Brined Smoked and Fried Chicken

This isn't the easiest recipe you've ever made, but it might just be the best. This is marrying all of my favorite methods of prepping and cooking chicken into one incredible recipe.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Traeger

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 3

Servings people

Calories 845kcal

Author Nicole Johnson

Equipment

Ingredients

3 pounds chicken legs, thighs, breasts
2 quarts oil

Brine:

2 quarts water
¼ cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon chicken rub
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 lemon

Dredge 1:

1 cup flour

Egg wash:

4 large eggs

Dredge 2:

1 cup flour
¼ cup cornstarch
1 sleeve saltine crackers

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine all the brine ingredients and mix until the salt is fully dissolved.
Add the chicken to the brine, cover, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Remove the chicken from the brine and pat it dry with a paper towel. Discard the brine.
Place the chicken on a grill preheated to 200°F and smoke for 2 hours.
After smoking, refrigerate the chicken for about an hour to cool.
Heat the oil in a large pot to 350°F.
While the oil heats, prepare three bowls for the dredging process.
In the first bowl, place 1 cup of flour. In the second, beat the eggs. In the third bowl, combine the crushed saltine crackers, 1 cup of flour, and cornstarch.
Dredge each piece of chicken in the first bowl (flour), then the egg wash, and finally the cracker-flour mixture. Shake off any excess coating.
Fry the chicken in the hot oil for about 8 minutes, ensuring it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F before serving.

Nutrition