Make Crispy Fried Chicken Perfect Every Time
Edited by Graciela Franchesca Rosario, Robbi, Lynn, Alma and 4 others
11 Parts:
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Frying a chicken means a lot more than just putting it into a pan with hot oil. To fry it perfectly means you need to make the coating just so, the seasonings perfect and the oil exactly the right temperature for that crispy final coating that makes you want to sink your teeth into it.
Several different methods exist with regard to cooking chicken and this is just one of them.
Contents
Steps
- 1Start with a bird that is not heavier than 3 ½ pounds. A chicken over this weight is not acceptable to be fried.Advertisement
- 2To prevent the breast from becoming very dry or overcooked, cut it into three slices.Advertisement
- 3Brining does not make any difference really to the chicken, except for the change in the chicken's texture so that it becomes more like that of a ham, so avoid brining your fried chicken.
- 4It is not necessary to use a deep fryer. A cast iron pot or high-sided Dutch oven will do the trick. Put 1 to 1 ½ inches of peanut oil or vegetable oil in the pot. The oil must not fill the upper third of a cast iron pot. The level of oil will rise as you put in the chicken.
- 5After you coat the chicken with flour, set it aside for 20 minutes to create a crust. This will also allow the chicken to set at room temperature and it will be cooked more thoroughly.
- 6After heating the chicken in the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, let it set in the oven for 20 minutes more. This will let the chicken completely cook through and become crispy.
- 7Fry the giblets and the extras.
- 8As you fry the chicken, prepare the other side dishes.
- 9One brand of a flour that is gluten free is Cup4Cup. It makes crispier chicken. If you use wheat flour, add ¼ cup of cornstarch to make it crispier.
- 10Do not try to rush your chicken; allow the chicken be fried fully. A crispier result is worth the time.
Frying Chicken
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp. Spanish paprika
- 2 chickens, 3 lbs. a piece, each cut into 9 pieces
- ½ tsp. poultry seasoning
- ¼ cup cornstarch (This is used for crispier crust and is optional.)
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 tsp. kosher salt, and extra as seasoning
- 2 slices of pancetta, 1/16-inch thick (these add more flavor)
- 1 ½ cups peanut oil
Procedure
- 1Slice the chicken and put it in a pan or tray. Sprinkle kosher salt into it. Place it in the refrigerator for two hours up to overnight.Advertisement
- 2Before frying the chicken, prepare the following: Cornstarch, flour, dried seasoning, pepper, and salt. Mix the mentioned ingredients and the chicken together. Mix them in a paper bag and shake them.
- 3Work on three pieces of chicken per batch. Coat the three chicken pieces with flour, and shake the rest of the chicken in the bag to make the coating be even. Lightly shake to remove the excess coat of flour. Apply this to all the chicken.
- 4Working with three chicken pieces per batch again, dip the 3 pieces into an egg wash. Egg wash is a combination of whisked egg and buttermilk. Coat all sides of the chicken. And return it to the bag with flour. Shake the chicken in the flour in the bag. Then set it aside in a rack for 20 minutes to allow the formation of crust. Apply this procedure to all of the chicken.
- 5Turn the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 6Put the pot on medium heat. Pour in the oil and pancetta. You may use a deep fry thermometer, but it will only become accurate if the water is two inches high. When the oil is heated, it will form bubbles. This indicates that you are getting near the ideal temperature of oil. However you need to apply the crouton method. The crouton method is done through breaking a bit off the corner of a crouton, and dropping it in the oil. If the bread falls down to the oil, but does not touch the bottom of the pan, but rather is risen by the bubbles, then the oil is ready. But if the bread sinks and touches the bottom of the pan, and bubbles rise, then it has not yet reached the ideal hotness. If the bread surfs through the water like a volcano, then the oil is already too hot. Remove the pan from the flame and let it cool. After a few minutes, bring the pan back to the flame and apply the crouton method again.
- 7When the chicken is crispy, you remove the pancetta.
- 8If the oil is already at the right temperature, put five to seven chicken pieces in for frying. Make sure that the chickens have enough space for them to be fried thoroughly. The number of chicken pieces fried at a time depends on the size of the pot.
- 9Before you turn the chicken upside down to cook the other side, you have to let it stand in the pan for 15-30 seconds. This will let the crust set, so it will not fall off when turned.
- 10Fry all the sides of the chicken. If it happens that the oil is over the chicken, you must turn it more frequently.
- 11Make sure all the sides of the chicken turn brown. After that, place it in a tray and heat it in the oven.
