Forget the buttermilk, try pickle juice next time you fry chicken

My wife dared me to do it after I complained our fried chicken was always a little dry inside. I soaked some thighs in dill pickle juice for 4 hours before the standard flour dredge last Saturday. The meat came out stupid juicy with this subtle tang that cuts through the grease. Even my neighbor, who is a total food snob, asked for the recipe. Has anyone else tried weird marinades for frying?

2 comments

2 Comments

paigep201mo ago

So did the pickle juice change the texture of the breading at all, or was it just the meat that got better? I am wondering if the acidity messes with how the flour sticks after a long soak. That tang sounds pretty interesting though, I might have to try it with some hot sauce mixed in.

simon7171mo ago

Read somewhere that the acidity actually tightens up the proteins in the chicken. Keeps it from getting that stringy dry texture. The breading should be fine @paigep20, just pat the chicken dry before you flour it. Hot sauce mixed in sounds killer, I bet it would kick up the tang a notch. I might steal that idea for my next batch.