Buttermilk Brined Chicken Thighs Recipes

BUTTERMILK ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Butterfly chicken by placing breast side down and using heavy-duty kitchen shears to cut along both sides of backbone. Discard backbone, turn chicken over and open it like a book. Press gently to flatten it.
• Place chicken in a large freezer bag. Add buttermilk, 1/4 cup oil, garlic, peppercorns, salt, rosemary and honey. Seal bag securely and refrigerate overnight or up to two days.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove chicken from marinade and place on a rack so excess can drip off. Line a roasting pan with foil and place chicken in pan. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Roast for 45 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees. Continue roasting until well browned and until juices run clear when chicken is pierced where leg joins thigh, about another 20 minutes.
• Place chicken on a carving board and allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into serving pieces. Place a portion on each of four plates, and drizzle each serving with pan juices.

BUTTERMILK BARBECUE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Whisk buttermilk, brown sugar, cider vinegar, garlic, thyme, pepper, paprika, cumin, cayenne, and salt together in a bowl.
• Trim wing flats from the chicken. Cut along both sides of the backbone from the tail to the neck; remove backbone. Make a 1/4-inch-deep cut through the piece of cartilage in the center. Open up both sides to reveal breastbone; lift out. Cut chicken in half through the center line.
• Place both halves in a resealable zip-top bag and pour in the buttermilk marinade. Place the bag in a bowl to catch any leaks. Press air out and seal. Marinate in the fridge for 6 to 18 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Remove chicken from marinade and transfer onto a paper towel-lined plate. Blot off excess marinade.
• Place chicken on the grill cut-side down, skin-side up; cover and cook for 20 minutes.
• Flip chicken over and continue grilling for 7 to 10 minutes. Flip once more and grill until no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• When all the pieces of chicken are dredged in the flour, add about an inch of oil to a heavy, deep frying pan. Over a medium-high flame, heat the oil to 375 F.

GRILLED BUTTERMILK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the buttermilk, thyme, garlic and salt in a large bowl or shallow dish. Add chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally., Drain chicken, discarding marinade. Grill, covered, over medium heat until a thermometer reads 165°, 5-7 minutes per side.

BUTTERMILK-BRINED ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• The day before you want to cook the chicken, remove the wingtips by cutting through the first wing joint with poultry shears or a sharp knife. Reserve for stock. Season chicken generously with salt and let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Stir 2 tablespoons kosher salt or 4 teaspoons fine sea salt into the buttermilk to dissolve. Place the chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and pour in the buttermilk. (If the chicken won't fit in a gallon-size bag, double up 2 plastic produce bags to prevent leaks and tie the bag with twine.)
• Seal the bag, squish the buttermilk all around the chicken, place on a rimmed plate, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. If you're so inclined, you can turn the bag periodically so every part of the chicken gets marinated, but that's not essential.
• Pull the chicken from the fridge an hour before you plan to cook it. Heat the oven to 425 degrees with a rack set in the center position.
• Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and scrape off as much buttermilk as you can without being obsessive. Tightly tie together the legs with a piece of butcher's twine. Place the chicken in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a shallow roasting pan.
• Slide the pan all the way to the back of the oven on the center rack. Rotate the pan so that the legs are pointing toward the rear left corner and the breast is pointing toward the center of the oven. (The back corners tend to be the hottest spots in the oven, so this orientation protects the breast from overcooking before the legs are done.) Pretty quickly you should hear the chicken sizzling.
• After about 20 minutes, when the chicken starts to brown, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and continue roasting for 10 minutes.
• Move the pan so the legs are facing the rear right corner of the oven. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes or so, until the chicken is brown all over and the juices run clear when you insert a knife down to the bone between the leg and the thigh. If the skin is getting too brown before it is cooked through, use a foil tent. Remove it to a platter and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

