Honey-Brined Fried Chicken Breasts

Give Chef John's recipe for honey-brined fried chicken a try for chicken that's crispy on the inside and surprisingly juicy on the outside.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Calories: 481 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 3 cups cold water
• 2 cups vegetable oil for frying, or as needed
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 0.25 cup buttermilk
• 0.5 teaspoon garlic salt
• 0.5 teaspoon onion salt
• 0.25 cup honey
• 0.25 cup kosher salt

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine cold water, kosher salt, and honey in a large bowl; stir until salt dissolves. Place chicken breasts into the bowl and weigh them down with a plate to keep them completely submerged. Cover the entire bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Step 2

Remove the bowl from the refrigerator. Drain and dry chicken, then transfer to another large bowl. Pour buttermilk over chicken and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Step 3

Combine flour, pepper, garlic salt, onion salt, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl.

Step 4

Coat each chicken breast in flour mixture until very well covered on all sides. Place flour-coated chicken breasts on a cooling rack to dry for 15 minutes.

Step 5

Meanwhile, heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a large skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 6

Working in batches, fry chicken breasts until browned and no longer pink in the center, 5 to 8 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Step 7

Transfer chicken to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.