Tomorrow is National Fried Chicken Day (yes, that exists) and we're celebrating with a fried chicken recipe from The Big Biscuit. The recipe makes 4-6 servings. Let's dig in.

Ingredients

4-6 (7-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts

For the brine:

4 quarts warm water
1⁄2 cup kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
Juice of 1 lemon, leave the halved lemon rinds in the brine
2 tablespoons Cholula Hot Sauce
2-3 bay leaves

For the egg wash:

4 large eggs
4 cups whole milk
1/3 cup Cholula Hot Sauce

For the breading:

4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons medium-grind black pepper
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
Vegetable oil (for frying)

Instructions

To prepare the brine:

In a large stockpot, combine water, salt, and sugar, stirring to dissolve completely. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Stir in lemon juice, rinds, and bay leaves, then remove from heat and allow brine to cool completely.
Place raw chicken on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap, and lightly beat it with a mallet on each side for 20-30 seconds to flatten evenly.
Once tenderized, drop chicken into the cooled brine for 24 hours and refrigerate.

To bread the chicken:

In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and hot sauce together until smooth.
Combine flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne in a shallow pie plate and whisk until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
Remove the chicken from the brine and lightly pat dry with paper towels.
Dip a chicken breast in the egg wash, then the breading, turning to coat completely. Place the breaded chicken breast on a baking sheet and repeat with remaining breasts until done.

To fry the chicken:

In a table-top deep fryer or 8/10-quart Dutch oven, bring vegetable oil to 350 degrees.
Using tongs, carefully place a single breast into the fryer for three to five minutes, turning half-way through.
The chicken is done when the center is white all the way through, not translucent, and registers 165 degrees on a kitchen thermometer.
Repeat the same process with the remaining breasts.