Crispy Fried Chicken

Learn how to make perfect Fried Chicken with the crispiest, most flavorful crunchy outside with moist and juicy meat on the inside.

When it comes to chicken there just isn’t anything more delicious than a juicy, crusty piece of finger-licking good fried chicken. It might seem intimidating to fry your own chicken, but it’s actually pretty straightforward and it puts grocery store and fast food fried chicken to shame.  If you have a thermometer for the oil and a timer, you can produce fail-proof fried chicken.  If you’ve ever wanted to make your own fried chicken, now is the time to try!

Do I have to use cornstarch? Can I replace the flour?

Cornstarch is one of our recommended ingredients for the crispiest fried chicken. Cornstarch is often used in Asian fried chicken recipes. The combination of the flour with cornstarch produces the crispiest result. You can replace all of the flour with cornstarch, or you can try using a similar non-gluten based flour or flour blend in place of traditional all-purpose flour.

How many minutes do I cook fried chicken?

The average piece of chicken will need to be fried for 14 minutes. Each piece of chicken will be different though so make sure you cook each one to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. White meat will have its peak juiciness at 165 degrees F. Dark meat can be cooked to 170-175F for the best texture.

Why does the breading on my fried chicken fall off? How can I avoid that?

One of the challenges that people face when making fried chicken is that their crunchy coating falls off. There’s usually a few reasons for this to happen. Here are some tips for making sure your breading doesn’t fall off.

• When coating and breading your chicken, be sure to tap off the excess buttermilk as well as the excess flour.
• Give your chicken a gentle pat after coating with the flour mixture to make sure that the flour sticks to the buttermilk.
• Make sure that you don’t overcrowd your pan. You want to make sure that the chicken isn’t bumping against other pieces of chicken which can knock off the breading.
• Only flip your chicken once while frying. The more you fuss with your chicken, the more likely you are to knock off or disturb some of the crunchy coating.

Some people recommend allowing your chicken to dry on a wire rack after dipping and dredging. This is not only useful, it’s also convenient when making large batches.

What kind of oil is best for frying? Can I save my used oil for later?

There are lots of options when it comes to oil used for deep frying. Common options include peanut oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, safflower oil, corn oil and more. Vegetable oil is the oil we recommend using for deep frying. It has a high smoke point and once used for frying, can be reused. Simply let the oil cool down completely, strain it, and return it to a storage container for later use. The best temperature to fry chicken at is 350 degrees Fahrenheit. It is normal though for the oil temperature to fluctuate while cooking. As long as your oil is between 300 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit, your chicken should come out perfect.

How long is fried chicken good for?

Fried chicken is best when it is fresh and the skin is still crispy. Leftovers though will be good in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. The skin will not be as crispy reheated. For best results, reheat leftover fried chicken in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Looking for what to serve with Fried Chicken? You may enjoy these delicious classic American side dishes:

• Best Macaroni Salad
• Old Fashioned Potato Salad
• Best Fruit Salad
• Easy Cucumber Salad
• Balsamic Tomato Salad
• Cucumber Tomato Salad

This recipe first appeared on The Stay At Home Chef July 9, 2013