This way, any excess oil can drip from the chicken into the pan (much better than using paper towels) and the chicken stays warm while you’re still frying additional pieces. Also, once it’s fried, place chicken on a wire rack atop a baking sheet in the oven at 250°.

Cook the chicken in the hot oil until it's golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of 165°. This will help you move the chicken around more easily, keeping any breading from clumping together and the oil from splashing.Ī bamboo skimmer works best for lowering and retrieving the chicken from the oil.

Other options include cooking in a deep fryer or an air fryer, or baking in the oven on a sheet pan.įor deep frying use a deep-frying thermometer that you can adhere to the outside of the Dutch oven for maintaining the temp of the hot oil, and fry in small batches. Many home chefs agree that frying chicken in a cast-iron or enamel Dutch oven or deep cast-iron skillet, filled halfway with vegetable oil, is the best way for controlling the overall cooking temperature and keeping the breading or crust intact. Consider also adding a bit of cornstarch, which can help make the exterior even crispier. If you do decide to bread your chicken, however, flour is the way to go. There are plenty of delectable recipes that use a rub of herbs and spices or a simple seasoning, forgoing breading all together. If unsure, stick to one dredging first, and then get playful with it once you get more comfortable with frying.įirst off, remember that not all fried chicken needs to be breaded. This can help make your crust thicker, but if not done right might lead to a soggy exterior instead. Some recipes call for “double dredging,” which simply means dipping the chicken in a wet ingredient (such as an egg wash) before re-coating it with the dry one. What does “dredging” mean? Dredging is when you coat the chicken pieces with a dry ingredient, like flour or cornstarch (often with seasonings like salt, pepper, and garlic powder), before frying. Marinades, on the other hand, are all about adding flavor and may or may not be salty or acidic. Another plus: buttermilk helps the breading stick better. It imparts a tangy flavor to the chicken and is also acidic, acting as a tenderizer. Most fried-chicken cooks tend to use a buttermilk brine. What is brining, and how is it different from marinating?īrining is essentially soaking chicken in a large bowl in a solution of kosher salt or table salt and liquid, which locks in moisture, making the chicken more forgiving of overcooking. Depending on the recipe, consider frying up a mix of dark and white pieces to satisfy everyone. When it comes to chicken, dark meat such as thighs and drumsticks tends to stay more tender and juicy than white meat (breast and wings) and has more nutrients, though its higher fat content (which gives it a deeper flavor) means it takes longer to cook. Here are some tips for making your own fried chicken, whatever version you choose. Healthy-ish fried chicken recipes > Tips for the best fried chicken Today it’s enjoyed coast-to-coast and around the globe.Īmerican classic fried chicken recipes > as a dish that both traveled well and was affordable. After the abolition of slavery and on through when segregation still kept Blacks from eating in most restaurants, fried chicken made its way across the U.S.

Did we include your favorite method and flavors? Read on.įried chicken actually traces its origins back to Scotland, but in the U.S., the oh-so-tender and flavorful delicacy is more associated with the American South, where locals added spices passed down through the American slave trade and West African cuisine. All the world loves fried chicken, as it turns out, and we're going to take a big bite as we explore it straight-up and crusty, slathered in hot sauce, simmered in spices and then fried, single-dredged, double-dredged, and just for kicks, air-fried and oven-fried. It seems like a straightforward dish - soak cuts of poultry in buttermilk, bread them in all-purpose flour, and dunk them into vats of bubbling oil - but there are as many ways to make fried chicken as there are days in the month, and then some. Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning if you follow the link and make a purchase, Yummly makes a commission.

What does dredge mean in cooking