Chile Apple Brined Fried Chicken Recipes

APPLE CIDER BRINED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix 2 tablespoons salt, 2 tablespoons pepper, 4 cups water, vinegar, and apple juice in a 2 gallon container. Add the chicken and allow to marinate for 30 minutes up to 3 hours in the refrigerator.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon pepper to the flour, mix well, and hold until ready to fry.
• In a cast iron skillet, add the oil and bring to 350 degrees F over high heat. Remove the chicken from the brine, pat dry with a paper towel, and dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour, coating well and tapping off any excess. Once all the chicken is floured, add to the oil, in batches, and cook until golden brown on both sides, 8 to 9 minutes per side. The internal temperature must be 165 degrees to be cooked thoroughly.

CIDER-BRINED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together cider and salt until salt dissolves. Add chicken pieces and enough water to coat and soak 1 hour in the refrigerator. Chicken should be completely submerged in brine.
• In a large pot, heat vegetable shortening until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 325 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with a wire rack.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cayenne and black pepper. In a paper bag, shake together flour and cornstarch. Drain chicken from brine and dip in batches first in egg mixture then in flour mixture to coat. Set on wire rack to let coating sit for 10 minutes. In 2 batches, fry chicken until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the piece. Remove from oil to drain on paper towel-lined plate.

BOURBON BRINED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the brine: In a large bowl, combine the bourbon, brown sugar, bay leaves, peppercorns and 1/4 cup salt. Stir to combine. Pour in 4 cups warm water from the tap and stir until the brown sugar dissolves.
• Put chicken in a 1-gallon resealable freezer bag and pour in the brine. The chicken should be completely submerged. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
• Pour off the brine and place the chicken on a cooling rack. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper before dredging.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the breading: You will need three medium bowls for the breading. In one bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. In a second bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg and mustard. In a third bowl, combine the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour and 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, along with the cornmeal, garlic powder, cayenne, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon pepper.
• Follow a basic three step breading process: Dip each chicken breast in the flour (dusting off any excess), then in the buttermilk mixture, and finally in the cornmeal mixture. Dust off any excess before laying each chicken breast on a cooling rack. Allow the chicken to sit out uncovered for 30 minutes. This will make for a crunchier crust.
• Set a cooling rack in a rimmed baking sheet. In a 14-inch cast-iron skillet, combine the canola and coconut oils and heat over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 345 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches, place the chicken in the skillet bone-side up. The oil should only come halfway up the side of the chicken. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Carefully flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, 5 to 7 minutes more. If needed, cook on the thicker side of the chicken breast for another minute to crisp the crust. Transfer to the rack as done.
• Wipe up any oil drips from the baking sheet so they don't smoke up your kitchen. Transfer the chicken on the rack and baking sheet to the oven and bake until cooked through and the center registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest and carry over cooking another 5 degrees F before serving, about 5 minutes.

PICKLE-BRINED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Drain the juice from the jars of pickles into a baking dish or bowl. Add the chicken and flip to coat. Let brine, refrigerated, for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking sheet with a cooling rack. Fill a Dutch oven halfway with oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 320 degrees F.
• In 3 bowls or baking dishes, set up a breading station. In the first dish, mix the flour with the salt, paprika and pepper. In the second dish, mix the hot sauce, mustard and eggs. Put the cracker crumbs in the third dish.
• Dredge each chicken piece first in the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, then in the crackers. Place the breaded chicken pieces in the oil a few at a time. Don't overcrowd the pan; the pieces should not be touching in the oil. Fry, turning occasionally, until the chicken is a deep golden brown and fully cooked to 165 degrees F when checked with a thermometer, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet and place in the oven until ready to serve.

CHILE APPLE BRINED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the cut-up chicken in the Chile Apple Brine and refrigerate overnight.
• To make the chicken fry mix, add the cornmeal, flour and Rib Rub to a large bowl.
• Drain the brined chicken well and add to the bowl with the chicken fry mix. Mix the chicken well with the breading to get a good coat. Let set in the mix for 20 minutes.
• In a large heavy pot, add the canola oil and heat over medium heat to 275 degrees F.
• Give the chicken a final mix and, using tongs, carefully place each piece of chicken into the hot oil. Fry until cooked through, about 14 minutes. Remove to a platter lined with paper towel and let drain before serving.
• Soak the chiles in hot water until softened. Transfer them to a food processor and process to a paste. Strain the paste, then transfer to a large container with a lid.
• Put the apples in a food processor, skin and core included, and pulse to chop. Transfer to the container with the chile paste and add the apple cider, molasses, salt, sugar, garlic and 8 cups (1/2 gallon water).
• Combine the salt, sugar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, anise seed and mustard in a bowl.

HONEY-BRINED FRIED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Mix cold water, kosher salt, and honey in a large bowl; stir until salt dissolves. Add chicken breasts, and weigh them down with a plate to keep them completely submerged. Cover entire bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Remove bowl from refrigerator; drain and dry chicken. Pour buttermilk over chicken in a large bowl. Set aside at room temperature for 15 minutes.
• Combine flour, black pepper, garlic salt, onion salt, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl.
• Coat each chicken breast in flour mixture until well covered on all sides; place flour-coated chicken breasts on a cooling rack to dry for 15 minutes.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cook chicken breasts until browned and no longer pink in the center, about 10 to 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Transfer chicken to a cooling rack; allow to cool for 5 minutes.