Here is the classic picnic food, made even better for dinner! We marinate chicken in buttermilk and add two secret ingredients–pickle juice and Worcestershire sauce–for maximum flavor and tenderness, before frying it to crispy perfection. Served with a creamy coleslaw plus lots of pickles and potato rolls, this delightful family-style meal conjures up the best of summer.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 3 hr |
| Active: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup dill pickle juice, plus dill pickles, for serving
- 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 3 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- One 3- to 4-pound chicken, cut into 10 pieces
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- One 14-ounce bag coleslaw mix
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Potato rolls, for serving
Instructions
- For the chicken: Mix together the buttermilk, pickle juice, Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons of the paprika, 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne, 1 tablespoon salt and several grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken, making sure the pieces are submerged. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.
- Mix together the flour, cornstarch, remaining 1 teaspoon paprika, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper in a large bowl until well combined; set aside.
- Fill a deep heavy pot with 2 inches of vegetable oil and heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer registers 350 degrees F.
- Remove a chicken piece from the buttermilk mixture, letting the excess drip off, and roll it in the seasoned flour until completely coated. Push it to the side in the bowl and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
- Working in 2 batches, carefully lower the chicken into the oil. The temperature will drop to 300 to 325 degrees F; adjust the heat to maintain this temperature so the crust doesn’t burn before the meat is cooked. Fry, undisturbed, 2 to 3 minutes to set the crust, then carefully lift with tongs to check the browning. It should be light golden; if it is browning too quickly, lower the heat slightly. Continue to fry, turning as needed, until golden brown and cooked through, 12 to 14 more minutes for smaller pieces and 14 to 16 more minutes for larger ones. (A thermometer should register 160 degrees F in the breasts and 165 degrees F in the thighs and drumsticks.)
- Remove the chicken to a rack to drain and let rest a few minutes. Season with salt. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- For the coleslaw: Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and celery salt in a medium bowl. Add the coleslaw mix and toss to coat. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed before serving.
- Serve the chicken hot or at room temperature with the coleslaw, potato rolls and pickles on the side.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 1638 |
| Total Fat | 135 g |
| Saturated Fat | 18 g |
| Carbohydrates | 65 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 14 g |
| Protein | 42 g |
| Cholesterol | 154 mg |
| Sodium | 1373 mg |
Reviews
This was pretty good. The chicken had a nice crunch and the inside was extremely moist. I don’t know if that has to do with the brine or if we have finally found a good place to buy quality chicken. The coleslaw was really tasty. My husband liked it just the way the recipe is written, but, I had to add sugar to mine as I prefer a sweet coleslaw. All in all, I would make this again.
I was skeptical about the pickle juice and almost didn’t add it, it’s a good thing I did because the fried chicken was delicious! It’s even kid approved! My kids loved the fried chicken tenders! So glad I gave it a go.
Best fried chicken ever! I love what the pickle juice does for this recipe. It adds such a nice little tang of flavor. Crispy and juicy. Delicious!
Delicious!! Love the briny flavor. Crispy and super juicy. Nothing but compliments!! Thank you
So easy…. Loved to slight taste of pickle in the meat and on the skin
OMG, now I know what to do with brine form empty pickle jars! It makes an amazing marinade.
Chicken was moist but my husband and I both agree that we don’t need to taste pickles while eating fried chicken! I will make this recipe again, as I liked the other seasonings, but I will omit the pickle juice.
The best fried chicken that I have ever cook!! Doing it again tonight.
Hubby said “best fried chicken ever”! (And he’s tasted a lot in his 60+ years!) I don’t fry chicken often but saw a reference to this recipe on an Alton Brown’s Good Eats show. The ingredients sounded intriguing and since I had them all at hand (including a chicken that needed to be cooked) I thought I’d try it. I agree with hubby — absolute awesomeness!!
This is some of the best chicken . Crispy on the outside and very moist on the inside, with great flavor.