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Crispy fried chicken is a chicken dipped into flour and fried so that the skin is highly crunchy while the white meat remains soft. This crispy fried chicken is an excellent addition to any picnic, family gathering, weeknight dinner, or special treat. You can serve this crispy fried chicken recipe as a standalone treat or with your favorite sides for dinner like potato salad, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, and so much more.
There’s nothing quite like a juicy, crispy piece of finger-licking fantastic crispy fried chicken when it comes to chicken. If you ever wondered how to make crispy fried chicken that’s better than KFC, then we’ve got you covered.
Does Cornstarch Have to Be Used For My Crispy Fried Chicken?
One of our recommended ingredients for the crispiest fried chicken is cornstarch. In Asian fried chicken recipes, cornstarch is frequently utilized. The flour and cornstarch mix offers the crispiest results. You can use cornstarch in place of all of the flour, or a comparable non-gluten-based flour or flour blend in place of standard all-purpose flour.
Which is better for frying flour or cornstarch?
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 is My Fried Chicken Not Crispy?
There’s nothing worse than having a plan to enjoy some deep-fried chicken only to find out the chicken isn’t crispy at all. If this happens, then you had your oil too cold.
It’s important to maintain the proper temperature of 350-degree oil to get your crispy fried chicken the right crisp texture.
If the heat is too low it will take longer for your chicken to cook and, in turn, leave you with oily, over-dense chicken that will not leave your taste buds happy.
Why Does My Fried Chicken’s Breading Fall Off? What Can I Do To Prevent This?
When making fried chicken, one of the issues that individuals have is that the crunchy coating falls off. There are generally several causes for this. Here are a few pointers to keep your breading from falling 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 coatings.
Some people recommend allowing your chicken to dry on a wire rack after dipping and dredging. This is not only useful, but 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 the 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 Does Fried Chicken Last?
Fried chicken tastes best while it’s still hot and the skin is crunchy. Leftovers, on the other hand, will keep for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. When the skin is reheated, it will lose its crispiness. Reheat leftover fried chicken in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes for optimum results.
Some suggestions for Amazon links to “Presto 05420 FryDaddy Electric Deep Fryer,Black”.
Crispy Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 (4 pound) chicken
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika salt to taste and pepper
- 2 quarts vegetable oil
Instructions
- Cut up your chicken into pieces. Take your cut up chicken pieces and skin them if you prefer.
- Put the flour in a large plastic bag (let the amount of chicken you are cooking dictate the amount of flour you use).
- Season the flour with paprika, salt and pepper to taste (paprika helps to brown the chicken).
- Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk then, a few at a time, put them in the bag with the flour, seal the bag and shake to coat well.
- Place the coated chicken on a cookie sheet or tray, and cover with a clean dish towel or waxed paper. Let sit until the flour is of a paste-like consistency. This is very important.
- Fill a large skillet (cast iron is best) about 1/3 to 1/2 full with vegetable oil. Heat until VERY hot.
- Put in as many chicken pieces as the skillet can hold. Brown the chicken in HOT oil on both sides.
- When browned, reduce heat and cover skillet; let cook for 30 minutes (the chicken will be cooked through but not crispy).
- Remove cover, raise heat again and continue to fry until crispy. Drain the fried chicken on paper towels.
- Depending on how much chicken you have, you may have to fry in a few shifts. Keep the finished chicken in a slightly warm oven while preparing the rest.
