Fried Chicken - Recipe Girl (2024)

FAQs

What kind of flour is best for fried chicken? ›

Many recipes for batter-fried chicken recommend using wheat flour or a combination of wheat flour and cornstarch.

Directions. Cut the chicken into frying pieces. In a shallow bowl beat the eggs and then stir in the milk, salt, and pepper. Soak the chicken in the milk mixture for 5 to 10 minutes.

Choose an oil that has a high smoke point, such as vegetable, canola, or peanut oil. These oils are less likely to smoke or burn at high temperatures, which can help prevent a greasy taste and texture. Make sure the oil is hot enough. The oil should be at the right temperature before adding the chicken.

Fried Chicken Secret #4: Double-Fry It

Leave the chicken in too long, and you'll end up with an extra-crispy crust, but dry, overcooked meat. By frying once, allowing the chicken to chill completely, then frying again a second time, you end up with extra-crunchy crust and meat that's still plenty juicy.

Breaded chicken is an all-time crowd pleaser of a dinner. One of the secrets to golden brown, crispy breaded chicken cutlets is the three-step breading process. First, the raw chicken is lightly coated in flour, which absorbs excess moisture and helps the next layer adhere. Second, the chicken is dipped in beaten egg.

When paired with all-purpose flour, cornstarch helps prevent gluten development, which makes the flour coating crispier, and absorb moisture (from the frying and the chicken), which also means a crispier coating. If you already have a favorite fried chicken recipe, try replacing a quarter of the flour with cornstarch.

Some recipes call for dipping the chicken in egg before coating with flour while others call for milk (or butter milk). Egg provides a lot more protein and will produce a thicker, more stable crust. Milk is obviously much thinner, contains much more water, and won't cling to the meat as much.

Can You Use Milk Instead of Buttermilk for Fried Chicken? No. Using milk instead of buttermilk will not have the same effect. However, it's easy enough to make buttermilk at home.

Buttermilk Substitute for Marinades and Brines

For the best tenderizing flavor, opt for a scant cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, then add seasonings like salt, freshly ground pepper, paprika and minced fresh garlic or a dash of garlic powder.

This usually equates to around 10 minutes for wings and 12 minutes for breasts, thighs and legs. For the best tasting fried chicken with a beautifully even golden crumb, turn your chicken pieces with tongs (being careful not to splash yourself with hot oil) every 1 – 2 minutes.

Why does my fried chicken breading fall off? ›

Meat is not properly dry

If the meat is wet, it will make the flour soggy. In that case, breading will not stick properly and may fall off when deep frying. Therefore, you must take some paper towels and pat dry the meat on all sides.

If your oil isn't hot enough, the breading will absorb oil rather than become crispy, that's why it is greasy and soggy. The meat is dry because you have to cook it for longer than you should and it is losing moisture the entire time.

KFC deep fries its chicken for 15 minutes and then drains the oil off for another five minutes – 20 minutes in total. If you don't have a deep fryer, heat up plenty of oil in a large saucepan and do it that way.

Rub with Salt and Baking Powder

Both substances pull moisture out of the skin. But baking powder has additional powers. It prods some of the skin's proteins and fat to break down, which, combined with its alkalinity, accelerates the Maillard reaction, for skin that browns and crisps more quickly.

Press the plastic wrap down around the edges of the chicken to compress it. Next, gently pound each section of the meat with a tenderizing mallet for 30 seconds. This will break down the fibers in the meat, which will make the chicken much more tender when you cook it.

For basic stuff, just plain flour. Add your dried herbs and spices, dredge in some egg and maybe milk, coat with flour (even drip in some dredge if you want more of those crispy bits), and fry away. The best flour for making fried chicken is generally all-purpose flour.

You can also use regular flour with a little baking soda and baking powder mixed in. For my fried homemade chicken tenders, I use a ratio of 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.

Self-rising flour: Yes, I said self-rising. The baking powder it contains makes for a crispy coating and crunchy, bubbly skin.

The key to the crispiest fried chicken is self-rising flour, which contains two transformative ingredients: baking powder and salt. As a leavening agent, the baking powder makes the batter on the chicken rise evenly, resulting in extra texture and crispiness when it fries in hot oil.