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This crispy fried chicken recipe uses a brine, double coating, and vodka batter for a crust that stays crisp under a honey drizzle.
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Michael Symon's Crispiest Fried Chicken Recipe

This crispy fried chicken recipe uses a brine, double coating, and vodka batter for a crust that stays crisp under a honey drizzle.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Coating Rest 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 1162kcal
Author David & Debbie Spivey

Useful Equipment:

Ingredients

For the Chicken

  • 1 whole chicken cut into 10 pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings, 2 breasts—each cut in half)
  • Canola oil for frying

For the Brine

  • ½ cup kosher salt
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 gallon water divided
  • 1 small bundle thyme sprigs
  • 1 small bundle rosemary sprigs
  • 6 cloves garlic smashed
  • 2 shallots peeled and finely sliced

For the Coating

  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

For the Batter

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup vodka

To Finish

  • 1 bunch fresh sage leaves
  • Honey for drizzling

Instructions

  • Make the brine. Add the salt and brown sugar to 4 cups of warm water and whisk until dissolved. Add the remaining 12 cups of room-temperature or cold water, then stir in the thyme, rosemary, garlic, and shallots. Submerge the chicken pieces completely in the brine, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
  • Coat the chicken. The next day, remove the chicken from the brine to a draining rack and discard the brine. Whisk together the cornstarch and baking powder, then dredge each piece of chicken in the coating, returning it to the rack. Let the chicken sit in the coating for 2 hours, or up to overnight, in the refrigerator.
  • Heat the oil. Heat a pot of canola oil for frying to 350 degrees F.
  • Batter and fry the chicken. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, water, and vodka to make the batter. Once the oil is hot, dip each piece of chicken in the batter, letting the excess drip off, then gently lower it into the oil. Don't overcrowd the pan. Fry in two batches if needed. Fry until golden brown and crispy, and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack (not paper towels, which trap steam and soften the crust).
  • Fry the sage with the chicken. During the last batch of chicken, add the sage leaves directly to the hot oil alongside the chicken pieces for the final 10-15 seconds of frying, until they turn a darker green and crisp up. Remove the sage first with a slotted spoon (it crisps faster than the chicken) and drain on a rack.
  • Finish and serve. Arrange the fried chicken on a platter, scatter the crispy fried sage leaves over the top, and finish with a generous drizzle of honey. Serve immediately while the crust is at its crispiest.

Notes

  • The vodka matters: it sounds unusual, but it really is the secret to that shattering crust that holds up even under a drizzle of honey.
  • Fry the sage last, right after the chicken, so you're working with hot, flavorful oil and everything comes together while it's still warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 1162kcal | Carbohydrates: 101g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 850mg | Potassium: 780mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 268IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 220mg | Iron: 4mg
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