Recipes and Cooking Buttermilk-Brined Fried Chicken 4.3 (57) 3 Reviews Fried chicken has always been a family favorite. Don't be surprised by the amount of salt in the buttermilk brine. It gives the chicken great flavor. By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on June 14, 2011 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 12 mins Chill Time: 2 hrs Total Time: 2 hrs 42 mins Servings: 6 Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 3 cup buttermilk ⅓ cup kosher salt 2 tablespoon sugar 2 ½ - 3 pound meaty chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs, and drumsticks) 2 cup all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper ¾ cup buttermilk Cooking oil Directions For brine, in a resealable plastic bag set in a bowl combine the 3 cups buttermilk, the coarse salt, and sugar. Cut chicken breasts in half crosswise. Add all chicken pieces to the brine; seal bag. Turn bag to coat chicken with brine mixture. Chill for 2 to 4 hours; remove chicken from brine. Drain chicken; pat dry with paper towels. Discard brine. In a large bowl combine flour, the 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Divide flour mixture evenly between two shallow dishes. Place the 3/4 cup buttermilk in another shallow dish. Dip chicken into flour mixture in the first shallow dish, turning to completely coat. Dip flour-coated chicken in the buttermilk, turning to coat. Coat again with flour mixture in the second shallow dish. Meanwhile, in a deep, heavy Dutch oven or kettle, or a deep-fat fryer, heat 1-1/2 inches oil to 350 degrees F. Using tongs carefully add a few pieces of chicken to Dutch oven. (Oil temperature will drop; maintain temperature at 325 degrees F.) Fry chicken for 12 to 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F for breasts; 180 degrees F for thighs and drumsticks), and coating is golden, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Keep fried chicken warm in a 300 degree F oven while frying remaining chicken pieces. Makes 6 servings. Spicy Buttermilk-Brined Fried Chicken: Prepare as above, except add 1-1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper to the flour mixture. Pecan Buttermilk-Brined Fried Chicken: Prepare as above, except, reduce the flour to 1-1/4 cups and add 3/4 cup ground pecans to the flour mixture.Nutrition Facts per 3 ounces chicken: 585 cal., 40 g total fat (7 g sat. fat), 88 mg chol., 1,191 mg sodium, 25 g carbo., 2 g fiber, 33 g pro.Daily Values: 1% vit. A, 2 % vit. C, 10% calcium, 17% iron.Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch, 3 1/2 Medium-Fat Meat, 4 Fat Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 549 Calories 30g Fat 35g Carbs 34g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 6 Calories 549 % Daily Value * Total Fat 30g 38% Saturated Fat 6g 30% Cholesterol 88mg 29% Sodium 1191mg 52% Total Carbohydrate 35g 13% Total Sugars 4g Protein 34g Vitamin C 1.2mg 6% Calcium 90.9mg 7% Iron 3.4mg 19% Potassium 329mg 7% Folate, total 20.2mcg Vitamin B-12 0.4mcg Vitamin B-6 0.4mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.