Southern Fried Chicken Biscuit

These are the Ultimate Southern Fried Chicken Biscuits! Flavorful, crispy, fried chicken breasts are sandwiched between buttery, flaky Southern biscuits with a hint of spiced red pepper jelly.

Ingredients

10 boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 ounces each)

Sweet Tea Chicken Brine

6 quarts brewed unsweetened tea, divided

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups Kosher salt

2-3 dried bay leaves

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

2 lemons cut in half

1/4 cup garlic cloves, smashed

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley

O.G. Buttermilk Biscuits

20 ounces unsalted European butter, frozen* (5 sticks)

5 cups all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 3/4 cups Banner Butter buttermilk full-fat

Melted butter (optional)

Fried Chicken Dredge

8 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup garlic powder

1/3 cup onion powder

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Fried Chicken Batter

4 cups day-old O.G. Buttermilk Pancake batter

3/4 cups whole milk

Toppings

Red pepper jelly

Fresh parsley

Pickles

Instructions

Make Brine

Place 3 quarts unsweetened tea in a large stock pot. Set pot on stove over high heat. As soon as tea starts to boil, remove from heat and set aside. While the tea is still hot, add sugar and salt and stir with a whisk until completely dissolved.

Place bay leaves and peppercorns into a coffee filter tied with butcher’s twine and add to tea mixture. Pour tea mixture into an 8-quart, nonreactive container. Add remainingtea, lemons, garlic, and parsley.

Let mixture chill completely, remove the spice bag, and strain before using.

Place chicken in a large container, cover with brine, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, but no longer than 12 hours.

Biscuits

While chicken brines, make biscuits. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a half- size sheet pan with butter.

Grate frozen butter, using a box grater, onto a baking sheet lightly coated in flour, and then toss lightly with flour to coat.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add in butter and fold into flour, mixing with your hands until mixture resembles sand. Add buttermilk and mix with your hands until dough comes together into a large ball(it should be soft and sticky).

Scoop biscuits, using a 4-ounce ice cream scoop or a 1/2 cup measuring cup sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, onto the sheet pan, leaving 1 inch between each biscuit.

Bake for 10 minutes then turn and rotate pan and bake another 10–15minutes. Check for color and doneness. The biscuits should be golden brown, crispy around the edges, and cooked in the middle. Brush immediately with melted butter.

Chicken Dredge

Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk for 2 minutes. Mix with hands for 3 minuntes until fully incorporated. Set aside.

Chicken Batter

Add milk to pancake batter and whisk until incorporated. Let rest 10 minutes before using.

Fried Chicken

Remove chicken from brine, rinsing off any spices or herbs, and pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken in another bowl and pour batter over it, turning to coat completely.

Lift chicken out of bowl, letting excess batter drip off, and roll in the dredge, pressing down on both sides so the flour clings tightly to the brined chicken. Set on a baking sheet lined with wax paper while you prepare the oil.

Heat oil in a large saucepan or skillet to 275 degrees. Use a deep-fry candy thermometer to check the temperatue. Make sure not to fill the pan more than halfway with oil.

Gently lay chicken into the oil and cook for 4 minutes on one side, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain 275 degrees. Flip chicken over and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until chicken registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Remove chicken from the pan and place on paper towels or a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack to drain and rest for at least 5 minutes.

Assembly

Cut biscuits in half and slather bottom pieces with jelly if desired. Place fried chicken on top of jelly and close with the top halves. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with pickles on the side.

Notes

*We freeze the butter for at least 30 minutes prior to making these biscuits to make it easier to grate.

The chicken dredge yields 10 cups. Only use enough in this recipe to evenly coat the chicken. Do not save any mixture that touched raw chicken. Unused mixture will keep for a couple months in an airtight container.