
- Pickles
- Hot sauce (vinegar based hot sauces like Crystal are perfect)
- Mashed potatoes
- Mac and cheese
How to Reheat Fried Chicken
To get chicken crispy again without reheating the oil, I recommend microwaving the chicken for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then heating the oven to broil and broil until crispy, about 2 minutes. Fried chicken can also be reheated in an air fryer. Preheat to 375ºF (190ºC) for about 4 minutes.
Troubleshooting Fried Chicken
- The chicken is too dark on the outside but raw inside. Your oil is too hot! Check the temperature of your oil with a thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer then add the end of a wooden stick into the oil. If small bubbles form around the wood, then the oil is ready to fry. But if it is bubbling hard then the oil is too hot. The crust of the chicken will fry too fast and the inside won’t cook through. This can also happen if you cook the chicken directly from the fridge. The meat is too cold still and won’t cook evenly.
- The chicken is oily and takes forever to cook. Your oil is too cold. Take breaks in between batches so the oil can come back to the desired temperature. Every time food is added to hot oil the temperature decreases drastically. Allowing time for it to heat back up again results in an even fry among batches. This could also happen if you are overcrowding the pan when you cook.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this brined fried chicken recipe, give these a try and follow me on Instagram for more updates:
The Best Brined Fried Chicken
Ingredients:
For the brine:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons cayenne powder
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (4-pound) whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces or (10 pieces chicken thighs and drumsticks)
For assembly and frying:
- 2 pounds lard or vegetable shortening, as needed, for frying
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
Instructions:
For the brine:
- Bring 2½ quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sugar, salt, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Bring to a boil for about 5 minutes then remove from heat and let cool completely. Add 3 cups of ice cubes and an additional 2 cups of cold water to chill the brine.
- Add the chicken pieces to a large container and pour the brine over the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
For assembly and frying:
- Add the lard to a Dutch oven (or large cast iron pan) and slowly melt the lard until it reaches 1-inch (2.5cm) up the side of the pot, and heat to 325ºF (170ºC).
- Remove the chicken from the brine.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour with the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, pepper and cayenne.
- Working in batches, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, and shake off any excess. Add to the heated lard. Fry, until the chicken is golden brown on all sides, about 10 to 12 minutes total for the thicker pieces (the timing will vary depending on the cut) and 8 for the drumsticks and wings.
- Remove the fried chicken from the oil and place on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet or a paper towel lined plate to drain the excess oil. Serve hot.
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Recipe adapted from the Yard Bird fried chicken recipe here.
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