Name: Sweet Tea Brined Fried Chicken (Standard)
Prep time: 1 h 36 min
Cook time: 2 h 24 min
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 3 lbs Bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks, breasts); 1 gallon Water; 1 cup Granulated sugar; 1/2 cup Salt; 6 Black tea bags; 1 tbsp Black peppercorns; 2 cups All-purpose flour; 1 tbsp Paprika; 1 tsp Garlic powder; 1 tsp Onion powder; 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper; 1 tsp Salt; 1/2 tsp Black pepper; 4 cups Vegetable oil

Recipe tier

A comforting and flavorful fried chicken, brined in sweet tea for tenderness and a subtle sweetness.

Total 4h

Serves 6

Steps 8

Ingredients 14

Soundtrack the cook

Fire it up · 180 minutes

Music paced for prep, cooking, plating, and the reset after dinner.

Prep 96m Cook 144m Plate 5m Reset 10m

Share this playlist

Chicken
3 lbs 1.36 kg Bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks, breasts)
Brine
1 gallon 3.79 L Water
1 cup 237 mL Granulated sugar
cup 118 mL Salt
6 6 Black tea bags
1 tbsp 15 mL Black peppercorns
Dredge
2 cups 240 g All-purpose flour
1 tbsp 15 mL Paprika
1 tsp 5 mL Garlic powder
1 tsp 5 mL Onion powder
tsp 2.5 mL Cayenne pepper
1 tsp 5 mL Salt
tsp 2.5 mL Black pepper
Frying
4 cups 946 mL Vegetable oil

Equipment

As an Amazon Associate, Mealovate earns from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

🎙️ Cook with voice coach

In a large pot, combine all Brine ingredients. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes. Let cool completely.
Place chicken in a large container and pour cooled brine over it. Ensure chicken is fully submerged. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
Remove chicken from brine and pat completely dry with paper towels.
In a shallow dish, combine all Dredge ingredients.
Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, ensuring it is fully coated. Shake off excess flour.
Heat vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven to 325°F (163°C).
Carefully add chicken to the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the skillet. Fry for 6-8 minutes per side, or until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
Remove chicken from oil and place on a wire rack to drain excess oil. Serve immediately.