Sweet Tea-Brined Fried Chicken

Name: Sweet Tea-Brined Fried Chicken
Ingredients: 2 family-size tea bags; 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar; 1/4 cup kosher salt; 1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced; 1 lemon, thinly sliced; 4 garlic cloves, halved; 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper; 2 cups ice cubes; 1 (3 1/2-lb.) cut-up whole chicken; 2 cups self-rising flour; 1 cup self-rising white cornmeal mix; 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper; 2 teaspoons table salt; 1 teaspoon ground red pepper; Vegetable oil

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A marriage of Southern favorites: Our salty-sweet brine of brown sugar and freshly brewed tea infuses this picnic-perfect chicken with juicy flavor before frying. Bonus: The tannins in tea act as a natural tenderizer.

By Southern Living Editors

Published on December 19, 2018

Sweet Tea-Brined Fried Chicken — Photo: Hector Sanchez; Stylist: Buffy Hargett

Yield:

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

2 family-size tea bags
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, halved
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 cups ice cubes
1 (3 1/2-lb.) cut-up whole chicken
2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup self-rising white cornmeal mix
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
Vegetable oil

Directions

Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a 3-qt. heavy saucepan; add tea bags. Remove from heat; cover and steep 10 minutes.
Discard tea bags. Stir in brown sugar and next 5 ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cool completely (about 45 minutes); stir in ice. (Mixture should be cold before adding to chicken.)
Cut chicken breasts in half crosswise. Place tea mixture and all chicken pieces in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag; seal. Place bag in a shallow baking dish, and chill 24 hours.
Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Drain chicken well.
Whisk together flour and next 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Spoon 1 cup flour mixture into a brown paper bag or large zip-top plastic freezer bag. Place one piece of chicken in bag; seal and shake to coat. Remove chicken, and transfer to a wire rack. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken, adding more flour mixture to bag as needed. Let chicken stand 30 minutes to form a crust.
Pour oil to depth of 1 1/2 inches into a cast-iron Dutch oven; heat over medium heat to 325°. Fry chicken, in batches, 15 to 22 minutes or until browned and done, turning occasionally. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels.
Note: If using a 12-inch-wide (2 1/4-inch-deep) cast-iron skillet, pour oil to depth of 1 inch.