If you’re looking for a delicious, easy-to-make recipe that’s guaranteed to get you in the summertime mood, then look no further than this impressive recipe for cajun-brined fried chicken from Louisiana Cookin’.

Fried chicken is a staple of American cooking, and it’s sound reasoning to expect that every  Cajun chef should have a recipe for a spicy fried chicken dinner in their back pocket. Now, while frying chicken might appear to be deceptively easy to make, it can also be extremely easy to screw up, as using the wrong brine can leave your fried chicken found wanting.

Luckily, this recipe’s reliance on cajun-brining your chicken for at least 8 hours but preferably overnight is a sure-fire way to assure that your fried chicken dinner is delicious, delectable, and always on the menu.

Ingredients

• 1 gallon of tap water
• 1¼ cups of kosher salt, divided
• 1⅓ cups of Cajun seasoning, divided
• 2 3-4 pound chickens, each cut into 8 pieces
• 12 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons of fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper
• 2 quarts of whole buttermilk
• ½ cup of hot sauce
• 1 gallon of peanut oil

Directions

1. You’ll want to begin this recipe by brining your chicken in a large nonreactive container. To begin brining chicken, combine 1 cup salt, 1 cup Cajun seasoning, and 1 gallon of water. Stir the contents of the container until your salt dissolves and then add your 8 pieces of your 3-4 pound chickens to the water mixture. Cover it, and refrigerate your container for a minimum of 8 hours, but it’s usually best to leave it brining overnight.
2. The next step is to preheat your oven to 350°F. Take a broiler pan and spray it with nonstick cooking spray and then place this rack in a pan. Set this aside for later.
3. Then, you’ll begin whisking your remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together your remaining 1/4 cup of salt and 1/3 cup of Cajun seasoning with your black pepper, flour, and cayenne pepper. Then, In another large bowl, combine your buttermilk and hot sauce.
4. When ready to dredge and begin cooking, remove your chicken from the brine and pat it dry. Then, using one of your 8 chicken pieces at a time, dredge your chicken in the flour mixture while shaking off any excess flour, dip the floured piece into the buttermilk mixture, allowing for the excess to drip off into the pan, and then dredge it in the flour mixture once more. Shake off any excess, and place the pieces onto your prepared pan.
5. Once finished dredging your 8 pieces, take a large Dutch oven and heat a gallon of peanut oil over medium-high heat until either a candy thermometer or a deep-fry thermometer reads a temperature of 350 °F.
6. Cook the chicken in batches, turning it occasionally, until each piece is golden brown on all sides. This takes about 5 to 8 minutes in total. Throughout the frying process, you might need to adjust the Dutch oven’s heat as necessary to maintain 350 °F.
7. After frying each piece of chicken, place it onto your prepared pan. Then, bake all pieces for about 10-12 minutes, just until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the pieces reads at a temperature of 165 °F.

Consider serving your Cajun-Brined Fried Chicken with some delicious Apple Slaw and creamy Four-Potato Salad.These dishes will make for the perfect accompaniments, as all three feature flavorful new takes on basic, but reliable recipes.

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