Easy Fried Chicken - CJ Eats Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good fried chicken? ›

Fried Chicken Secret #1: A Salty Marinade = Juicier Meat

A standard brine is a solution of salt dissolved in water (around 6% salt by weight). As chicken sits in a brine, the salt dissolves proteins in the meat's muscle structure, loosening it and allowing it to retain more moisture as it cooks.

Canola Oil

Benefits: With a high smoke point and neutral flavor, canola oil is excellent for frying chicken. As an added bonus, it has high levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which makes it healthier than other options.

Not properly marinating or seasoning the chicken: Marinating the chicken before frying can help tenderise it and add flavour. Make sure you're using a marinade with acidic ingredients, such as lemon juice or vinegar, which can help break down the meat fibres.

Is fried chicken better with batter or flour? Fried chicken tastes fantastic with a batter or a flour coating. It's simply a matter of preference. Flour coatings like the one used in this fried chicken recipe combine flour with spices, and they sometimes add cornstarch or baking powder to the mix.

Prep chicken cutlets:

Coat in flour, shaking off excess. Then dip in egg (letting excess drip off). Dredge in breadcrumbs, turning twice and patting to adhere.

How long does it take to fry chicken? Starting with an oil temperature of 350°F, each batch should take 20 to 25 minutes to cook, until an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F for thighs or drumsticks and 160°F for breasts.

Fried Chicken Will Be Bland Without Enough Salt

This allows the salt to absorb into the chicken, meaning that flavor builds not only in the coating but also throughout the meat. Brining helps keep the chicken moist as well. Salt plays a crucial role in the crispy coating, too.

“Covering the chicken keeps the heat even and helps the chicken cook through,” Corriher said. “But you'll want to uncover it toward the end, to crisp it. Covering the skillet does make a racket, though — it's the drops of condensed moisture dropping into the oil that create all that carrying-on.”

Now, that's no mystery, but what you might not know is that it's important to allow the chicken to rest before frying so the coating has a chance to hydrate and get a little sticky. Otherwise, it can slide right off of the chicken when it's placed in the hot oil.

FLOUR + CORNSTARCH + BAKING POWDER

My not-so-secret tip to the best fried chicken is a combination of FLOUR, CORNSTARCH, and BAKING POWDER. When mixed with the flour, the cornstarch makes the flour coating crispier and gives it that golden brown color!

What makes fried chicken taste so good? ›

This means having enough fat in the fryer to suspend the chicken entirely. Done properly, deep-frying creates a satisfying contrast between the crispy-crunchy coating and tender chicken. But beyond that straightforward textural enjoyment, the crispness sends our brain a message that the food is in good condition.

The milk acts as a tenderizer, so if you can let the chicken soak in the buttermilk overnight, the crumbs will adhere well to the chicken and it will come out tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.