Coke-Brined Fried Chicken

By Sam Sifton

Updated December 15, 2015

  • Sabra Krock for The New York Times
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Total Time
1 hour, plus 3 to 5 hours’ brining
Rating
4(517)
Comments
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John Currence, of City Grocery in Oxford, Miss., spent a long time in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit, and was justly celebrated for his hard work there helping to rebuild a cathedral of Southern fried chicken, Willie Mae’s Scotch House. In his 2013 cookbook, “Pickles, Pigs and Whiskey,” Currence paid tribute to the wet batter used on Willie Mae’s legendary dish. But for the purpose of weekend chicken warriors we have omitted it in our adaptation of his homage, concentrating instead on Currence’s use of a Coke-based poultry brine that not only adds some sweetness to the chicken thighs he uses but mildly tenderizes them along the way. Let the meat sit in the brine for a few hours before using, but not so long as overnight, where it really begins to break down. Then dry the thighs, dredge them in seasoned flour, and fry in peanut oil, ideally enhanced by lard. The result is mahogany-brown chicken with a crisp crust and a luscious interior.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

FOR THE BRINE

  • 5 cups Coca-Cola

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

  • 10 sprigs fresh thyme

  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

  • 4 teaspoons mild hot sauce like Crystal, Texas Pete or Cholula

  • 8 to 12 chicken thighs, preferably free-range, organic

FOR THE SEASONED FLOUR

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

  • 2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika

  • 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder

  • 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

FOR THE FRYING

  • 3 cups peanut oil

  • 1 cup lard, optional, or replace with peanut oil

FOR SERVING

  • Hot sauce

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

73 grams carbs; 315 milligrams cholesterol; 1855 calories; 65 grams monosaturated fat; 41 grams polyunsaturated fat; 30 grams saturated fat; 147 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 1640 milligrams sodium; 61 grams protein; 20 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the brine: Combine cola, salt, thyme, garlic and hot sauce in a large metal bowl and stir until the salt has dissolved. Add the chicken thighs, cover and refrigerate 3 to 5 hours.

  2. Step 2

    Make the seasoned flour: In a wide, shallow bowl or pan, combine the flour, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne.

  3. Step 3

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put the peanut oil in a large heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until it reaches 375 degrees on a candy thermometer. While the oil heats, remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Dredge the thighs in the flour and shake to remove excess.

  4. Step 4

    Working in batches of 2 or 3 at a time, carefully lower thighs into the hot oil. The oil temperature will plummet when the cold chicken goes into the pan; turn up the heat and carefully monitor the temperature. Cook for a little more than 3 minutes on one side, a little more than 3 minutes on the other, and then a final 3 minutes on the first side. Remove to a wire rack or paper towel to drain.

  5. Step 5

    The juices should run clear when the chicken is poked with a knife. If necessary, transfer the browned chicken to a baking sheet and bake until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees on a instant-read thermometer. Serve hot or at room temperature with hot sauce.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
517 user ratings
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Comments

Susin

Can we use this recipe with chicken breasts? How long would we marinate them for?

Glen

I dated a food writer. She said the proper method is to hand a recipe to two people without additional comment. They should be able to recreate the recipe perfectly.

"Is that what you do?"

"Naw... we don't have time. So if I cook a cake for 30 minutes and it burns, I'll just knock five minutes off the printed time. No one really cooks those recipes; they just like to read them."

"What? I follow the recipe like the Bible! When it states 30 minutes..."

GG

Why are you heating the oven to 350 degrees?

Cole K.

Definitely need to dredge a second time, ideally after dipping in an egg wash. If you pat the chicken dry and dredge it through the flour once, you'll barely have any crust.

Gabe L.

Family will never go back to chick-fil-a. Have now made this 5 times. Important to make sure your oil gets up to heat which does take a while. I now fry outside using my propane powered paella burner. My substitutions were garlic powder and dry thyme from my spice rack for the marinade as I am usually pressed for time. TASTES JUST AS GOOD as fresh garlic and thyme. Dress the sandwiches up just like the fast food outlet. Other than the oil disposal afterwards this is REALLY easy.

Diana

I am glad I read all comments before starting my mise. Some commenters asked why use the oven, but no one responded. The reason is in case the chicken is not quite done (at 165F on an instant read thermometer) when chicken is removed to a wire rack to cool, in which case it should be put in a baking sheet in the oven. I have 2 oven thermometers, my oven is old & one side is slightly warmer. I would check chicken again after 5 to 10 mins in oven. I will cook next week and report back.

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