Name: Fried Dill Pickle Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 10 h 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: General
Ingredients: 4 Chicken thighs; skin on and bone in 1 Cup Dill pickle juice (Claussen is my pickle juice of choice) 1 Cup Greek yogurt (FAGE is my fav!) 1 Tbsp. Sriracha 1 1/2 Cups All purpose flour 1 Tbsp. Paprika 1 Tsp. Onion Powder 1 Tsp. Garlic Powder Kosher Salt and Freshly ground black pepper Canola Oil for frying

YIELDS:

4 servings

PREP TIME:

10 hours 5 mins

COOK TIME:

0 hours 30 mins

TOTAL TIME:

10 hours 35 mins

ingredients

4 Chicken thighs, skin on and bone in

1 Cup Dill pickle juice (Claussen is my pickle juice of choice)

1 Cup Greek yogurt (FAGE is my fav!)

1 Tbsp. Sriracha

1 1/2 Cups All purpose flour

1 Tbsp. Paprika

1 Tsp. Onion Powder

1 Tsp. Garlic Powder

Kosher Salt and Freshly ground black pepper

Canola Oil for frying

DIRECTIONS

1. Trim the chicken thighs of any excess fat and/or skin. Place in a bowl and cover with the pickle juice. Cover and put in the refrigerator overnight.

2. Drain the pickle juice from the bowl with chicken. In a separate bowl mix the yogurt and Sriracha. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken thighs on all sides. Add to the yogurt mixture and coat the chicken on all sides. Let marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours. Remove from the fridge at least 1/2 hour before cooking.

3. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet. The oil should be no deeper than half way up the side of the skillet. Bring the oil to 400 degrees. (check with a thermometer.)

4. Meanwhile place the flour, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and large pinches of salt and pepper to a plate or shallow bowl. Mix well.

5. Remove the chicken from the yogurt and wipe off excess. The chicken will still be coated with yogurt. Roll the chicken in the flour dredge and completely coat the thighs.

6. Gently add to the skillet, skin side down and let cook until golden brown. 8-10 minutes. Gently flip the chicken over and cook until the second side is golden brown. Another 8 minutes.

7. If the chicken thighs are large and the crust is really brown (you don’t want to overcook the crust), simply place on a rack set over a baking sheet and put into a 350 degree oven for another 10-15 minutes to cook all the way through.

8. Place on a platter and sprinkle with salt. Enjoy.

NOTE: I’ve made all kinds of fried chicken and have marinated in buttermilk, or not at all, dredged in a combo of panko and flour and have deep fried on occasion. But, this particular combination of overnight marination in pickle juice (I swear by Claussen’s juice.) followed by a yogurt (Fage) and Sriracha bath, is by far the best I’ve ever made. The flavor can’t be beat and the chicken is just so moist!

I had been making tons of sliders (For several recipes in one spot, see my post on King’s Hawaiian slider buns) and was staring at a jar of pickle juice with just one lone pickle. I ate the pickle and then thought, what could I do with the juice? I mean, it is seasoned and packed with flavor so I decided to try it as a marinade. I substituted the yogurt because I had no buttermilk in the house and this whole dish came together beautifully. I always add a little heat to my buttermilk so I decided to try some Sriracha in the yogurt and it worked.

I don’t know how often I’ll have a jar of pickle juice laying around put now I have another reason to purchase them… I want that juice! Give this one a try. You are going to be blown away by the flavor. It is an easy recipe but you do have to plan ahead so you have time to marinate and bathe your chicken but it is so worth it.

Like chicken thighs? Be sure to try some of my other chicken thigh dinner recipes like my Cast-Iron Skillet Chicken with Baby Potatoes or my Plum Glazed Chicken Thighs. Don’t forget to try the Chicken, Peaches & Cream too.

Better yet, let me send you 25 Fast and Easy Recipes right to your mailbox. Get them here.