Name: Sweet-Tea Fried Chicken
Total time: 40 minutes (plus resting time)
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: ¾ cup mayonnaise; ¼ cup buttermilk; ¼ cup distilled white vinegar; 1 Tbsp. freshly cracked pepper; 1½ tsp. dark brown sugar; 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt; ½ tsp. Dijon mustard; ½ tsp. garlic powder; ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce; ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper; ½ cup granulated sugar; 3 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. plus 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided, plus more; 8 black tea bags; 1 tsp. baking soda; 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 lb.); 1½ cups all-purpose flour; ½ cup cornstarch; 2 tsp. garlic powder; 1 tsp. freshly cracked pepper; ¾ tsp. cayenne pepper; 1 cup buttermilk; Vegetable oil (for frying; about 4 cups); White bread (for serving); A deep-fry thermometer

Fried Chicken on toasted bread with White sauce on top

Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Christina Allen

Two Southern staples in their own right, sweet tea and fried chicken are often found on the same table. But it wasn’t until I tasted the sweet-tea fried chicken sandwich from Saw’s BBQ in Birmingham, Alabama, that I realized they’re even more powerful together. In this recipe, inspired by the dish from Saw’s, sweet tea acts as a flavor-charged brine for chicken thighs, resulting in tender, ultra-succulent fried chicken with a lingering hint of sweetness.

For the brine, I take a cue from the age-old Southern secret of spiking sweet tea with a pinch of baking soda. This trick is said to strip the tea of any lingering bitterness, but adding a little baking soda to the brine also performs the valuable role of tenderizing the meat. Instead of deep-frying, I opt for a shallow-fry in a cast-iron skillet, which yields spectacularly crispy, craggy chicken with a fraction of the oil.

The ultimate companion for sweet-tea-brined chicken? Alabama white sauce. Unlike many barbecue sauces—which lean heavily on ketchup and molasses—this pale mayonnaise-and-vinegar-based one is bright and punchy, a trademark of Alabama barbecue. Laced with plenty of black pepper, this versatile white sauce would be great on just about anything: In Alabama, it’s most commonly slathered on grilled or smoked chicken—the thin mayo-based sauce keeps the bird moist and juicy—but I also use it as a salad dressing and a dipping sauce for fries (Big Ranch Energy).

My favorite way to serve this chicken is over a slice of soft white bread to sop up all that sauce. For an epic chicken sandwich, tuck the fried thighs into a plush potato bun along with sliced pickles and a hefty spoonful of Alabama white sauce. Whichever way you choose, don’t forget a side of fried green tomatoes.