Pickle Brined Fried Chicken (Printable)
Tangy pickle-brined chicken, fried golden and crispy, served on soft buns with zesty toppings.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Chicken and Marinade
01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into slider-sized pieces
02 - 1 cup dill pickle brine (from a jar of dill pickles)
03 - 1 tablespoon hot sauce (optional)
→ Breading
04 - 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
05 - ⅓ cup cornstarch
06 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
08 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
10 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
→ Frying
11 - 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
→ Assembly
12 - 8 slider buns
13 - 8 dill pickle slices
14 - 4 lettuce leaves, halved
15 - 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
16 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
# How To Make It:
01 - Place chicken pieces in a bowl and cover with pickle brine and hot sauce. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best flavor.
02 - In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix until evenly distributed.
03 - Remove chicken from brine and discard the brine. Pat chicken dry thoroughly with paper towels. Coat each piece completely in the seasoned flour mixture, pressing gently to adhere.
04 - Heat oil in a deep skillet or pot to 350°F. Fry chicken pieces in batches for 4–6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Drain on paper towels.
05 - In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise and Dijon mustard until well combined.
06 - Spread the mayo-mustard sauce on each slider bun bottom. Layer lettuce, a fried chicken piece, and a dill pickle slice. Cap with the bun top.
07 - Serve immediately while hot and crispy.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The pickle brine does all the heavy lifting for flavor, so you look like a genius with almost zero effort.
- That crunch from the cornstarch and flour combo rivals anything from a restaurant drive through.
- Sliders mean you can honestly eat two or three without anyone judging you.
02 -
- If the oil temperature drops below 165 degrees Celsius, the chicken will absorb grease instead of frying crisp, so use a thermometer and fry in small batches.
- Patting the chicken mostly dry before dredging helps the flour stick better than if it is dripping wet, but do not overdo it or you lose the brine flavor near the surface.
03 -
- Let the coated chicken rest on a wire rack for five minutes before frying so the breading adheres fully and does not slide off in the oil.
- The mayonnaise and Dijon spread is a simple touch, but a squeeze of honey mixed in transforms it into something people will ask about by name.