- 12After finishing frying all the chicken, let it stay in the oven for about 15-20 minutes so it will be cooked thoroughly, but it won't be burned or overcooked. While the chicken is in the oven, you may finish preparing the chicken gravy and other side dishes.
- 13Some chefs soak the chicken in buttermilk overnight. Others soak it in brine, a beer batter, crushed saltines, or flour.
- 14Arrange your ingredients on the table in order, from left to right. Flour first, then egg, then breadcrumbs or any other coating ingredients.
- 15Before you place the coated chicken in the heated pan, you must let it stand for a short a while to let the crust stick to the chicken. If it will not fry the chicken within the 30 minutes, you will need to refrigerate the chicken.
- 16The trick to get excellent fried chicken is that you must follow the right steps for frying and have the right oil temperature. The best oils to use are lard, vegetable shortening, or peanut oil.
- 17To end up with a crispy, golden-brown chicken, you must use a cast iron skillet, so that the heat is distributed well in it.
- 18Oil in the pan must be 1 inch deep, covering the lower half of the food.
- 19Preheat the fat before placing the chicken in it. It must be heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/175 degrees Celsius.
- 20Turn the chicken to cook all sides, using tongs. Always turn it away from you to avoid being hit with spatters.
- 21Put just enough chicken in the pan that it is not overcrowded, or else they will sop up the oil and become greasy and soggy. Being overcrowded also lowers the temperature of the oil.
- 22Once the chicken is golden brown, put the pieces on a rack with baking sheet under it to let it drain. Insert a food thermometer to check if it is correctly cooked. Do this before you continue with the next chicken pieces. The USDA advises chefs to cook chicken to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Deep Frying
Procedure
- 1When you deep fry, you will use a lot of oil. You must use new oil each time; it is allowable to reuse the old oil, but you have to filter it to remove the impurities which may decrease the smoking point of the food. Strain them into a coffee filter. Keep in mind that using old oil will add some flavor of the previous food that was cooked in the oil to the new oil.
2
It is preferable to use oil that is neutral in flavor such as peanut oil, lard, vegetable shortening, or safflower. Butter and extra-virgin olive oil have lower smoking points, so they can become burnt even at low temperatures, and make the food taste bitter and scorched.
3
Put the pan or pot with the oil oil high heat. The heat used in deep frying is 185 degrees Celsius/325 degrees Fahrenheit. Anchor a large-dial thermometer or candy thermometer in the pot. At 200-250 degrees Celsius (400-450 degrees Fahrenheit), the oil will start to burn. At 250 degrees Celsius/ 500 degrees Fahrenheit, the recipe will get hot enough. You have to keep track of the changes in the temperature. If these temperatures are attained, adjust the heat to low flame. If the temperature as seen on the thermometer drops, you can turn the heat higher until it turns back to 185 degrees Celsius/365 degrees Fahrenheit.
4
To prevent splashing when you drop the food in the oil, use a spoon to place the chicken into the oil.
5
Once the chicken has been placed, bubbles will form. If the outside only turns brown and the interior of the chicken is not well cooked, you should lower the temperature to 165 degrees Celsius/325 degrees Fahrenheit.
6
Once the temperature of the oil has been set to the right temperature, add the other chicken pieces, but do not overcrowd them.
7
When the chicken turns golden brown, remove the chicken from the pan using a spatula or slotted metal spoon, and let the chicken drain on a rack or paper napkin.
8
After the chicken has been lifted from the pan, sprinkle seasonings onto it while it is still fresh from fryer and still hot.
Garlic Chicken Fried Chicken
- Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- ½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 pounded thin, boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup oil for frying
- The quantity may vary according to temperature, cooking time, kind of oil, ingredients density.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Procedure
- 1In a bowl, mix the pepper, garlic powder, paprika, salt, flour, and breadcrumbs. In another bowl whisk the egg and milk.
- 2Put oil in a electric skillet, and heat to 175 degrees Celsius/350 degrees Fahrenheit. Soak the chicken in the mixture of milk and egg. Then dip in the dry mixture until it is fully coated.
- 3Fry each side of the chicken for five minutes. Using a slotted spatula, remove the chicken from the pan and then serve.
Fried Chicken with Creamy Gravy
Ingredients:
- 1 beaten egg
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 2 tsp. garlic salt
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 (4 lbs.) whole chicken, cut
- ¼ tsp. poultry seasoning
- 3 cups vegetable oil
- 1 cup milk
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Procedure
- 1Whisk egg and ½ cup milk in a bowl. Put the following ingredients in a plastic bag: Garlic salt, flour, pepper, poultry seasoning, and paprika. Add the chicken and mix to coat. Dunk the chicken in the egg and milk mixture, and then in the dry mixture.
