Pickle Brined Chicken Sliders (Printable Version)
Crispy pickle-brined chicken thighs fried golden and served on soft buns with tangy toppings.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken and Marinade
01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into slider-sized pieces
02 - 1 cup dill pickle brine
03 - 1 tablespoon hot sauce (optional)
→ Breading
04 - 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
05 - ⅓ cup cornstarch
06 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
08 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
10 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
→ Frying
11 - 2 cups vegetable oil
→ Assembly
12 - 8 slider buns
13 - 8 dill pickle slices
14 - 4 lettuce leaves, halved
15 - 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
16 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
# How To Make It:
01 - Place chicken pieces in a bowl and cover with pickle brine and hot sauce. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best flavor.
02 - In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
03 - Remove chicken from brine and discard brine. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, then coat each piece thoroughly in the flour mixture.
04 - Heat oil in a deep skillet or pot to 350°F. Fry chicken pieces in batches for 4–6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
05 - In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. Spread on each slider bun. Add lettuce, a fried chicken piece, and a pickle slice, then top with the other half of the bun.
06 - Serve immediately while hot and crispy.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The pickle brine does all the heavy lifting for flavor, so you look like a genius with almost zero effort.
- Cornstarch in the breading creates a shatteringly crisp crust that stays crunchy even after the sliders sit for a while.
- They are small enough that everyone grabs two or three, which means zero awkward plating and maximum grazing happiness.
02 -
- Do not skip patting the chicken dry after brining, because wet chicken means a gummy, sad coating that slides right off.
- Keep an eye on the oil temperature between batches, since it drops quickly and cool oil makes greasy chicken.
03 -
- Double dredge each piece by dipping it back into a splash of brine then the flour again for an extra thick, crunchy crust.
- Let the breaded chicken rest for five minutes on a wire rack before frying so the coating adheres properly.