TRULY CRISPY BUTTERMILK OVEN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Marinate: Whisk together all ingredients for the marinade (except for the chicken) in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces, making sure they're all well coated. Cover and place in the fridge for one hour up to overnight. (If your'e short on time, simply place all the ingredients in a zip-loc bag and massage the chicken for a few minutes. Let it sit in the fridge for 10 minutes before using.)
• Prep the pan and oven:Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C). While the oven is preheating, place a dark, rimmed roasting or baking pan in the oven to heat up (more info in the post).
• Mix the dry coating:Place all ingredients for the dry coating in a large bowl. Mix well.
• Mix the wet coating: To a separate bowl, add the eggs and 2/3 cup buttermilk. Whisk very well.
• Coat the chicken pieces: Shake off any excess marinade. Dredge the chicken through the flour mix, shaking off any excess. Dip in the egg mix, making sure the chicken is evenly covered. Dredge through the flour mix once more, making sure the chicken is evenly covered, shaking off any excess.
• Bake the chicken:
• Place butter and chicken on pan: Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven, using oven gloves. Melt the butter on it, then place the chicken pieces on top without overcrowding the pan.
• Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, carefully flip and bake for another 5-10 minutes (depending on how thick your chicken pieces are). Finish by broiling for a few minutes, until golden and crispy.
• Serve: The chicken will feel soft right as it comes out of the oven. Let it sit for 2 minutes before serving, it will crisp up. Don't let it sit for a long period of time before you eat it, or it will start turning soggy.

SOUTHERN-STYLE BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Whisk together buttermilk, mustard, salt and pepper, and cayenne in a bowl, and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken pieces, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 8 hours.
• When you are ready to cook the chicken, combine the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and onion powder in the other plastic bag. Shake to mix thoroughly. Transfer one marinated chicken piece at a time into the dry ingredient bag, and shake well to ensure complete coverage. After all chicken pieces are coated, repeat the process by dipping them in the buttermilk marinade and shaking in the dry coating again.
• Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, making sure not to burn the oil. When oil is hot, fry chicken in batches until golden brown and juices run clear, turning chicken to brown evenly.

BUTTERMILK MARINATED DEEP-FRIED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Rinse chicken breasts and thighs to remove any residue and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and place in a nonreactive bowl. Pour buttermilk over, cover, and let marinate, preferably overnight, refrigerated, but at least 2 hours.
• Heat oil in deep-fryer to 350 degrees F, or as directed in the manufacturer's instructions of your deep fryer for chicken pieces.
• Set up your breading station: in separate bowls put flour; beaten eggs; and cornmeal which has been seasoned with the paprika and salt and pepper, to taste. Remove the chicken 1 piece at a time from the buttermilk and dredge in flour, allowing any excess flour to fall away. Dip the floured chicken in the egg wash and then coat with the cornmeal mixture. Deep-fry coated chicken pieces in batches until they are cooked through, about 13 to 20 minutes. (Use the manufacturer's instructions for your deep-fryer for basic reference for chicken pieces, then test the chicken see that it is fork tender.) Allow to drain on paper towels and serve.

SOUTHWEST BUTTERMILK BAKED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place chicken thighs into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place cumin, paprika, garlic salt, salt and pepper into a small bowl. Mix to combine then sprinkle over tops of chicken thighs. Pour buttermilk over top, cover baking dish loosely with tin foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with your favorite roasted vegetables and salad if desired.

BUTTERMILK BRINED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Add the chicken, buttermilk, 2 sprigs of rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to a large resealable plastic bag. Let marinate, refrigerated, for 4 hours or up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Add the potatoes, 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large bowl. Toss together until everything is coated. Pour onto a rimmed baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Reserve the bowl. Bake for 40 minutes.
• Add the broccoli to the same bowl. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a little lemon zest. The Add broccoli to the baking sheet with the potatoes and toss to combine. Return to the oven and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade one by one, shaking the remaining buttermilk off lightly, and add to the skillet. Cook until the thighs are slightly charred, 6 to 7 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until fully cooked, another 6 to 7 minutes. Serve the chicken with a side of potatoes and broccoli. Garnish with fresh rosemary and lemon juice.