Sweet Tea-Brined Fried Chicken
Main Dishes
#friedchicken
#sweettea

Sweet Tea-Brined Fried Chicken

Crispy fried chicken brined in sweet tea for extra moisture and a subtle sweetness - a Southern twist.

270 min
6 servings

Prep Time

240m

Cook Time

30m

Servings

6

Difficulty

Hard

Nutrition Per Serving

fat

24

carbs

42

fiber

2

protein

45

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Ingredients

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  • 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
  • 4 cups strong brewed sweet tea, cooled
  • 1/4 cup salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

1

Combine sweet tea, 1/4 cup salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Add chicken and refrigerate 4 hours.

2

Remove chicken from brine, rinse, and pat dry.

3

Soak chicken in buttermilk for 30 minutes.

4

Mix flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt.

5

Remove chicken from buttermilk and dredge in seasoned flour.

6

Heat 2 inches of oil in large Dutch oven to 350°F.

7

Fry chicken in batches, dark meat 13-14 minutes, white meat 10-12 minutes.

8

Drain on wire rack set over paper towels.

9

Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Chef's Comfy Tip

The sweet tea brine keeps the chicken incredibly juicy - don't skip this step!

Recipe FAQs

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