- 2Preheat oil in a skillet at 185 degrees Celsius/365 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry the chicken until all the sides turn brown. Minimize the temperature of heat from medium to low. Cook for 30 minutes or until it becomes tender. Lift the chicken from the pan and let it drain on a paper napkin.
- 3Remove the oil except for 2 tablespoon of it. Stir in 2 tbsp. of the dry mixture and heat on low. Stir and cook for two minutes. Beat the mixture into chicken broth the. At a high temperature, add the milk and let it boil. Minimize the heat to low, then simmer for five minutes.
How to Make Chicken Gravy
Procedure
- 1After transferring the chicken to the chopping board from the pan, put the drippings in a measuring cup. Use the bits left by the baked chicken to add flavor to the gravy.
- 2Put ¼ cup of fat in a saucepan.
- 3Add the all-purpose flour, and add the chicken broth to make 2 cups of liquid.
- 4Combine the drippings, broth, and dry mixture into the saucepan. Stir and cook on medium. Stir until it turns bubbly, and then for another minute.
- 5Filter the gravy to remove the lumps. Sprinkle with black pepper and salt.
Marinating
- 1You may marinate the chicken overnight to give more juice to the fried chicken. You may also marinate it in brine or buttermilk, or you can even marinate it in both. Brine it overnight and then dip the chicken in buttermilk for 8-10 hours. Another method is to brine it in fresh herbs and lemon, and soak it in buttermilk for a few minutes prior frying.
- 2Other forms of marinating include soaking the chicken in milk, buttermilk, and yogurt. You can alternatively wash the meat with milk or water so that the flour will stick to the meat.
Tips
- Buttermilk provides a tangier taste. And the flour will stick better compared to using water or milk.
- Put seasonings in the marinade instead of the coating. Try seasoning the marinade with cayenne pepper and onion powder.
- When frying, you can use corn flour to make it crispy and light. It is a mixture of flour and corn.
- Do not overheat the oil because this will cause the chicken to get burnt on the outside and remain uncooked in the inside.
- If the meat is still red or pink inside, it means the chicken still needs to be cooked.
- Appearance of white spots indicate that it is not yet fully cooked.
- Sauces to serve with the fried chicken can be barbecue sauce, blue cheese dressing, soy sauce, or whatever you prefer.
- Marinades may include tandoori, ginger-garlic, honey-orange, etc. Marinate the chicken for at least two hours to allow absorption.
- You may remove or not remove the chicken skin. If you leave the chicken skin on, the wings will be more buttery and crispy. If you remove the skin, the meat will absorb more of the marinade.
- In frying, use oils that have high heating points, such as peanut, canola, walnut oil.
- Use acidic brines such as salt water, tea, buttermilk, yogurt, fruit juices, and beer. Brine the chicken for a minimum of 3 hours and not above 24-34 hours.
- Use basic seasonings, which may be garlic, cayenne, and salt, but you can also add some other herbs and other seasonings.
For a crunchy chicken, use bread crumbs, oats, wheat cereal, corn flakes, cornmeal, or nuts.
- If you want different crunchy food, you may opt to eat tofu.
Warnings
Questions and Answers
When cooking chicken tandoori, is the oven temperature 450 degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit?
The oven temperature unit that should be used when cooking the chicken tandoori should be 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
The tandoori chicken is a type of dish, most famously known in the Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi cuisines, and it consists mostly of roasted chicken that has been prepared with yogurt and spices and cooked at a very high temperature. The name tandoori was derived from the word "Tandoor", which is a form of cylindrical clay oven.
Cooking the chicken at a high temperature is an excellent process for ensuring that the moisture of the chicken is retained from within. Some common misconceptions for cooking chicken is that the high temperature will dry up the chicken. The concept of the Tandoori cooking, however involves cooking at a high temperature.
You can safely guess that its Fahrenheit most of the time. Celsius is generally used for scientific measurements.
Can you deep fry chicken by applying wheat flour only?
Yes, you can actually make use of wheat flour only when you make deep-fried chicken. But the result is not the same like when you make some batter out of flour and egg mixture or other coatings that you would normally use. The wheat flour will just make it not stick into your pan and will make your fried chicken golden brown but not that crispy.
Yes, you can use wheat flour in order to fry chicken but just be sure that you add your own special seasoning in order to season the chicken up to your taste.
If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.
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