Pickle Brined Fried Chicken Sliders (Printable)
Tangy pickle-brined chicken, fried golden and crispy, served on soft slider buns with pickles and mayo.
# What you'll need:
→ Chicken & Marinade
01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into slider-sized pieces
02 - 1 cup dill pickle brine (from a jar of pickles)
03 - 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
→ Breading
04 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
05 - ½ cup cornstarch
06 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
08 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - 1 teaspoon salt
10 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
11 - 1 cup buttermilk
→ For Frying
12 - Vegetable oil, for deep frying
→ Slider Assembly
13 - 8 slider buns
14 - 8 dill pickle slices
15 - ¼ cup mayonnaise
16 - Lettuce leaves
# Directions:
01 - In a bowl, combine chicken pieces, pickle brine, and hot sauce if using. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 8 hours for deeper flavor penetration.
02 - Remove chicken from the brine and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels to ensure proper breading adhesion.
03 - In one shallow bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Pour buttermilk into a separate shallow bowl.
04 - Dip each chicken piece into the flour mixture, then into the buttermilk, then back into the flour mixture, pressing firmly to ensure full, even coverage on all sides.
05 - Pour about 2 inches of vegetable oil into a deep skillet or Dutch oven and heat to 350°F. Use a thermometer to maintain consistent temperature.
06 - Fry chicken pieces in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan, until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain on a wire rack set over a sheet pan.
07 - Lightly toast slider buns cut-side down in a dry skillet or under a broiler until golden.
08 - Spread mayonnaise on each bun bottom, layer with a lettuce leaf, a piece of fried chicken, and a dill pickle slice. Cap with the top bun half and serve immediately while warm.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The pickle brine trick sounds strange but it creates the juiciest, most flavorful chicken you will ever pull out of a skillet.
- These sliders disappear so fast at gatherings that you might want to make a double batch and hide half for yourself.
02 -
- Do not skip the drying step because wet chicken means soggy breading and nobody wants that.
- Frying too many pieces at once drops the oil temperature and turns the coating greasy instead of crisp.
03 -
- The cornstarch in the flour mix is not optional because it is the difference between good crunch and crunch that makes noise when you bite into it.
- Marinate the chicken overnight if you can because the longer it sits, the more tender and flavorful it becomes.