Best Buttermilk Brined Chicken Thighs Recipes

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.

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.

CHEF JOHN'S BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Toss together chicken pieces, black pepper, salt, paprika, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, white pepper, and cayenne in a large bowl to coat.
• Stir in buttermilk until chicken is coated. Refrigerate for 6 hours.
• Combine flour, salt, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, white pepper, and onion powder in a large shallow dish.
• Remove chicken from the buttermilk and dredge each piece in the seasoned flour. Shake off any excess and transfer to a plate.
• Heat peanut oil in a large Dutch oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Add all the chicken to the pan and cook for 10 minutes.
• Turn chicken pieces and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
• Remove chicken from the oil and transfer to a cooling rack set over a paper towel lined baking sheet. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

BRINED AND SMOKED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Whisk together water, brown sugar, 1 cup kosher salt, black peppercorns, garlic cloves, and bay leaves in a large saucepan until sugar and salt dissolve. Turn heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
• Carefully pour brine mixture into a large heat-proof container and stir in rosemary sprigs and lemon slices. Place in the refrigerator until completely chilled, about 2 hours.
• Add chicken thighs to the chilled brine. Place a small plate on top of chicken thighs to ensure they stay submerged, then cover container with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate chicken thighs in brine for at least 6 hours, or up to 24 hours.
• Open the bottom vent of a grill completely. Light a charcoal chimney starter filled with briquettes. When briquettes are covered with gray ash, pour them onto bottom grate of the grill, and then push to 1 side of the grill. Place 3 to 4 applewood chunks on top of hot coals. Coat top grate with oil; place on grill. Cover and insert an instant-read thermometer into a vent in the lid; maintain a temperature between 225 and 250 degrees F (107 and 120 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove chicken thighs from brine and pat dry with paper towels, removing as much moisture on the surface of the thighs as possible. Sprinkle evenly with black pepper and remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
• Place chicken thighs on the preheated grill, skin-side up, over the side without coals. Cover and smoke until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.
• Transfer chicken thighs to a large plate or platter and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.